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With its swanky bars and clubs, Vienna is humming with nighttime activity. Teenagers congregate at the Bermuda Triangle south of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, while hipsters meet in cafés and bars around MuseumsQuartier and the Naschmarkt. In recent years, the viaducts underneath the U6 subway line between Thaliastrasse and Nussdorferstrasse have been transformed into restaurants, bars, and clubs. A lively bar and club scene has also taken root at the Donaukanal across from Schwedenplatz, and Motto am Fluss is still holding its own against the competition.
"U" stands for underground, and fittingly, Club U is located below one of the two Jugendstil pavilions that Otto Wagner built when designing Vienna's subway. One of the best dance halls for alternative music in the city, it has outdoor seating, live music, a great atmosphere, and excellent DJs.
In a cavernous subway station, Café Carina is dazzling in its dinginess. It's offbeat, artistic, and action packed—you get the sense that anything can happen here, from an air-guitar competition to an evening of 1980s hits. On weekends expect it to be packed.
In the MuseumsQuartier, this café-bar is hidden inside the large, white cube that is the Leopold Museum. Tables are scattered outside on the plaza at night, and in summer the restaurant vibe morphs into a bar and trendy hangout in the evenings.
In the middle of the Freihaus Quarter, the Schikaneder serves as both an independent, experimental movie theater and a very popular bar filled with the city's artists. It screens a few films daily (in original languages with German subtitles), hosts art exhibits, and offers first-class DJ lineups regularly.
Considered the top venue for indie music in the city, Flex has a sound system unparralelled in Vienna. Top indie bands from across Europe showcase here, and the DJ lineup is considered by insiders to be the best in town.
One of the leaders and originals of nightlife in Vienna's 2nd District, the Fluc attracts world-famous DJs, who praise the small venue as one of the best in Europe. It is on the site of a converted passageway, so its thick, soundproof walls mean DJs can max out the volume.
In a cellar under St. Ruprecht's church, this is the granddaddy of Vienna's jazz clubs and is the oldest jazz venue in Austria. Thanks to the pioneering work of the club's founder, Axel Melhardt, Austrian jazz musicians have grooved with the best American stars. The club also serves excellent, inexpensive, and authentic cuisine.
Near the Naschmarkt, Johnny's is the classic, every-city-has-one good old Irish bar. Good beer, inexpensive meals, quiz nights, and live music make this pub a popular hangout. Note that it's cash only, and often filled with smokers.
Porgy & Bess is one of the top jazz clubs of Europe and is a fixed point on the international jazz scene.
Famous for its unisex bathrooms, outdoor pool, and several floors of entertainment, Pratersauna has become Vienna's most popular club—particularly in summer. Considered by many to be the best club in town, this location is cool. When you need a break from the dance floor, take in the art exhibits.
Back in 1870, Viennese used to come to the Volksgarten to waltz, drink champagne, and enjoy the night air in a candlelit garden. Today it's a diskothek, where locals flock to go clubbing, mostly to house and party music.
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