Home to the Bavaria-St.Pauli and Holsten breweries, among others, local Hamburg brews include Ratsherrn (pilsener) and Dubelsbrucker (dark beer). Both are drunk in huge quantities each night in the Reeperbahn and Schanze districts.

Hamburg Institution: Kaiserkeller
A famous music venue, the Kaiserkeller (Grosse Freiheit 36), takes a fairly uncompromising stance when it comes to its choices of live bands. The Beatles played here in their formative years.

Reeperbahn Alternative: Nouar
While the Reeperbahn may be the best known area of Hamburg for going out, the Schanze district is a lively alternative. Nouar (Max-Brauer-Allee 275) is one of the hottest bars in the area and even has big screens to take in the action.

Typical German Pub: Max & Consorten
A typical Hamburg boozer, Max & Consorten (Spadenteich 7) has a big carved wooden bar, a warm ambience and Guinness on tap.