Description: CENTRAL CANAL RING. Something of an adjunct of Café April (a nearby gay establishment, closed for renovation in 2008), this multi-level dance club gets packed at the weekends with a predominantly male crowd and a handful of women. Its location on the hip Reguliersdwarsstraat reflects in its clientele.

 

Description: OLD CENTER / RED LIGHT DISTRICT. A short walk from Centraal Station, this small club is popular with a young crowd who appreciate its varied live music and party programming - which could range from a hip hop night to a reggae evening or a night of underground indie from a visiting US band. It focuses firmly on emerging talent, especially crossover acts.

 

Description: FURTHER AFIELD. A vast, endearingly scruffy space above (and part of) a pool center (snooker, not swimming!) is the unusual location for one of Amsterdam's edgiest clubs. It's regularly inhabited by ardent followers of nights such as Club Rascal who purvey the finest indie music around; gay electro, techno and minimal night, UNK; and Burlesque Freakout, a wicked few hours of twisted vaudeville. The only drawback is that it's not in the center of town, but well worth the short trip to the suburbs.

 

Description: OLD CENTER / RED LIGHT DISTRICT. When it opened its doors in 1999, this stylish and sophisticated club was a proponent of Amsterdam's lounge scene. These days, however, the easy listening vibe has made way for more grooving house sounds. Big name European DJs like Trentemøller and Ruis da Silva have spun here, while celebs such as Mick Jagger and Naomi Campbell have popped in. Aside from its location in the heart of Amsterdam's cool club land (just round the corner from the Supperclub and punctuated by trendy bars), it's open every night of the week. It's also the place to come for sublime cocktails.

 

Description: EASTERN CANAL RING. Stylish and hi-tech with a hefty multimedia infusion, Amsterdam's most versatile night club has a warren of interconnected areas - lounge bars, VIP stages, balconies and dancefloors pulsating with light and visuals - under one big cavernous roof. The commercial club also has a variety of nightclubs ranging from house to classic 80s and 90s tracks, or you can take in some hip hop, R&B and lounge in one of the smaller areas. Dress in your trendiest gear if partying with over a thousand of Amsterdam's beautiful people is your cup of tea (along with long queues on a Saturday night.)

 

Description: CENTRAL CANAL RING. Located in a canal house dating from 1662, this was once home to the notorious gay club, DOK, whose visitors included David Bowie, Elton John and Jean Paul Gaultier. Following the demise of DOK, it was patronized largely by students until a major revamp in 2005. Now its plush interior is a haven for more monied and mature folk who can enjoy cocktails and dinner in the brasserie or restaurant before taking in classic cuts in the palatial dance hall upstairs (Friday and Saturday). Although perhaps not the edgiest of hotspots, it does still make for an all-in-one evening out.

 

Description: WATERFRONT. This upscale entertainment complex takes care of a host of nighttime needs, including dining, dancing, and even theater-going. On weekend evenings, DJs regale patrons with music that could range from electro and house to Latin, and the atmosphere resonates with energy and merriment. Panama's clientele has a tendency to be a bit older than the college age norm, a boon for those who've passed the quarter-century mark. They also tend to have fatter wallets which a night here requires.

 

Description: CENTRAL CANAL RING. The city's most glamorous club is based around the concept of a fictional Chinese Triad tycoon who enjoys throwing extravagant parties in his opulent, Oriental-style lounge, akin to an 18th-century Chinese opium den. Its dance area has a state-of-the-art sound system and illuminated ceiling which contains no less than 12,000 tiny light bulbs. It probably comes as little surprise that it's popular with visiting celebs such as George Clooney and Pharrell Williams and that the door policy is strict (dress to impress!).

 

Description: CENTRAL CANAL RING. It's no coincidence that Melkweg's name, translated, is the tongue-in-cheek 'Milky Way,' given that the complex once operated as a dairy. The revamped center-city attraction is now an entertainment and nightlife magnet, offering patrons everything from dancing and live music to theater performances and film screenings. The large venue also houses a restaurant and gallery, and it sells alcohol and hosts parties as well. If you want to be surrounded by other revelers or just require a choice of entertainments before you make a decision, Melkweg should be your first (and perhaps only) destination.

 

Description: One of the city's best kept nightlife secrets, this enormous café restaurant on the grounds of the former gasworks, Westergasfabriek, clears away its tables and chairs after dinner on Friday and Saturday and turns into a club. (Kitchen closes at 10pm.) Regularly drawing a 350-strong, 20- to 30- something crowd, it's perfect if you're seeking something relaxed and intimate rather than shiny and hip. Most other nights, DJs also spin and live soul, jazz or funk bands make a welcome addition to the dining menu.