Rennes has a bar scene that outpunches its size. Rue Saint-Michel — known locally as Rue de la Soif (Thirst Street) — is the epicentre: a pedestrian alley lined with bars that fills from around 7pm and stays busy until 2am. It is loud, cheerful, and overwhelmingly young. The bars here range from craft beer specialists to Celtic folk music pubs to straightforward French brasseries.
Place Saint-Anne, a short walk away, has a similar energy but feels slightly less hectic. For something quieter, the café terraces on Place des Lices and around the Parlement de Bretagne are good for daytime drinking and evening aperitifs.
Breton culture values its bars. The term "fest-noz" (night festival) describes the informal music-and-dance evenings that take place in bars throughout Brittany; if you catch one in Rennes, go — the dancing is inclusive and the music is excellent.