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Prague is a city that takes its liquid refreshment, and its after-dark entertainment, seriously. The beer is rightfully world-famous and beer gardens are a dream, a new trend for cocktail bars has taken the city by storm, and music and dancing options are plentiful.
Plus, with such a small city center, you'll rarely have to travel far to find the best bars and clubs. In fact, one of the great pleasures of Prague is wandering around Old Town and just popping into any of the bars that take your fancy (and that don’t look hideously overpriced). Go for the back streets, and don’t pay much more than 50 K? for a beer.) Another Prague perk is the relaxed hours. In the past, bars used to close down by 10 pm or so, but now Czechs have taken cheerfully to all-nighters spent discussing philosophy in smoky dives, listening to jazz in cavernous underground clubs, or dancing on tables in avant-garde clubs.
Many of the best nightlife spots combine international pizzazz with a bit of Czech eccentricity—think beers delivered by a miniature railway or a cocktail bar where absinthe is a major component in most of the menu options.
Prague is also a very musical city, which is reflected in its nightlife. A lot of the clubs also host live music performances, and the atmospheric jazz clubs offer great shows almost every night of the week.
Clubbers have plenty of options too, although anyone looking for the cutting edge of cool is unlikely to find it in Prague, because having a good time is much more important. There's an increasingly visible gay scene, too.
For those who want to look beyond the bar, there are evening cruises on the Vltava that show off the city’s gorgeous waterfront, which is beautifully lit as the sun sets. In recent years, a thriving scene on Náplavka (a riverside walkway in Nové Mesto) has sprung up, offering cheap and cheerful pop-up pubs right alongside the water, often accompanied by food and fashion markets. And if we're talking alfresco drinking, Prague's beer gardens, comprising no-frills benches and brews in its beautiful parks, are a must-visit in summer.
And while Prague isn’t Monte Carlo, gambling is legal, and there is a range of establishments from exclusive high-end casinos to all-night herna bars with slot machines and video-game terminals. Most gamers say the top venues lack ambience and only the brave try the nonstop herna bars.
A hot spot from the 1930s returned to its former glory provides a somewhat romanticized but enjoyable take on a Czech pub. Part of the Kolkovna chain that has locations around the city, Olympia appeals to visitors and locals alike who like the special unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell. There's also a great menu of Czech classics to help soak up all that delicious beer. Try the schnitzel or the steak tartare.
This is an authentic Czech pub, with wooden benches and booths, great beers, and reasonable food; it even delivers on traditional service (i.e., not always that attentive). But that's part of the vibe—just ask the mix of tourists and locals supping on the Svijany and Malastrana brews. The courtyard beer garden is a nice spot in summer, too, and it's far enough off the main drag that it isn't overly packed.
Despite its location just off the main drag up from the Charles Bridge, the Bluelight Bar manages to remain a laid-back, grungy haunt for some dedicated late-night drinking. The rock walls of the cavelike space are covered in graffiti, and the clientele is a mixed bag, but somehow it works. This is the perfect destination for a nightcap—just don't blame us if you're still ensconced hours later.
From morning until it closes at midnight, this relaxed, hip café-bar serves up decent drinks and cakes, but what it really trades on is its creative and cultural atmosphere. Open mic nights and an archway entrance, plus chill courtyard seating when the weather allows, complete the picture.
It is about time that this side of the river got in on the riverside drinking action. With deck chairs laid out on the lawn by a hut, this is a remarkably relaxed place to sup wine, beer, or even a cocktail while the Vltava rolls by.
An atmospheric haunt that calls itself an "alchemical pub" (probably thanks to its location in the same building as the Museum of Alchemists), this bar likely hasn't worked out how to turn base metals into gold or discovered the elixir of life yet, but it's a pretty fun gimmick nonetheless. Try the cocktails (complete with dry ice) and enjoy the drinks in flasks, pipes on the ceilings (allegedly full of said elixir), and drawings and diagrams on the walls.
Once the town hall, then a mecca for writers and artists, it's now a three-story music and theater club. Every level of this attractive building has something different going on—there's an art gallery under the roof, a "video café," a live music bar, a restaurant, a café, and a basement beer pub.
The live acts are mostly popular Czech bands.
Every branch of this mini-chain of wine bars in the Czech capital has its own charm, but the Malá Strana location is among the best, not least because it has a distinct lack of competition in the immediate area. It's easily the best place in this district for a crisp glass of white in the courtyard in summer, or a reviving red in the cozy interior in the colder months.
Commonly known as "Little Glen," patrons are willing to cram in to hear solid house jazz and blues bands, as well as a few visiting acts. Get there early to stake out a seat near the stage; the tunnel-shape vault can be crowded but that only adds to the atmosphere. Upstairs they serve food until midnight.
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