Dundee's drinking life centres on two strips. Perth Road, running west from the city centre past the university and the art school, is the student belt — independent cafes, craft-beer pubs, the legendary cocktail bar Draffens, and a late-night fish-and-chip rotation. The streets around the city centre — Reform Street, the Nethergate, South Tay Street — are more mixed, with a few characterful older pubs, a few new wine bars and a couple of distillery-run tasting rooms.
For a traditional pint, head to the Speedwell Bar (always called Mennie's) on Perth Road, a perfectly preserved Edwardian interior with mahogany panelling and a stained-glass screen. For coffee, Pacamara on the Nethergate roasts its own beans and is consistently among the best coffees in Scotland. For a sundowner with a view, the bar on the top floor of the V&A is hard to beat.
Down at the Broughty Ferry end of the city, the Fisherman's Tavern and the Anchor Bar both serve good ale and overlook the river.