Bonn's student population and its years as a diplomatic capital left it with a surprisingly good bar scene. The Altstadt around Bornheimer Strasse is the main nightlife strip, while more relaxed options are scattered through Poppelsdorf and the streets around the university.
Bellini Bar on Rathausgasse 38 is a local institution -- Mediterranean-cool, relaxed, serving politicians by day and everyone else by night. It has been the meeting place of choice in central Bonn for over twenty years.
For something livelier, BLA Bar on Bornheimer Strasse in the Altstadt has a big screen for football, live music nights, and karaoke. It opens at 4pm daily with bar food.
3raumwohnung ("three-roomed apartment") on the same strip does what it says: a bar laid out like a flat, with a lounge room for chatting, a dance floor, and a main bar. Music leans electronic, but the programme rotates through slam poetry, themed nights, and the occasional toga party. Snacks available.
Pawlow is the intellectual's bar -- a popular spot for university types and conversation. Less dancing, more talking.