The number of bars in the city is on the rise and Manama certainly beats almost any other city in the region when it comes to stepping out. Compared to cities in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s capital is a veritable party town. As with most Middle Eastern countries, bars tend to be found in the big hotels hidden away from the masses but there are a few other options. Head along Old Exhibition avenue for the local Hard Rock Cafe, which stays open until one o’clock in the morning; and just down the road is Warbler’s, a sports bar in the Baisan International Hotel. Similarly, all of the night clubs are kept behind closed doors in the big hotels. BJ’s Night Club at the Al Bustan Hotel and Club Seven at the Mishal both run regular nights throughout the week with DJs offering everything from R&B to Arabic hits. Both run ladies’ nights on a selected evening in the week in which the fairer sex can get discounts on drinks and even some drinks for free. New, stricter licensing laws introduced by the government in May 2007 said that the sale of alcohol would be confined to five-star hotels with alcohol banned at venues near mosques, residential areas and schools. At the time of writing it was unclear how this would affect Manama’s night scene. | 
