74 Best Nightlife in Prague, Czech Republic

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.

This gorgeous café-bar, all distressed walls and high ceilings, is open from 8 am till midnight, and manages to transition nicely from coffee stop by day to funky bar by night. The owners reclaimed an old Austro-Hungarian café space for their modern version, and the update is pitched perfectly, with tasty food as well as drinks, including beer from the well-regarded Matuška brewery.

If you like your Champagne bars relaxed, located in ancient buildings with shutters and crumbling exterior walls that are covered with graffiti, this little joint is for you. A cool and welcoming spot, with candles scattered around as the sun sets, Champagneria offers a range of drinks from the fizz of its title to Matuška, a craft brew that many Prague hipsters consider the Champagne of beers anyway. Great acoustics for cheerful conversation, proper Champagne glasses, a tasty snack menu, a piano in the corner, art on the walls and regular musical performances only add to the promise.

This chic, lounge-style bar, situated on the rooftop of the Hilton Prague hotel, offers glorious views of the Czech capital (including parts you don't usually see). There's an extensive menu of innovative cocktails, as well as some beautifully presented snack food; try the chicken lollipops and prawn popcorn. The music can be very loud in the evening so it's not the place to come for a quiet conversation.

It claims to be the largest gay club in the Czech Republic, and with three floors it's a reasonable claim. There's a disco, multiple bars, seating areas with Wi-Fi, and other attractions for a male crowd. It's open only on Friday and Saturday night, but the party continues right through till 5 am. Not to be confused with the similarly named Club TerMIX, another gay club situated nearby.

This side-street taproom has an enormous, arching bar with an ever-changing selection of 10 Czech and international beers on tap. There are fridgefuls of bottles, too; the enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you make a selection. Beer-friendly food, from cheddar-smothered nachos to beer-marinated ribs, is served throughout the day.

If you're a fan of alternative culture and really memorable nights, Cross Club will not let you down. It's a glorious mixture of many different things: otherworldly metal sculptures; floors and floors of different music, including lots of drums and bass; interesting artistic happenings, such as poetry readings, theater shows, film screenings, author readings, and an afternoon kids' theater; and a gorgeous garden lit in a variety of bright colors. But, it all comes together for a great night out, if not one for the fainthearted. Its closing hours are listed as "??," which should give you some idea of its general ethos.

While Duplex is effectively an all-nighter, strobe-heavy superclub in the center of Prague, it also boasts a gorgeous roof terrace right on Wenceslas Square and a restaurant. Prices can be high and it is obviously touristy, but the location makes up for it, and if you do feel like hitting the dance floor afterward, this is where the biggest global dance music names perform.

This (appropriately named) friendly bar in Staré Mĕsto serves reasonably priced beer—and Western-priced mixed drinks—in a roomy cellar space. There's plenty of seating most weeknights, but it does get busy on weekends. It opens at 7 pm (and stays open until 6 am!), videos play every night, happy hour starts at 9, and a DJ spins after 10 on weekends, luring people onto a small dance floor—try karaoke on Tuesday. There's no cover.

The decor at this stalwart Smíchov club could be described as odd but cool. Think 1950s sci-fi crossed with art deco, and you're on the right track. It all makes for a fun, casual night out. Video parties, complete with '80s, '90s, and '00s music, draw big crowds every Friday night. There are occasional live performances, too, usually from punk or goth bands, or DJs playing electronic music.

With 6,400 combinations, this stylish gin palace offers everything from a perfect traditional tipple with ice and a slice to a G&T with sun-dried tomatoes or even bacon. Small plates complement the gin-heavy menu, and there's a gorgeous little candlelit garden for mild nights.

Absinthe is all over Prague, and if you want to dabble in the green fairy's magic, there are worse places than the sophisticated cocktail bar Hemingway, which is named after the man himself. You won't find any flaming absinthe here, but you will find a range of interesting cocktails, alongside Champagne and 200 varieties of rum—the famous writer's drinks of choice. It's worth reserving a table on weekends.

