This long-standing local Santa Teresa boteco (bar) also attracts a loyal following from across the city, with customers often overflowing onto the adjacent street. Bar Mineiro specialises in food from the state of Minas Gerais, and frequently wins awards for its cuisine, chilled beer and friendly atmosphere. Try the feijoada (black bean stew) which, like most of Bar Mineiro's dishes, is big enough for two.

One of Rio's most famous boteco (bars), Jobi has long been a favourite with 30-something Cariocas. It's known as a good refuge for insomniacs as the bar and restaurant sometimes stays open until 0600. Lively and reasonably priced, Jobi is perfect for a quick beer and a bite during the week and perfect for mixing with the Leblon crowd. Ask for a draft chopp (draft beer), which is renowned here for being served head-numbingly cold. Jobi really lights up at weekends and is well worth a visit.

Right under Lapa's historic arches, Circo Voador is one of the city's finest and most adventurous live music venues. Top Brazilian acts as well as international bands perform inside the huge domed white marquee. The huge sunken dance floor is packed out with a young and lively following, with outside tables under the trees offering a respite from the crush. Its musical agenda is wide-ranging with everything from samba to hip-hop, house to funk. It also has a strong emphasis towards promoting rising young talent. During the day it hosts arts events, exhibitions and workshops, featuring poetry, sculpture, film and performance art.

Rio is synonymous with sensuous samba and this club attracts young trendy adults. Every Wednesday night is Forró which includes various dance types and different musical genres.

This club is tiny in size but big in character. Set in the heart of Copacabana, it plays anything from glam rock, hip hop to EDM. It also features theatrical performances giving local artists a chance to present their numbers live.

In the heart of bohemian Lapa, Rio Scenarium is frequently voted the city’s best live music venue. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric samba club housed in a converted old depository. Vintage furniture and memorabilia fill its labyrinthine corridors with quirky oddities such as glass cabinets of medicine bottles, a vintage car, stuffed animals and kitsch ornaments. A central atrium spans all three floors so the audience can see the stage from all levels. As well as hosting some great live samba bands, it also has a restaurant and several bars. Not cheap, but a special club worth splashing out on for a special occasion.

A focus of the late night Carioca scene, Teatro Odisseia is spread over two floors with competition dance floors and mezzanine level. The Lapa neighbourhood is famed for its live bars and Teatro Odisséia also supports this buzzing local community of performers, hosting its own programme of live bands, both of national and international pedigree.

This giant modern arena in suburban Barra puts on live music events, with a capacity of more than 8,000 spectators. It hosts major national and international artistes, with recent acts including Avril Lavigne, Pet Shop Boys, and Hugh Laurie's Copperbottom Band as well as Brazilian superstars Djavan and Gilberto Gil. Citibank Hall is also one of the main venues for Rock in Rio, a major music festival that takes place every September.

This exotic, laidback restaurant perched on a Santa Teresa hillside is filled with colourful artwork and offers amazing views of downtown Rio. It hosts live music at weekends and for special events. The bar whips up knockout cocktails, which are best quaffed at the tables on its outside terrace. Espirito Santa is an avid supporter of the annual Arte de Portas Abertas event in mid-August, when Santa Teresa's galleries and restaurants welcome visitors with special events and exhibitions.

This is one of the city's prime venues for innovative concerts, exhibitions, plays and films. Based in an 1880 fin-de-siecle building, the beautiful architecture and the rich cultural agenda have established CCBB as a key cultural name, not only in Rio but throughout Brazil. It has a diverse monthly programme, from modern art to banknote exhibitions. There's also a bookshop, café and restaurant. It is definitely worth a visit, even if only to enjoy its peace and quiet away from the downtown hubbub outside.

The Theatro Municipal, in the heart of the downtown historic arts district, is one of the most beautiful and important theatres in Brazil. Founded in 1909, the building's most recent major refurbishment restored its original features, combining Belle Epoque with art nouveau, based on the Opéra Garnier in Paris. The theatre has its own orchestra, choir and ballet, and it stages both contemporary and classic productions. The Assyrio bar-restaurant in the basement is highly recommended for its sumptuously ornate décor of Assyrian statues, tiled walls, chintzy chandeliers and mosaic floor. Guided tours of the theatre run several times a week in English and Portuguese.

This exciting new club, which opened in 2012, has already built up a fan base for its excellent live shows and relaxed ambience. Casarão Ameno Resedá is a beautifully refurbished 19th-century mansion in Catete, a lesser-known neighbourhood between downtown and Botafogo, which is popular with budget travellers. The club's widely varied programme includes jazz, gafieira-style samba, MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira), rock, theatre and poetry readings. Downstairs, it also has a branch of Santa Teresa's highly-rated Sobrenatural restaurant.