Prague - cool places to go
Pubs and clubs
Yes, beer is ****ing cheap
Prague is full of places where to go and drink good Czech beer (called ’pivo’ in Czech, as in most Slavic languages) and see live shows. You must know that beer is very cheap in Prague, a pint going for 20 Crowns (0.6€, 0.7$) - there’s the concrete danger of getting very drunk very soon, especially for Scandinavians for whom alcohol is extremely expensive at home. One good place to go is the Marquis de Sade, in Templova, 8 Stare Mesto, which in spite of the name and of the fact that it’s housed in what used to be a brothel is a friendly place where people drink and socialize - no ropes, no burning people with hot wax, just plain fun and live jazz and blues. Another good option is the Roxy, in Dlouhá 33, which hosts concerts, DJ’s from all over the world, experimental theatre and rare films. A good place for concerts is the Klub 007 Strahov, in Chaloupeckého 7, home to ska, punk, hardcore, reggae, dub, jungle, hip hop and rockabilly shows. Check their program at Klub 007 Strahov. The Akropolis
One place which deserves a special mention is the Palac Akropolis, a project developed by a "Centre of Independent Culture", founded in 1991. The Akropolis hosts a lot of concerts; artists who’ve played there include Afghan Wings, Apollo 440, Natacha Atlas, the notorious Dead Kennedys, Youssou n´Dour, Marianne Faithfull, The Fall, The Flaming Lips, Megadeth, Heather Nova, Henry Rollins, Sigur Ros, Stereolab, and The Strokes - so, great quality in a lot of different musical genres. But the Akropolis doesn’t organize concerts only: there’s theatre, it is used to film TV specials (concerts, theatre, events), has a department for art and new technologies, has a bar, a quieter café and a restaurant. The Akropolis has two stages, a bigger and a smaller one, the first for main events, the second has its own music program and is meant also as a chill out space. Events will be taking place on both almost every night. Check their site (mostly in Czech, however) at Akropolis Prague.
Jazz clubs
Prague is a great city for jazz. There are a lot of local musicians, clubs and festivals. One important club is Agharta, which is also a record shop and a record company. Apparently, the shop is open 24 hours a day. The club starts concerts at 21, and is near Weneceslas Square, in Krakovská 5. Check their site: Agharta Jazz Club.
The [Jazz Club Zelezná] is in a cellar, and organizes both classical jazz and modern jazz concerts, as well as world music evenings. Its address is Zelezná 16, is open every day from 15 to 1AM, and you can find their site at Jazz Club Zelezná.
The Reduta Jazz Club is a legendary jazz club open since 1958, and since then has hosted concerts by the best local and international jazz players. Today it organizes concerts of the following genres: traditional jazz, dixieland, modern jazz, fusion and jazz rock, soul and R&B. The address is Národní Trída 20, the website www.redutajazzclub.cz.
Upscale clubs - cocktail bars
If you want to take profit of your heavy currency, be it euros, dollars or pounds, and try to live some cocktail-tinged high life without having to sell your mom, Prague has a number of places that fit your needs, and even if a cocktail will cost you the equivalent of 6 beers or more, they’re still comparatively cheap.
If you want to show off your new designer clothes/sunglasses/tattoos/bank account, the places are the Bugsy’s in Parizska 10, the Bombay Cocktail Bar in Dlouhá 13, and the Tretter’s New York Bar in V Kolkovně 3. You are guaranteed to find great, colourful, trendy cocktails and a "cool" atmosphere. Make sure you look the part.
Gay friendly and Lesbian friendly clubs
There are several gay-friendly/lesbian-friendly clubs in Prague. One is the Czbeat, in Balbínova 26, open every day from 11 to 5 in the morning. Their website is www.beat.cz. Another is the Alcatraz, in Bořivojova 58, Žižkov. The Alcatraz is definitely S&M oriented, as you can see from their site at Alcatraz gay SM club. Very hard core stuff indeed (they organize "punishing" ceremonies, with whip and all), so it’s not for everyone. Another interesting, if milder, club is the Gejzeer, with a capacity of 550 making it the largest gay-oriented dance club, two dance floors and theme nights, including local music, erotica exhibitions, fashion specials and gay-themed evenings. It does have a dark room. The interior is cool, if you like that kind of over the top kitsch that is typical of gay clubs. You can see for yourself at Gejzeer Prague. The Reinado disco club, in Voronezska 24/172, is more of a café than a club, and is run by a couple of Czech gay guys. The Reinado also welcomes "breeders", so it’s not only for gay people.
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