3 Best Nightlife in Northern Ireland

Traditional Irish and folk music sessions are held most nights in the main downstairs bar. There's a different musical personality in the nightclub Gweedore Upstairs, where you're likely to hear everything from indie and house music to rock and chart disco.

A quintessential slice of city life, Tinney's is one of Derry's oldest bars and a family-owned business which can trace its pedigree back to 1847. Drop in to hear some Derry-speak (the "barrs" is a local term for gossip) where conviviality is the theme. Warm yourself at the glowing open fire with a pint of stout, sometimes humorously referred to as "soup of the day." An upstairs room focuses on the city's shirt factory heritage with a display of mounted photographs and Singer sewing machines repurposed as pub tables. Each Tuesday the venue hosts Irish traditional musicians, including gigs by the renowned Foyle Folk Club and popular storytelling sessions.

Derry's newest nightspot is over-the-top decadent, with thronelike gilt mock Louis Quinze chairs, ornate stucco ceilings, chandeliers, and a lengthy cocktail list. It's favored by a young and flashily dressed clientele on Friday and Saturday nights; "jazz, booze and blues" on Saturday afternoons appeals to a slightly more mature audience.