Elliston Place is home to several live music clubs plus a few neighborhood bars. The Exit/In and The End have live bands most nights of the week. You can play a game of pool at Elliston’s Pool Place Hall (2200 Elliston Pl., 615/320-9441). This is a back-to-the-basics hangout where good drinks, good pool, and good people make for a good night out.

The Gold Rush (2205 Elliston Pl., 615/321-1160) is a popular late-night mellow hangout. Finally, Sherlock Holmes’ Pub (2206 Elliston Pl., 615/327-1047), which models itself as an old-fashioned English pub, has fish-and-chips and pints of beer.

Also an upscale restaurant, Virago (1811 Division St., 615/320-5149) in Music Row is a trendy bar and late-night pit stop. The S-shaped bar is the perfect place to order a martini and imagine you’re in a big city.

Boscos (1805 21st Ave. S., 615/385-0050) calls itself a beer-lover’s restaurant. While food is important here, it is Boscos’ reputation for good beer that keeps patrons coming back. Stake out a front window seat to people-watch in trendy Hillsboro Village while you drink your beer.

Also in Hillsboro Village, Cabana (1910 Belcourt Ave., 615/577-2262) is a popular place to people-watch and unwind. It is a bar/restaurant/late-night hangout that attracts a youthful and well-dressed crowd. Lounge at the bar or in the expansive backyard. Choose from dozens of beers, wines, and some excellent martinis.

In the Green Hills area, The Greenhouse (2211 Bandywood Dr., 615/385-3357) offers specialty drinks, beers, and lots of hanging plants. To find it, look for the Green Hills Kroger and take a left. A few doors down, The Box Seat (2221 Bandywood Dr., 615/383-8018) is a bona fide sports bar with televisions in every direction.

South Street Original Crab Shack and Authentic Dive Bar (907 20th Ave. S., 615/320-5555) is an institution, serving Cajun specialties and a relaxed atmosphere. Head upstairs to the open-air Treehouse, perfect for a warm Nashville night.

Broadway Brewhouse (1900 Broadway, 615/340-0089) has more than 70 different beers on tap and 100 more in coolers.