It's a five star hotel which has a bar called the Conservatory on the top floor. The service is excellent and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The cosmopolitans are some of the best in Moscow.

4 Ulitsa Neglinnaya

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This is a fun, cozy bar, filled with locals, with great live music (usually rock with a jazzy twist) in a funky neighborhood called Kitai Gorod. There are three 'mini' bars within the small cellar space, one of the bars is actually an airplane wing, hence the name. Dancing takes place in one of the small bar rooms, the other is for sitting and chatting, and the larger space has the band.

Proyezd Lubyansky 25, the Russian name of the bar is Kitaysky Lyotchik Dzhao-Da; nearesy metro: Kitai Gorod

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A bar, a lounge and a swanky restaurant. From the summer through to mid-October, there is a gorgeous patio (blankets and heaters supplied for cool autumn days). The bar food includes one of the best hamburgers I've ever had, great chips, fresh salads and more.

7 Maly Palashevsky Per; nearest metro: Pushkinskaya; www.scandinavia.ru

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This is a very fancy bar located on the 22nd floor of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The view over Moscow is fascinating and so are the prices. But if you're in Moscow, you have to experience its high life at least once, no matter what the cost.

Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt, 32a; nearest metro: Leninsky Prospekt, walk towards the tall buildings with the orange roofs; Tel: 495 938 5104, 782 5045; www.skylounge.ru

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Either heaven or hell, depending on your preference. Affectionately known as "The Whorehouse", all expats and many tourists arrive here eventually unaware of the horrors that lie within. Any sports event worth its salt is shown here, from American football to League Two play-off semi finals.

There are surly bartenders who will only answer shouts of 'Dyevushka!' (“girl!”), a happy hour before 6pm and decent American food. The real draw card for the expat community is on Sunday, when the place is packed with prostitutes and prospective expat clients.

If it's culture you're looking for, you've come to the wrong place, but it's open all night and you're guaranteed some sort of a spectacle at some point. In spite of everything, it's difficult not to have a good time here.

Zemlyonoi Val; nearest metro: Kurskaya (brown ring / dark blue line)

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Genuine London Routemaster bus situated behind the Bolshoi Theatre. Serves pizza, chips and not very tasty sandwiches - but it is a great place for cheapish beer and awful Russian rock music. Candle-lit and full of Moscow skate kids. Looks beautiful in the snow.

Be warned though, the place is smoke-filled and its strongest point is its location.

Nearest metro: Teatralnaya; behind the Bolshoi Theatre. It's just parked up. You can't miss it

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Generally, beer in Moscow is either crap or very expensive crap pretending to be German at £3 a glass. 317 serves a good pint called Rubinovoe (Ruby) at 70 roubles a go.

The place is relaxing, none of the modern Russian pomp and forced chic. TV with endless reels of fashion walks is, alas, on all the time (muted), but concentrate on beer and you'll be fine.

Find the White House, the seat of government. Turn your back to the river. The very next street to the left of the government compound is the one you need. Nearest metro: Smolenskaya or Krasnopresnenskaya metro

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Dining in Moscow needn't be expensive - though wine almost invariably is - here are three good value bars/restaurants frequented by the young and attractive of Moscow:

Suzy Wong serves excellent cocktails and sushi in a New York-style setting, (11 Ulitsa Tiumra Frunze, nearest metro: Park Kultury).

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is open 24 hours and has great breakfasts and pizzas, (24 Ulitsa Bolshaya Lubyanka nearest metro: Lubyanka).

My favourite - Ugni is also open 24 hours and serves excellent steamed fish, borsch and good value wine, (8 Malaya Sucharevskaya Ploschad, nearest metro: Sukharevskaya).

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Propaganda is one of the very first clubs in Moscow, and is still the best for those who are looking not only to get drunk and dance, but also to hear nice music, meet interesting people, and, well, dance.

The music is quality downtempo, nu-jazz, house by local DJs and at least twice a week they invite a big name from UK or US. So if you're into NinjaTunes, Jazzanova, Grand Central kind of stuff, this is the place to go.

During the day and until 11pm they have tables all around the place and serve nice inexpensive food. After 11, it's party time, the tables get moved towards the walls and people start dancing, usually until 4 or 5am.

Bolshoi Zlatoustinskiy Pereulok 15; nearest metro: Kitai Gorod; Tel: 095 924 5732; www.propagandamoscow.com

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If you're adventurous enough to go outside the centre of town, try Long John Silver's restaurant. I recommend the wiener schnitzel – the portion is huge, enough for two. There’s a big plus in the summer: you can sit outside and enjoy the restaurant's own private zoo, complete with ducks, turkeys, rabbits and chickens. Those animals able to jump over the high fence will join you at your table. But they're very well mannered.

Otherwise you can look at the people entering and leaving the metro. There’s live music in the evenings and important football events are televised.

Nearest metro: Kaschirskaya, leave from the head of the train and exit right

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