Krakow Nightlife, Krakow Nightclubs, Krakow Bars

Krakow Clubs, Nightclubs

There is a good selection of nightclubs in Krakow so it shouldn't be too difficult to find somewhere to dance the night away that suits your particular taste. A lot of clubs in Poland play Hip Hop; which is very popular amongst the Poles; however there are plenty of clubs in Krakow that play the kind of music you are used to at home.

The dress code for clubbing in Krakow is generally relaxed but you shouldn't wear sports gear. Generally, tourists will have no problems getting into clubs as long as they are not drunk because the clubs think you will spend lots of money! Sometimes, you just won't get into a particular club even though you are well dressed and sober, don't worry if this happens, just move onto the next club.

Clubs which have been recommended to Love Krakow by our site visitors include: Cien Klub (quite posh with a slant for techno, small dance floor, plenty of tourists), Prozak (3 dancefloors, basement style), Alchemia in Kazimierz, B-side bar in Kazimierz, Kitsch (the only club open until the early morning so after 4am everyone goes there), Diva, Harem, Shakers, Frantic, Il Blanco, Ministerstwo, Base Music Club, Rdza, Goraczka (always crowded), Respect (Hip Hop), Midgard & Baccarat (looks like Dracula's Castle).

Krakow Bars, Jazz Clubs

There are over a hundred pubs and bars in the vicinity of the Kraków Market Square alone, most in the cellars of historic buildings, each with its own intimate character and atmosphere. Many of the establishments are devoted to live music as well. Jazz clubs include: Klinika 35 Blues Club, Harris Piano Jazz Bar, Jazz Club U Muniaka, Pod Jaszczurami Club, Kornet Jazz Club, U Louisa, Rotunda Orlik Club and Piec Arts Club. Popular places to drink, eat, and enjoy, are situated also in the nearby Kazimierz quarter.

Friday and Saturday nights are the high points of the entertainment week. Live entertainment fits all tastes. Jazz remains very popular and there is no lack of places for fans of rock, modern pop, ballads, including classical music. A number of restaurants in the centre of Kraków can seat more than 100.

Thanks to their proximity to each other, Krakow's watering holes are ideal for bar hopping. Many locals and tourists have spent nights partying from the Old Town all the way to Vistula River at the end of Kazimierz. Most bars fall in the Old Town and Kazimierz districts. In the warmer months, Kraków's nightlife moves outdoors into hundreds of sidewalk cafes and beer gardens. When winter comes around, it moves underground into cellars all around the city.

Many tourists, both from Poland and abroad, never leave the Old Town Square at night. If you want to party with tourists, that's a great spot. Meanwhile, many of the locals have moved the party to Kazimierz and new bars are popping up there every month. Walk down Szeroka or head over to Plac Nowy, it's wall-to-wall bars.

A few recommendations in Kazimierz:

  • Propaganda, ul. Miodowa 20). A tongue-in-cheek preservation of Warsaw Pact-era ambiance, posters, and drinks.
  • Singer, a former sewing factory featuring actual sewing machine tables.
  • Le Scandale, Plac Nowy. A huge selection of drinks with a great atmosphere.
  • Alchemia, Plac Nowy. Very popular, and the original Plac Nowy spot.
  • Eszeweria, Jozefa. Great music, decor, and Pilsner in a bottle for just 5PLN!
  • Stajna, Ulica Meiselsa. A whiff of gone times inside, a lively beergarden outside, and a lot of slacking students

A couple of recommendations near the Old Town:

  • Cafe Art, Rynek Główny 23. Decorated with bits of old church organ, they specialize in cocktails. Try the Kamikaze or Mad Dog - a shooter containing vodka, raspberry liqueur, and Tabasco sauce.
  • Nowy Kuzyn, Maly Rynek. Typical underground Polish bar with good darts machine and nice people.
  • Pauza, Florianska 18/3 - Pauza.pl. A long-time trendy bar in the centre of Krakow, popular with students!
  • Paparazzi Mikołajska 9 +48 12 429 45 97 — Best cocktails in town. A cozy place with a lot of pictures of known people and great atmosphere. Every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m a special menu with each order made double!
  • Harris Piano Jazz Bar — A packed underground jazz bar with great music - 6,50PLN for Zywiec, get there early to get seats.
  • Razzy Dazzy Jazz Club, Tomasza 11A. Club with live jazz music.
  • Still, Golebia 8. Club with lots of locals always willing to chat and drink. Wide selection of Polish vodkas.
  • Alter Ego, Floriańska street, wide selection of reasonably priced Polish vodkas.

Some Local Drinks to try:

  • A tatanka is a unique (and delicious) Polish beverage made with apple juice and a special kind of vodka called zubrowka, which is flavored with bison grass. It is also often referred to as a Szarlotka, or apple cake. Tatanka is a Native American term for bison.
  • Wódka miodowa is a honey vodka, often served chilled in shots. Some of the better Polish-themed restaurants will have house brands.
  • Śliwowica, a plum brandy, is worth watching out for. There are two main variants: an 80-proof (40%) yellow tinged one and a 140-proof (70%) clear variety. While the 80-proof variety is often smooth and flavorful, some have compared the 140-proof to drinking gasoline. A good way to drink it is to deal with it like with an absynth. Take a small spoon with sugar, put some Sliwowica on it and fire it. Let the sugar melt down for a while (10-30 seconds). Then, mix the flaming sugar with the rest of the drink. Let it burn for 5-10 seconds, then blow it and drink it. Watch out and don't burn your lips! You can also let it burn longer, but then use a pipe to drink it to avoid burning your fingers or lips.

Don't miss out on the grzaniec, a sort of heated wine with cloves and other spices, very popular around Christmas.

WATCH OUT FOR THE SCAMS!!!

As in any major city there are people trying to take advantage of travellers. Listed scams are scams where girls get one to a bar, where one is charged extreme prices (around 250 Zloty, or 70 Euros a drink).

A recent scam is for two women (can be Polish / Foreign, not always attractive) to walk up to men in Rynek Główny or surrounding streets and ask for directions to a particular street or square. If you respond "I don't know" they will ask you if you have a map, introduce themselves and say "will you join us for a drink?" They will then lead you to a nearby nightclub where you will be presented with a huge bar bill for ordering just a handful of drinks. Several bars/clubs on ul. św. Tomasza, ul. Sławkowska, Floriańska ,and św. Marka have been linked to this scam, i.e. Club Saxon and Hard Candy.

Similar scams occur regularly with various approaches, even through starting to talk at a table in McDonalds. The clubs you are taken to do not always look like a public building, looking very residential from the outside. Note that it is legal to charge outrageous amounts for drinks. The best thing to do is to always be on your guard when in such a situation, and to make sure you check the prices before you order anything (including the prices of the drinks the girls are having). If you are in the unfortunate instance you are presented with an extremely large bill, call the police by phoning 911 or 112, and make sure the bartender hears that you are doing that.

Ted Ted says, "Avoid a venue called Hard Candy. We've heard nothing but bad things about this place "