Zurich: Nightlife

2 Akt This casual bistro-cum-bar serves schnitzels and beer (a nod to its beer-hall origins) by day and DJ-spun dance tracks for a young, artsy media crowd by night. Left Bank; Selnaustrasse 2; 011-41-44-201-6564; www.weloveakt.com
trendy | no cover charge | bar | nightclub

Café Bar Odéon This beautiful Art Nouveau café-bar, dating to 1911, may not attract the legendary clientele it once did (Joyce and Lenin were both regulars), but it’s still an interesting place to have a coffee by day or drink by night. There’s a short menu if you’re peckish. Limmatquai 2; 011-41-44-251-1650; www.odeon.ch
moderate | no cover charge | bar | cafe

Jules Verne This stylish 11th-floor bar, accessed through Brasserie Lipp, has stunning views of Zürich and beyond, making it an excellent spot for a sunset drink. Popular with the after-work office crowd, it buzzes in the early evenings. Left Bank; Uraniastrasse 9; 011-41-43-888-6666; www.jules-verne.ch
moderate | views | no cover charge | bar | cafe

Tonhalle Gesellschaft Zürich’s beautiful concert hall is famous for its 1895 opening, which featured a performance of ‘Song of Triumph’ by Brahms.  Not surprisingly, Brahms, Strauss, and Schumann feature heavily on the program of classic music concerts performed here by the Tonhalle Orchestra, one of Europe’s finest ensembles. Left Bank; Claridenstrasse 5; 011-41-44-206-3434; www.tonhalle.ch
live music

x-tra A long-standing favorite on the nightlife scene, this club and concert venue offers a varied program of dance nights, from hip-hop to reggae, and a live music calendar that ranges from Blondie to the Stereophonics. West Zurich; Limmatsrasse 118, In the Limmathaus; 011-41-44-448-1500; www.x-tra.ch
trendy | cover charge | bar | live music | nightclub

Zürich Opera House Buy tickets in advance for a performance at one of Europe’s premiere opera houses, the Opernhaus. Expect anything from a classic treatment of Verdi’s Rigoletto to an avant-garde interpretation of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. Seefeld; Falkenstrasse 1; 011-41-44-268-66-66; www.opernhaus.ch
opera