In the centre of town , the best of the cheaper places is the ever-popular Creperie 1513 , 3 rue des Chaussetiers, opposite the cathedral, which occupies a superb Renaissance mansion built in 1513 (lunchtime menu at 55F/€8.38), while in the same street, at no. 29, Le Bougnat offers local regional cuisine at affordable prices (closed Sun & Mon lunch; from 78F/€11.89). Close by at 36 rue des Gras, there's good pizza and pasta at Le Bistrot Venitien from 79F/€12.04 (closed Sun). On the other side of the cathedral, you can get first-class Vietnamese cooking for around 50F/€7.62 at the Mai Lan , 41 bd Trudaine (closed Sun & Mon lunch), and crepes for 35-60F/€5.34-9.15 at the Pescajoux in the old rue du Port at no. 13.

For a more specialized gastronomic experience, there's nothing to beat the refined and inventive cooking of Gerard Anglard at 17 rue Lamartine, off place de Jaude, especially the lunchtime menu at 110F/€16.77 (tel 04.73.93.52.25; closed Sun & first two weeks Aug). Also good value, especially at lunchtime, is the Clos St-Pierre , next to the St-Pierre market below the cathedral (closed Sun and Mon; 60F/€9.15 at lunchtime, otherwise 205F/€31.25 plus). And, if you don't mind the drive - barely 5km southeast off the old N9 Issoire road - the Petit Bonneval at Perignat-les-Sarlieve makes a delicious stop for dinner on a summer evening (tel 04.73.79.11.11; closed Sun evening; menus from 125F/€19.06).

For a daytime drink , Le Suffren , on the corner of place de Jaude, is one of the most popular places to hang out. More unusual is Les Gouters de Justine , a salon de the , tucked away in old rue Pascal and furnished with antique chairs, old sofas and oriental carpets. At night one of the most fashionable places is studenty Le Derailleur , 9 av Georges-Clemenceau, while young rockers head for the suburban village of Orcines, beneath the Puy de Dome, to long-standing Phidias , aka Boudu's , on route de la Baraque (tel 04.73.62.18.34; until 5am; closed Sun & Mon).