It’s 8 pm on a Wednesday. Work’s done: time to loosen up. Banker Sriky Iyer needs a drink. He hooks up with wife Sapna and both of them are off in their swanky Honda City to one of the numerous pubs at Gurgaon. Mixed music, good food and a few whiskey and vodka shots later, the rough day at work seems a distant reality.

For a city that loves to make its moolah and spend it on good life, Delhi knows just how to live it up every night. At sundown, each day, Gurgaon and Noida turn into a mini Las Vegas with lounge bars and pubs catering to the city’s favourite pastime—drinking. Over the years, pubs at these satellite towns have become increasingly popular with the city’s yuppie crowd sloshing and shaking a leg till the wee hours of dawn. And with liquors flowing freely at tempting prices, pubbing in suburbia was never as much fun.

“We take clients for a drink after work to catch up and network. For a quiet place, good food and pleasant music, Dine-Esty’s where we go,’’ says marketing pro Ashutosh Khanna. Evenings at Dine-Esty Lounge rev up to pep talk or serious business conversation with the after-work crowd milling around at the live Tepanyaki counter, unwinding in casual gossip or networking over a deal.

If crowd matters as much as music, head to the lively Buzz. The place is quarantined to kids after 7 pm. As the evening gets hotter, so does the DJ and the hip-shaking Punjabi music. By midnight one finds heavy vodka-filled tummies creating mini dance floors right next to their tables. Most of the Buzzers are regulars. While at Buzz you could try the Buzz Masala: a potent combo of white spirit, whiskey, tequila, chat masala and green chillies.

If safety’s your concern, head to Staying Alive, a pub high on its security factor. Make yourself comfortable at the unique theme bar that has bar stools designed like bike seats. Sip a mojito or swig a cocktail while grooving to retro and rock beats. And finally with TGIF’s former chef dishing out delectable Tex-Mex cuisine, your evening is sure to ring in good cheer, with or without spirits. Staying Alive also lends it space for birthday parties for kids!

Like every watering hole, Elevate Lounge too has its loyal patrons. This spacious and glamorous lounge in Noida features live bands and comes with a caveat. Folks who fight shy of “rich UP chokras looking for panga’’ would do better staying away from the place.

If pocket permits, go check out Oz Lounge. Frequented by rich businessmen and richer expat crowd downing tequila shots and cocktails with Mediterranean food, this pub allows you to unwind in the soft amber glow of a candle-lit ambience. The lounge is separated from the adjacent dining area with a soundproof glass enclosure.

But, before you hit the sack, do try the Chinese and Thai Café. Open till 2 am, this place is a crowd puller with its live rock bands and delectable food.

So take your pick, tighten your belts and go figure. But do remember, be good.