The sheer number of nightlife spots makes it hard to choose which ones to list. As a general rule they tend to be clustered into nightlife districts, like the Flon, Place du Tunnel, Place de la Gare, rue Marterey, etc. This list tries to present one or two individual establisments from each of those clusters, plus a few which are a bit more off the beaten path.
The city's own official website has surprisingly good music listings, so if you would like to see what's going on during your visit give it a try.
Kai Zen Bar Lounge
Kai Zen Bar Lounge offers a vast selection of alcohol and is especially famous for its house cocktails. Every weekend - lounge, nu-jazz, funk & house music. Every third Wednesday of the month - After-Work Expat Drinks.
Bars
Le Lounge
). The Lounge of the Chateau d'Ouchy hotel has comfy red sofas, and a few tables inside but the real draw is the terrace which in facing east has a magnificent view of the Vaudois Alps. On a clear day try to pick out the Rocher de Naye above Montreux and the twin towers, the Tour d'Ai and the Tour de Mayen above Leysin. The blinking light you see at night in the same direction is the restaurant on La Berneuse.
Bleu Lézard
The Bleu Lézard is a popular student hangout with a restaurant-café-bar upstairs and a dancefloor in the basement. There's usually live music on Wednesdays and DJs on the weekends. Perfect place for a late Sunday brunch.
Le Lapin Vert
Rock Bar. Beer, Sweat and Loud Music. Closes at 3AM on Friday and Saturday.
The Great Escape
Relaxed atmosphere, the place with the highest percentage of english speaking customers, big tasty hamburgers and fries, giant screen for soccer and rugby games, blind test on Monday.
Le Bourg
A great place to see up-and-coming jazz and performance oriented acts from all over the continent. The place is a real theater with a tiny bar in front, and the booking is simply amazing for a room which can hold maybe 30 people tops, with acts ranging from French accordeon jazz or gypsy jazz to Coco-Rosie-like "new folk" to famed Chicago and NYC djs. You would not be alone in asking how they could possibly pull that off a little bird mentions that they are underwritten by the city
XIIIème Siècle
Claiming to be a bar for students this "13th Century" basement bar really gets going after midnight, when the other bars start to close. The dancing and massive pulling goes on until 5AM. A big plus: the very clean bathrooms are 21st Century, having been remodeled just a few years ago. Drinks are a bit pricier here than elsewhere though.
Bar Tabac
This friendly café has a huge selection of Belgian beers and French wines. The decor is understated hip, the climate is calm, and the clientele is a very pleasant mix. It also has non-smoking days.
Café Luna
A jet-set place, Luna specializes in atmosphere. The place is at its best during the week when DJs spin the best in period and contemporary Easy-Listening hip. Weekend evenings tend toward standing-room-only, but what do you expect? There is a limited food menu, which includes a dozen or so Bruschetta possibilities.
Café Couronne d'Or
Another fine place for a drink over your master's thesis, or a conversation with friends, the Couronne packs them in on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening. Cosy old bar in a small alley between Riponne and Tunnel. Sunday & Tuesday 4PM - 12PM, Wednesday 8AM - 12PM, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 8AM - 1AM. Non smoking till 6PM.
WhiteHorse Pub
So many English pubs try to actually be English. This one is very Swiss-Romande and is possibly better for it, at least as a pub experience for the traveller who presumably would have gone to England to visit an English pub.
La Bossette
restaurant and bar, relaxed atmosphere, reasonable prices and good beer.
MGM
A red storefront facing the lake and the alps, the MGM has two terraces: the usual sort on the sidewalk, and better yet a deck on the second floor which makes for a great place to relax and enjoy a drink while taking in the view of the Massif du Chablais in the lingering sunlight of a summer evening.
To perhaps a surprising degree for visitors from outside of Swiss Romande gay nightlife is very well integrated into nightlife at large. Most Lausanne nightspots are definintely gay-friendly, and many have a mixed straight-gay barstaff. There are a couple of places though which either advertise themselves as gay, or just have a majority gay crowd rather than just being gay-friendly. If that's what you are looking for there are a number of such bars along the avenue de Tivoli.
Café du Château
The Brasserie offers a number of beers made on the spot including a speciality, 100% natural ginger beer. They also have a kitchen offering a range of tasty pizzas at reasonable prices. Note the signs that say "service au bar", which means you have to order at the bar or you'll wait some time to be noticed and served. A pint of ginger or other beer will set you back 5 Chf, a pizza 15 Chf. Pizza and homemade beer until 4AM on weekends.
Clubs
MAD
One of the largest Swiss dance club with international DJ appearances. Thursday RnB & student nights, Friday trance & techno , Saturday house clubbing, Sunday TRIXX & Jungle gay nights. Difficult to enter after midnight. Check local listings for details.
Loft Club
House music on Wednesday, All Style/Student night on Thurday, RnB/Hip-Hop on Friday. Electronic music and international DJ's, from DnB to House on Saturday.
Les Docks
Located in an industrial zone, this room offers concerts once or twice a week, from French "chanson à texte" to metal mostly world music, though.
Atelier Volant
Offering three floors of entertainment including live Brazilian and Cuban bands, and salsa dance parties. The downstairs bar leans a bit more to Punk and Rock music. The new upstairs disco has a candy theme and a 25 and up restriction
Cult Club
House, RnB depending on the night. Over 28 y.o. parties on the first Friday of each month.
La Ruche Club
A very popular place to dance on minimal music, there's sometimes psychedelic trance. A strange place, attended by a lot of very weird kinds of insects. "On s'retrouve à la ruche!" they say.
D!
Dance club with international DJ appearances, occasionally concerts. Doesn't get started until after midnight. Check local listings for details.
Le Romandie - Rock club Lôzane
As a members-run cooperative the Romandie can offer just about the cheapest drinks imaginable in Switzerland, but the main point is the bands. The calendar leans pretty heavily toward hard rock and heavy metal they also book folk or other acts on a weekly basis as well as hosting friendly, late-night parties with djs. Another draw is the room itself: the club stretches between 2 arches of the bridge of Place de l'Europe.