From torch-song cabarets to cutting-edge dance clubs, from neighborhood bars to velvet-rope lounges, plus world-class comedy clubs and establishments with all manner of live entertainment, New York City is a world capital of nightlife. Here you can find libations from beer and wine to elaborate cocktails and high-end champagne, often accompanied by great food.

A throwback to the fabled days of New York nightclubs, B.B. King Blues Club & Grill features top-caliber music stars and soul-accented entrees. The Showcase Room has video screens and state-of-the-art sound, a bar where you can snack and listen, and a dance floor. Lucille’s Grill (named after B.B.’s famed guitar) features specialties bursting with flavor, including blackened catfish, barbecued ribs, and more. Visit www.bbkingblues.com for a list of upcoming shows.

This May saw the opening of Rouge Tomate’s cocktail lounge, stirRED, which has already become a favorite among the after-work crowd -- and the pre-theatre-drink crowd, and the nightcap crowd... With pre-Prohibition-style cocktails like the Sazerac and the Dark and Stormy and an EATS menu featuring tapas-style cuisine, this lower-level lounge has entirely different offerings from the upstairs bar, and a dramatically different ambience as well.

If your travels take you downtown, head over to Broome Street Bar in SoHo. With its mix of professionals and locals, Broome Street is a great place to stop in for a burger and a few beers. It’s also notable for its coziness, the lovely stained-glass portrait behind the bar, and a good beer selection.

A new arrival on the jazz club scene is midtown’s Tutuma Social Club, which is quickly becoming famous for great food as well as great music. Live contemporary Afro-Peruvian jazz music is on offer every day, with different shows at 12:30 (for lunch), 8 and 10:30pm. And the kitchen is always open, with a menu by two of Peru’s internationally acclaimed chefs -- Rodrigo Conroy and Carlos Testino -- that includes an array of Peruvian tapas. And best of all, there’s never a cover.