Nightlife

The most popular spot on the weekends, although busy any night, is Trotters, at Maraval and Sweet Briar roads, St. Clair (tel. 868/627-8768; www.trotters.net). This is a rustic, earthy, and multilevel English-style sports bar and pub with an eatery on the upper level. The bartenders stock more than 25 beers from around the world, and the pub has 30 TV monitors blaring at all times. There's pub grub, of course, such as barbecue ribs and chicken. Friday night a DJ is brought in for your listening pleasure. There is no cover.

Known for its pop-rock nights, HiRPM, Gulf City Mall, South Trunk Road, La Romain (tel. 868/652-3760; www.hirpm.net), is located slightly out of town, reached by heading south of Port-of-Spain, following the South Trunk Road to the mall. Attracting mostly a 21-to-35 age group, it features different entertainment on different nights -- for example, techno night on Tuesday and rock bands on Wednesday. Club nights are on weekends, when there is a great mix of music and a gyrating dance party. On Saturday the action begins at noon and doesn't stop until Sunday morning.

You can catch us having a beer at Mas Camp Pub, corner of French Street and Avenue Ariapata in Woodbrook (tel. 868/627-4042). This place has a big stage where some of the best live bands in Trinidad frequently appear (or a DJ rules the night). There's also a reliable kitchen dishing up local specialties. More Vino, 23 O'Connor St., Woodbrook (tel. 868/622-8466), is known for its array of different wines and as a rendezvous point for the smart set of young professionals. Gossip fills the air, and patrons sip cocktails on the terrace or else retreat to the air-conditioned interior.

Local joints come and go with alarming frequency, but locals continue to flock to the live music at The Base, Main Street (no phone), at Chaguaramas, a 20-minute drive or taxi ride west of Port-of-Spain. This nightclub takes its name from its former role as a World War II air base and is open Friday and Saturday night (no set hours). Also on this former airfield is The Base's competitor, Anchorage, Point Gourde Road (tel. 868/634-4334), a popular gathering spot for "sundowners." Later on, groups head across the base to Pier 1, Williams Bay (tel. 868/634-4426), for dancing. Back in town, British pub-style Pelican, 2-4 Coblentz Ave., St. Ann's (tel. 868/624-7486), is a hot drinking spot, especially on the weekend. It draws a very mixed crowd, including singles and businessmen (who wish they were single, at least for the night), plus a colony of Trinidadian gays.