It's the nature of live music and dance clubs to come and go with alarming speed, or shift violently from one trend to another. Time Out (available on newsstands in the U.S. and in London) is the best way to keep up.

- Ministry of Sound
Address 103 Gaunt St
Location SE1
Transportation Tube: Northern Line to Elephant & Castle
Phone 020/7378-6528
Prices Cover £10-£15 ($15-$22.50)
Removed from the city center, this club-of-the-hour is still going strong. It remains hot, hot, hot. With a large bar and huge sound system, it blasts garage and house music to energetic crowds that pack the two dance floors. If the stimulants in the rest of the club have gone to your head, you can chill in the cinema room. Note: The cover charge is stiff, and bouncers decide who is cool enough to enter, so slip into your grooviest and most glamorous club gear. Friday from 10:30pm to 6am; Saturday from midnight to 9am.

- Pizza Express
Address 10 Dean St
Location W1
Transportation Tube: Tottenham Court Rd
Phone 020/7439-8722
Prices Cover £10-£20 ($15-$30)
Don't let the name fool you: This restaurant-bar serves up some of the best jazz in London by mainstream artists, along with thin-crust Italian pizza. You'll find local bands or visiting groups, often from the United States. The place draws an equal mix of Londoners and visitors in the 20s-to-40s age bracket. Although the club has been enlarged, it's still important to reserve ahead of time. Daily from noon to midnight; jazz from 9pm to midnight.

- Ronnie Scott's Club
Address 47 Frith St
Location W1
Transportation Tube: Leicester Sq. or Piccadilly Circus
Phone 020/7439-0747
Prices Cover £15-£25 ($22.50-$37.50) for non-members, £5 ($7.50) for members
Inquire about jazz in London and people immediately think of Ronnie Scott's, the European vanguard for modern jazz. Only the best English and American combos, often fronted by a top-notch vocalist, are booked here. The programs make for an entire evening of cool jazz. In the heart of Soho, Ronnie Scott's is a 10-minute walk from Piccadilly Circus along Shaftesbury Avenue. In the Main Room, you can watch the show from the bar or sit at a table, at which you can order dinner. The Downstairs Bar is more intimate; among the regulars at your elbow may be some of the world's most talented musicians. This place is so well known that all visiting musicians along with diehard local music fans show up here--perhaps even Mick Jagger. On weekends, the separate Upstairs Room has a disco called Club Latino. Monday through Saturday from 8:30pm to 3am.