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Prague Nightlife

For those in search of the hippest clubs attracting a host of internationally renowned DJs, Prague isn’t usually the first city that springs to mind. However, much like the shopping opportunities here, Prague’s club scene is being driven by the increasing affluence of its citizens and is rapidly reaching a standard that will soon rival most other western European capitals. The choice of discos and dance clubs is far greater than it was a decade ago, but when it comes to night-time entertainment, the city still seems to be falling into the trap of quantity over quality, so it’s probably best to plan your big nights in advance.

Prague may not yet be a clubbing mecca, but since its emancipation it has steadily gained a reputation as ‘the strip capital of the world’, as the combination of cheap alcohol and a surfeit of attractive young women created a stag-break hotspot. And this is the dichotomy of contemporary Prague by night; half its visitors seem to be couples on romantic weekend city breaks, while the other half appear to be raucous stag parties. A queasy combination at best. However, although lap-dancing and strip clubs can still be found here in abundance, rising prices and the fact that many bars, restaurants and clubs (especially around the Old Town) now ban or actively discourage stag parties, means that Prague isn’t quite the destination it used to be for budget debauchery.

Of course, the traditional recipe for a great night in Prague involves beer and music, two ingredients the Czechs excel both at making and enjoying, and for many, rubbing shoulders with the locals while enjoying world-class lagers in a welcoming bar or traditional beer hall, before moving on to one of the city’s many intimate jazz clubs provides the perfect authentic evening.

Bars in Prague

Bombay Bar & Music Club

A sizable venue near the Old Town Square, this bar is one of the busiest in Prague, so if you like your drinks amongst a crowd, there’s one guaranteed here seven days a week. With an international flavour, the party here always seems to be buzzing, whether you’re starting your evening or finishing it with a couple of nightcaps before the late closedown - between 0400 and 0600. Stag parties have recently been excluded.

Dlouha 13, Old Town, Prague 1
Tel: 2223 28400.

Kozicka Bar

This authentic Czech cellar bar tucked away underground below brick, vaulted ceilings is the real deal. Bustling with a trendy set of locals scantly peppered with those out-of-town visitors ‘in-the-know’, this hidden basement in the Old Town won’t get found unless you’re already searching for it. The perfect sanctuary from the street level tourist hotspots.

Kozi 1, Old Town, Prague 1
Tel: 2248 18308.
Website: www.kozicka.cz

U Medvidku Brewery

This traditional Czech beer hall has been here since 1466 and, unlike many similar establishments beguiled by the tourist dollar, still caters chiefly for the benefit of the locals, who keep it generously patronized. Great beer is made on site in the micro-brewery and served along with many others, all at a reasonable price in a no-frills setting. With little else on offer, this is a destination for true beer connoisseurs.

Na Perštýně 7, Prague 1
Tel: 2242 11916.
Website: www.umedvidku.cz

Clubs in Prague

Duplex Club

Another club in a prime position, this time at the top of a building overlooking Wenceslas Square. The rooftop terrace makes this a great place for a coffee break during the day, but by night this is one of Prague’s hottest clubs, with a slick lounge-bar format that attracts the city’s top DJs and most elegant clientele. No wonder Mick Jagger celebrated his 60th birthday here.

Václavské námestí 21, New Town, Prague 1
Tel: 7322 21111.
Website: www.duplex.cz

Klub Lávka

With a great terrace and unrivalled riverside location, next to the Charles Bridge, this Prague club is equally popular with locals and tourist all year round, but really comes into its own during summer, when clubbers party the night away inside and out, at the edge of the Valtva. Vibey party music to gear up the crowd gets progressively more hardcore as the night draws on.

Novotného Lávka 1, Old Town, Prague 1
Tel: 2210 82299.
Website: www.lavka.cz

M1 Lounge Bar & Club

Owned by an expat New Yorker, this club has been a strong player in the Prague nightlife scene for a while now, and although it’s just undergone an extensive luxury refurbishment, which includes an extended dance floor, new cocktail bar and serious VIP space, the emphasis here is still about the music, with the club’s team of DJs spinning a well-received selection of hip-hop and Hhuse, R&B and indie rock.

M1, Masna 1, Prague 1
Tel: 2271 95235.
Website: www.m1lounge.com

Live Music in Prague

Bily Konicek Restaurant & Jazz Club

Bily Konicek is located in the stunning 12th-century medieval cellars of one of the oldest houses on the Old Town Square. These ancient surroundings not only ring to the sound of live jazz nightly here from 2100, but have also been given a sleek modern twist with plenty of glass and hardwoods creatively blended into this historic setting.

Staroměstské náměstí 548/20, Prague 1, Old Town
Tel: 2214 21160.
Website: www.bilykonicek.com

Reduta Jazz Club

First founded back in the 1950s, this venue can lay a strong claim to being Prague’s oldest and best known Jazz club. As such, it has played host over the decades to some great musicians – not to mention ex-president Bill Clinton who famously played his saxophone here. The live music continues undeterred every night from 2100.

Národní třída 20, Prague 1
Tel: 2249 33487.
Website: www.redutajazzclub.cz

Ungelt Jazz & Blues Club

Another subterranean venue, like so many of Prague’s best, this live jazz and blues club is located beneath a courtyard directly behind Tyn Cathedral in the Old Town Square. Atmospheric, and situated intimately in ancient Romanesque vaults, you’re likely to hear the music wafting up through the cobbled street well before you find this hidden gem.

Týnská ulička 2/640, Prague 1, Old Town
Tel: 2248 95748.
Website: www.jazzungelt.cz

Culture in Prague

Palác Akropolis

Consisting of a concert hall, theatre and cinema, Palác Akropolis is an established cultural complex in Prague. It’s also where you’ll usually catch any international indie, rock, metal or world-music acts touring through. The setting is intimate, popular and sells out quickly, whether it’s for home-grown talent or acts like Marianne Faithful, Megadeath, Sigur Ros or The Strokes, all of who have gigged here in recent years.

Kubelíkova 1548/27, Prague 3
Tel: 2963 30911.
Website: www.palacakropolis.cz

Prague National Theatre

Another fantastic neo-Renaissance building, the Prague National Theatre, standing proudly on the bank of the Valtva, is regarded by Prague’s citizens as one of its most important institutions and a historic key-stone in the country’s cultural development. Here amongst the sumptuous late-19th-century décor, the Prague Opera and Ballet perform regularly within a calendar of Czech drama and advent concerts.

Narodni 2, New Town, Prague 1
Tel: 2516 40791.
Website: www.nationaltheatre.cz

Rudolfinum

A tourist attraction in its own right, this stunning neo-Renaissance building in the city centre has, since 1946, been the seat of the world-class Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Boasting internationally renowned composers Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetena amongst its countrymen, classical music remains at the heart of the Czech Republic’s cultural history, and this is the perfect venue to enjoy a little, especially during Prague’s Spring Music Festival.

Alšovo nábřeží 12, Prague 1
Tel: 2270 59227.
Website: www.ceskafilharmonie.cz

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