Without any nightclubs, you're more likely to see locals gossiping over an espresso freeze in a late night café than twirling on a dancefloor. Casper & Gambini's is a rather identikit chain coffee shop that serves cakes, food, soups and lots of caffeine until 11pm. This branch is located in a converted townhouse.

Acting as the top hat of the Radisson Blu, Sky Lounge is a swanky rooftop bar that spoils guests with breathtaking panoramic sea views. The terrace has comfy sofas that are ideal for a soft sundowner, while the covered lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows and glimpses of the imposing Al Hashemi II dhow.

Smoking shisha (a flavoured syrupy tobacco inhaled through a water pipe) is one of Kuwait’s more sociable late night activities with hookah bars found throughout the city. Many are full of men watching football and chatting, but chain café TCHE TCHE offers an opportunity for a puff in more service station surroundings.

If jazz is your thing, you best enjoy Japanese food as well, because Edo mixes the two on a Tuesday night. Set in a 1950s villa, this wonderful Asian restaurant has its own sushi bar that serves excellent sashimi and nigiri, as soft jazz musicians add to the sophisticated ambience in the background.

With a harpist in the background as well as extravagant chandeliers, polished marble floors and lavish Persian rugs, the English Tea Lounge feels like a colonial country home. Open until midnight, their afternoon teas run late into the evening with fluffy scones, delicious pastries, chocolate fondues and plenty of tea.

For an authentic taste of traditional Arabic music, you’ll need to dine at Le Tarbouche, a Lebanese restaurant at the rooftop of the Sheraton Kuwait Hotel and Towers. Distinguished oud and tabla artists perform in the background while diners enjoy some excellent mezze, kebabs and salads in opulent surrounds.

It may have had humble beginnings, but Kuwait City's oldest theatre still produces excellent amateur productions. Established in a nissen hit in 1948, the playhouse later moved to a bigger venue, which was ransacked by Iraqi invaders in 1990. The curtains were raised again in 1994, hosting everything from Grease to Talking Heads. Performances are in English.

If you're looking for some authentic Kuwaiti culture, try this small theatre, which mainly focuses on local drama and the odd traditional folkloric show. Much of Kuwait's theatrical heritage is derived from the Egyptian dramatists of the 1960s and shows can often be political.

Located within the Al-Sha'ab Leisure Park, this theatre is a real crowd puller that’s known for its films rather than its productions. With the park open until midnight, there’s plenty of time to catch up with the latest flicks, which are often Hollywood blockbusters or the latest children’s animation.