An outdoor beer garden hidden from passersby on the street provides a refuge from the noisy downtown crowds. The indoor bar is decorated with old rock-and-roll posters. Beer and hard cider on tap go with Mexican food and some pretty good burgers. Internet access is available here for a reasonable price, and Wi-Fi access is free.

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. 

This very traditional, welcoming gathering spot offers a convivial drinking place from morning to midnight, following in the tradition of the grand cafés of Prague's past, where literary greats would gather and debate till morning. To get a hit of that vibe, head in, take a seat at one of the dark wood tables, order a beer, and start setting the world to rights. There are dance, art, and theater performances, too. 

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.

One of a gaggle of swanky cocktail bars that have recently taken Prague by storm, L'Fleur mixes it with the best of them, blending old-school elegance—although arguably the decoration feels a little generic—and classic cocktails with local flavors (try the Parfum for a hit of traditional Czech spirit Becherovka). The menu contains some unusual ingredients—so much so that it can be a bit incomprehensible—but friendly staff are happy to explain.

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.

A classy wine bar and restaurant, with high ceilings, soft lighting, and a vast selection of vintages, including some particularly fine wines from the Czech Republic. Great steak here, too.

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. 

Sometimes all you want is some guaranteed good pop tunes, a friendly vibe, and a packed dance floor. If that's what you're after, Nebe will never let you down. Plus there's no cover charge. There are a couple of branches, but this slightly hidden one on Křemencova is the best of the bunch.

They call themselves cocktail artists and, although it is slightly cringe, it's hard not to agree. The team here make drinks based on your tastes rather than from a menu, and they are invariably great. There is no sign: look for the door with the little white horse. This haven is still astonishingly close to the bustle of Wenceslas Square. 

This upmarket dance club has regular themed nights with energetic DJs and, occasionally, live music acts. There's a large dance floor, but also a good-size seating area for enjoying a cocktail, a glass of Champagne, or some pick-me-up chicken wings.

An authentic shopfront with a modern brewery-style look behind, Pilsnerka has a very alluring vibe. It's worth the drop-in, too; good, fresh Pilsner Urquell from the tanks---one of several spots around town affiliated with the brewery, and serving the freshest version of probably the most famous Czech export out there---and affordable, tasty takes on Czech classics in a part of town that has not previously excelled in this kind of bar/restaurant.

This industrial chic neighborhood brewpub, in a quiet corner of Karlín facing the leafy slopes of Vítkov Hill, serves a good choice of home-brewed beers (the dark ones beat the light ones) as well as hearty pub food. A good stop before or after taking in a show at Forum Karlín.

An old-school Czech microbrewery with views of the river in summer and a cozy beer-hall vibe in the winter. There's also some surprisingly fancy Italian food at the restaurant. Try the wheat beer in particular.

With literally wall-to-wall bottles—there are around 250 different brands of beer lining the walls—as well as six ever-changing brews on tap, there's nowhere better to take a deep dive into the Czechs' favorite pastime. The food's pretty good, too.

With 30 Czech craft beers on tap, this is the place to go in Staré Mĕsto if you're hunting for an unusual brew in a fun environment. The owners scoured the countryside for their beers, and one, run by a husband-and-wife team, has a cheeky name that speaks to the brewer's gratitude for his partner. Try a flight of beers to taste a few different brews. There are now four of the pubs around town.

With a cooler, more modern and stripped-back cocktail bar vibe than some of the others in this quarter, Public Interest has one of those drinks lists where everything is tempting, although Heroes is our current favorite (gin, grapefruit, lemongrass, and Prosecco—what's not to like?). It also serves good coffee if you are looking for a slightly less decadent after-dinner drink.

A clubbing institution dating from the early '90s, this place still draws a loyal following. The dance floor can be a little cramped, but other rooms offer lots of seats and couches for hanging out. Those with two left feet can chill upstairs with a drink or eat food until late in the vegetarian restaurant.