Lyon - Nightlife And Entertainment France complete tourist information

Lyon is almost as good a place for nightlife and entertainment as it is for eating, with a good range of clubs, cinema, opera, jazz, classical music concerts and theatre. The best places to wander if you are looking for a bar are rue Mercière and rue de la Monnaie and, most particularly, the streets of Vieux-Lyon, especially the southern part around the place Bertras. And make a point of crossing the river by the passerelles ; the whole district looks magnificent at night.

The tourist office brings out a bimonthly brochure, Le Progrèscope , with broad mainstream listings. Alternatively buy a copy of the weekly Lyon Poche , available from newsagents (every Wed; 7F/¬1.07).

Bars and clubs

66 Road Café , 9 place des Terreaux, 1er (Mº Hôtel-de-Ville). Not unconvincing Lyonnais version of a North American roadhouse bar. A lively and popular place with rock, R&B, blues, etc, plus billiards. Daily 2pm-3am.

Albion Public House , 12 rue Ste-Catherine, 1er (Mº Hôtel-de-Ville). English pub with draught beer and a good selection of whiskies, where you can play darts and billiards, and listen to live jazz, R&B or soul on Wed nights. Nightly 5pm-3am; happy hour Mon-Thurs 5-8pm.

Coco Loco , 8 rue Joseph Serlin, 1er (Mº Hôtel-de-Ville). Lively, multi-level Spanish-style disco featuring funk, rock and salsa. Special events include Brazilian nights and transvestite shows. Wed-Sat 10pm-dawn.

Les Écossais , 7 rue Charles-Dullin, 2e (just off place des Célestins; Mº Bellecour). Scots-style piano bar serving a hundred different whiskies, and featuring jazz, Latin and live rock music. Mon-Sat 8pm-dawn; closed most of Aug.

Eden Rock Café , 68 rue Mercière, 2e (Mº Cordeliers). Massive bar, decorated with memorabilia and modern art from the States, with cheap beer and food served until 1am. Live music Thurs-Sat with a heavy accent on rock, but also country and funk. Mon 5pm-1am, Tues & Wed noon-1am, Thurs noon-2am, Fri & Sat noon-3am; closed part Aug.

L'Épicerie , 2 rue Octavio-Mey, 5e (Mº Vieux-Lyon). Lively cocktail bar hosting jazz and blues nights. Daily 5pm-1am.

L'Éspace Gerson , 1 place Gerson, 5e (tel 04.78.27.96.99; Mº Vieux-Lyon). Has café-théâtre some nights, otherwise jazz or performance art, plus darts and billiards. Cool modern design set within an antique building. 60F/¬9.15 entry normally. Mon-Sat 8.30pm-3am.

FBI Café , 2 rue de la Monnaie, 2e (Mº Cordeliers). Quintessential American-style bar - its deliberately clichéd decor makes it like stepping onto a sit-com set. Concerts, theme nights and DJs. Daily 1pm-3am.

Fish , opposite 21 quai Augagneur, 3e ( www.oxxo-kf.com ; Mº Guillotière). One of Lyon's hippest night clubs, specializing in house. Admission 60F/¬9.15, drinks 20-30F/¬3.05-4.58. Open daily 10pm-5am; Thurs student night, Fri theme night and Sat garage.

Forum Bar , 15 rue des Quatre Chapeaux, 2e (Mo Cordeliers). Popular bar with predominantly gay and lesbian clientele, tucked in an alley just north of the places des Jacobins and de la République. Mon-Thurs 5pm-2am, Fri & Sat 5pm-3am.

Hot Club , 26 rue du Lanterne, 1er ( www.hotclib.fr.st ; Mº Hôtel-de-Ville). Jazz jam sessions and concerts of all varieties in a vaulted cellar, which is well ventilated to reduce smokiness. Tues-Sat 9pm-1am; closed July & Aug.

Paradiso Club , 24 rue Pizay, 1er (Mº Hôtel-de-Ville). Funky music and transvestite or burlesque cabaret. Daily 10pm-dawn.

Theatre, music and film
Look out for stage productions by the Théâtre National Populaire (TNP), 8 place Lazare-Goujon (tel 04.78.03.30.40; Mº République), based across the street from Villeurbanne's town hall. Less radical stuff will be shown at the city's gilded Théâtre des Célestins, in place des Célestins, 2e (tel 04.72.77.40.00; Mº Bellecour). The opera house , one of the best in France, is on place de la Comédie, 1er (tel 04.72.00.45.45; Mº Hôtel-de-Ville), with cheap tickets sold just before performances begin. For avant-garde, classic and obscure films , usually in their original language, check the listings for the cinemas CNP Terreaux, Ambiance, Opéra and Le Cinéma. Also, look out for the Lyon dance biennial, which brings in hundreds of artists and troupes from around the world (last three weeks of Sept in even-numbered years; www.biennale-de-lyon.org ).