Melt is a great unpretentious club which has been making quite a name for itself with excellent live music by a variety of interesting artists. The small club consists of a restaurant and bar upstairs and a dance floor/bar downstairs. The canned music usually starts around 10pm and live music usually starts around 11pm or midnight. The bands range from hip-hop to bossa nova and samba with some funk thrown in.

Address: Rua Rita Ludolf, 47 - Leblon

Phone: (21) 2249-9309

One of the most happening dance clubs in Rio, Baronneti attracts a well-to-do and attractive crowd in their 20s to 40s. Part of their secret is the minimum drink requirement; at a stiff R$70 (US$30) minimum for guys on Saturdays, there's no rubbing elbows with the riffraff here. What you get is a fine-looking classy upscale club, two floors of fabulous dance music to dance the night away, plenty of couches, and a chill-out space.

Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 345 - Ipanema

Phone: (21) 2522-1460

Below is a list of the strip clubs and bars.

Pronounced zero-zero, this nightclub is located right next to the Planetarium in Gávea. The club has a large outdoor deck with wooden benches and comfortable recliners, perfect for those warm summer evenings. The inside space is divided into a restaurant area and a small bar and dance floor. The dance floor, alas, is not only small but also located in front of the bathroom doors. However, the fabulous outside space and beautiful people make up for that. Still, 00 is better as a bar than a club.

Address: Rua Padre Leonel France, 240 - Gávea

Phone: (21) 2259-8675

It may seem like a contradiction to give the Rio Scenarium both three stars and an overrated at the same time but let me explain. The Rio Scenarium is probably the most beautiful bar in Rio. Located in a renovated warehouse on the edge of Lapa, this antiques-store-turned-bar is one of the places that played a big role in reviving Lapa's nightlife several years ago when there were few classy options available. Now, however, I'd say the Rio Scenarium is a victim of its own success. Recommended by every single guidebook and travel article about Rio, the place is often packed with more gringos (and women who like gringos) than locals. Although still worth seeing, don't make this your only stop when exploring Lapa's music scene.

Address: Rua do Lavradio, 20 - Lapa

Phone: (21) 2233-3239

A field trip to the Academia da Cachaça puts the concept of advanced education in a whole new light. Here you can dispute and discuss the finer points of the fiery white cane liquor that is Brazil's national drink. For though all cachaça comes from cane juice, not all cachaças are created equal. The selection at the Academia is overwhelming. Ask the bartenders for advice, and begin that lifelong intellectual quest for the perfect "white one." Just don't down them on an empty stomach. The menu here offers a variety of Brazilian snacks to munch on while trying yet one more shot. Or two more shots. Or three. Or . . .

Address: Rua Conde de Bernadote, 26 / Loja G - Leblon

Phone: (21) 2239-1542

An old-fashioned botequim with the bright lights, dark wood furniture and tile floors, the Belmonte serves up great beer, sandwiches, and snacks at almost any time of the day, but in the evenings and on weekend afternoons things get really hopping: Patrons spill out on the sidewalk, making do with improvised tables made out of barrels. Although now a local chain with brand-new old-fashioned Belmonte's in Lagoa, Ipanema, and Copacabana, the Flamengo Belmonte remains the best.

Address: Praia do Flamengo, 300 - Flamengo

Phone: (21) 2552-3349

Once voted the best botequim in town -- the New York Times even proclaimed it the best in Brazil -- Bracarense may be suffering a bit from its own success. On Saturday when the botequim is packed, service often slows to a crawl. Still, Bracarense's beer remains top-shelf. Food quality is another key part of the botequim experience, particularly the little munchy appetizers that go so well with beer. At Bracarense these are in the expert hands of the Minas Gerais native Alaíde, who works miracles in the small kitchen. Waiting talent, too, is important, and though the Bracarense's garçons may not do it with grace or style, they do get the chopp to your table.

Address: Rua José Linhares, 85 - Leblon

Phone: (21) 2294-3549

Not everyone swoons to bossa nova or the upbeat sounds of samba and forró. At Bunker 94, Rio's young and pierced move to the pounding sounds of techno, hip-hop, trance, and house as spun by three different DJs on three different dance floors. This is a gay-friendly club. Open Thursday through Saturday after 11pm.

Address: Rua Raul Pompéia, 94 - Copacabana

Phone: (21) 2521-0367

It's old and tattered but it's also got tradition. Everyone who's anyone in Brazilian music has played this aging 3,000-person auditorium, from Djavan to Milton Nascimento to Gal Costa. The best sections in the house are the tables in Section A and the balcão nobre. These give you great views of the stage and a chance to have a drink or a snack. Avoid the poltronas (numbered seats) as these have horrible side views of the stage. The box office and theater are just across the street from the Rio Sul shopping center.

Address: Av. Venceslau Brás, 215 - Botafogo

Phone: (21) 2543-1241

This beautifully restored building from the 1920s (just off the Praça Tiradentes) makes a great live-music venue. Housed on the second floor, the Centro Cultural hosts local musicians and big names who specialize in samba, MPB, choro, and gafieira. The room is cozy and intimate and guests sit at small tables to watch the shows. No shows on Sunday, usually.

Address: Rua do Teatro - Centro

Phone: (21) 2242-9642

You can't miss this venue; it's a large tent-like structure (the name translates as flying circus) located right beneath the aquaduct in Lapa. Modeled after the original '80s Circo that was the venue for avant-garde, up-and-coming artists, the new Circo Voador is one of the most eclectic venues in town, offering everything from samba and pagode, to house, funk and even the Village People (yes, the men from the YMCA). It's a great venue. The open structure is perfect for Rio's tropical climate and a large outdoor patio allows you plenty of space to take in the music under the stars, with the rambling of the streetcar on the arches overhead for company.

Address: Rua dos Arcos s/n - Lapa

Phone: (21) 2533-5873

What started as a cute neighborhood bar in Leblon is slowly spreading around the city. The original location on the Rua General San Martin still packs them in on most nights but patrons now have the option of heading out to the Jardim Botânico location and enjoying the large patio. The Devassa microbrews can now be purchased at many other bars around the city. The most popular Devassa brews are the blond (loura), redhead (ruiva), and brunette (morena).

Address: Rua General San Martin, 1241 - Leblon

Phone: (21) 2540-6087

Proof that Lapa's appeal extends beyond the young and bohemian. This elegant new star in the neighborhood caters to the moneyed 35-and-older Zona Sul crowd. Music varies from jazz to salsa, samba, swing, and even instrumental. The venue -- a restored Lapa mansion -- is lovely, and though the stage is small, three levels of seating make for enough room even on busy nights.

Address: Rua Mem de Sá, 69 - Lapa

Phone: (21) 2507-6686