Dundee Entertainment
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Bars
Cul de Sac and the Jute Café-bar are both civilized places to chill, but for something a bit livelier, try any of the busy bars along the Nethergate, especially the Phoenix and Parliamentary Bar, on opposite sides of the street by the junction with West Marketgait. At the top of South Tay Street is the West Port, where you'll find a clutch of student bars, including Tally Ho's and The Globe.
On the other side of the Hawkhill are the West Port Bar and, nearby in Brown St, the Freelance & Firkin, which has live music at weekends. Further up the Perth Rd, opposite Duncan of Jordanstone Art College, Roseangle branches left, and here you'll find Laing's, which is hugely popular with the 20-30s and boasts a beer garden with views across the Tay. It also serves pretty decent grub.
In the city centre is O'Neill's Irish Bar, 80 North Lindsay St, a cheap and cheerful pub with a wide range of good-value pub food and live folk music. On Union St is Hogshead, which serves 6 ales and decent bar grub. At the top of Union St is the sumptuous Trades House, a converted bank which has received some favourable accounts.
Broughty Ferry is a good place for a drink on a summer's evening, especially the Ship Inn, a cosy old pub right on the seafront with a reputation for fine food. Also recommended is the Fisherman's Tavern, 12 Fort St. It's popular with nautical types and is rightly famed for its superb real ales and good pub food.
Clubs
There's no shortage of post-pub venues, though the best places are to be found around the West Port area. Fat Sam's, at 31 South Ward Rd, attracts a slightly older crowd (ie out of short trousers), and has a large chill-out area. Next door is Mardi Gras, a vast club open every night except Tue. It's popular with teenagers. Just around the corner, in Ward Rd, is The Circus, Dundee's newest and biggest club.
Cinema and Theatre
The UGC multiplex, at Kingsway West near the entrance to Camperdown Park, Tel. 0870-9020407, shows mainstream movies. Dundee Contemporary Arts, 152 Nethergate, Tel. 432000, is Dundee's cultural hub, housed in a superb modern building, with two cinema screens showing current arthouse releases, also exhibition spaces, print studio, visual research centre and the Jute Café-bar.
Dundee's excellent Rep Theatre is on Tay Square, off South Tay St, Tel. 223530. It stages locally produced contemporary theatre and hosts various national touring companies. It is also a jazz venue and has a good café-restaurant in the foyer.
Shopping
The new Overgate Centre is on Nethergate and has all the usual High Street shops, including Debenhams and H&M. The main bookshops are James Thin, 7 High St, and Waterstone's, 34 Commercial St.
Football
Dundee has two Premier League football clubs, the cosmopolitan Dundee FC, who strut their stuff at Dens Park, T826104, and their bitter rivals Dundee United (aka the 'Arabs'), who reside at Tannadice, T833166, which is just across the street.
Golf
There are two public courses, at Caird Park, Mains Loan, T434706, and Camperdown, in Camperdown Park, T432688. Downfield Golf Club, on Turnberry Av, T825595, is a fine private course which allows visitors. Dundee is also within 30 mins' drive of Carnoustie and St Andrews, both of which have famous championship courses.
Leisure Centres
Olympia Leisure Centre, Earl Grey Place (next to the RRS Discovery), T43888. Pool with water slides and wave machines, also gym, sauna and climbing wall. Open Mon-Fri 0900-2100, Sat-Sun 0900-1700. Stack Leisure Park, Harefield Rd. Multiplex cinema and 10-pin bowling.