Yet another hidden gem down on kicky Rua Augusta, LAB Club raised the bar in terms of Baixo Augusta decor when it opened late in 2010, with its intimate downstairs dancefloor, bathed in LED lighting from above and buffered on all sides by rubber-lined walls. It's a sexy, sweaty little box of tricks, and on a good night, it can feel like the very place to be.

Things are more down-to-earth in the upstairs bar, where dancing has been known to break out too. Down-to-earth, that is, aside from the drinks menu, with its molecular mixes and solid-state drinks. Watermelon pearls hide at the bottom of the glass in a tangerine martini, and the margarita comes in the shape of a Jolly Roger-style skull. Yep, it's gimmicky; but we really liked the caipirinha: a tangle of cachaça spaghetti topped with a grating of lime peel.

The club is the work of the same people behind Barra Funda's Clash Club, and runs a handful of well-thought-of nights like the techno-heavy Black Jack.