The British have made some immense contributions to civilisation, but none greater than the local pub. Filled with warm welcomes, tasty beverages 'pulled' straight from the barrel, hearty meals, a lathering of character, and just as many characters, the “local” is the country’s great social equaliser. Lord or layman, Royal or road worker, step through the doors of a traditional English pub and we’re all just another parched soul in search of a liquid assisted break from the stresses of the outside world.

With all this good must come some bad, and British licensing laws ensure they play their part by restricting opening hours from 11am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, and noon to 10.30pm on Sunday. You’ll even find some pubs closed in the afternoon between 3pm and 7.30pm, especially on Sunday. At time of writing, the British Government have begun to show signs of moving in time with the rest of the world in relation to licenced entertainment, allowing pubs and bars to apply for extended opening hours in a bid to discourage last-minute 'binge drinking' before last orders are called. At this stage only a small number of pubs in central London have been granted extended hours.

Depending on your point of view, there is another good or bad trend occurring throughout London pub life. Over the past few years many of the traditional pubs have been on the end of extreme, and occasionally obscene makeovers, into flashy, clean, sparkling Gastropubs catering to an up-market clientele. However, it is possible to still find time-honoured, cosy, and colourful watering holes if you know where to look.

Possibly the most important thing to know when you come to England is how to order a beer. Flowing from the tap, the nectar of the Gods is available in two handy glass sizes - a pint and a half-pint that should be referred to as a "pint" or a "half" respectively, when ordering draught beer. The mighty pint is equivalent to 0.6 of a litre, while a half is a more restrained 0.3 of a litre. For information on the serious business of pub life, see our Pub Ettiquette section.

The city is now a plethora of chain pubs and bars, each offering their own particular vibe. The competition to become the 'in' place in town has led to vast sums of money being spent on décor and entertainment. In return, you have a huge selection of revamped American-style bars, offering music to fit the desired mood, and bar staff inviting tips for serving bottled beer and fancy named designer cocktails that would have Oliver Reed swaying in his grave.

With almost 4000 pubs and bars to choose from, it’s only right you do some extensive first hand research to see which best suit your personal taste.

Clubbing in the capital is not just scene, but a feature length blockbuster. Serious party people flock to London clubs to soak up the choice and range of themes, top line DJ’s, and amazing live music available around town. The club crowd is relatively young, with the overwhelming majority in their 20’s, although there’s always a good representation from dirty-thirties and beyond on the pulsating dancefloors.

At the in-crowd venues, doormen revel in the one moment in life that people take their pumped up bodies in shrunken t-shirts seriously. They scan the queues, dismissing poor sods with the wrong “look” or the wrong attitude. The only option is to be patient and polite, or extremely good looking and female, and hope you are eventually given the nod.

Of course, dancing to “doof doof” music may be your idea of hell. If so, try one of the retro and casual dance clubs, or one-on-one action at London’s salsa clubs and swing nights. For a low intensity evening workout, there are plenty of chilled out bars and jazz clubs to enjoy.