With 4 Nottingham casinos to choose from and more proposed including Europe's largest poker room, Nottingham certainly lives up to its impressive reputation for great night life. Although the urban myth declaring that an 11 - 1 ratio of females to males exists is almost certainly untrue, with the most bars and restaurants in one square mile than any other European city, the city certainly knows how to have a good time at night.

Although the casinos in Nottingham provide great bars and restaurant, there are a huge variety of alternatives too all over the city. The recently built Cornerhouse hosts the Circus casino, some cosmopolitan restaurants, multiplex cinema and pavement bars. Castle wharf, developed from disused warehouses, with its cobbled streets and canal side location is bustling outside in the summer and Hockley and the Lace Market, close to the Gala casino, are forever competing to provide the latest trendy bar for those wanting to be seen in the hippest location. Bluu, Dogma and Bar Ha Ha are all worth a visit.

As well as all this, Nottingham is also home to the some great traditional pubs, not least the reputed oldest in the UK: The Olde Trip to Jerusalem, built out into the sandstone rocks, adjacent to the castle of Nottingham. Nearby, there is also The Bell Inn and Salutation, all serving a great selection of real ales.

With 2 universities it's hardly surprising that the bar scene rivals that on the most buzzing of cities. Heading a little out of town, party bars such as Flares and Liberties, right next to Alea casino are always full to the brim.

For those wanting something a little less hectic, but still full of life, try Mansfield Road, which has had a new burst of life recently.