The enigmatically named 9a is a great new bar that opened on Nábreží Premyslovcù in October of 2005. (Listed under Q, because if the number 9 could become a letter, that’s what it would be).

Entry from the street is down a short staircase to the main door, and once inside you’ll go down a few more stairs to be completely below ground level. Immediately on your right is the main bar with a row of stools and some standing space. In the next section there’s a long arrangement of benches, tables, and chairs along one wall, but the centerpiece of the room is the circular bar. It’s made of exposed brick and is topped with a pale-coloured wooden counter, above which only the gleaming Kelt and Velvet taps rise. From here, the narrow doorway takes you to the back room, in which there’s another long arrangement of benches and tables along the entire length of one wall. There are also a couple of freestanding tables and a high-tech table-football contraption (10kc for 10 balls).

Throughout the bar, most of the original brick and stone walls are stripped of their plaster, while the remaining walls and the ceilings are finished in a warm cream colour. With the dark wooden floorboards and blonde wood furniture, the wide uncluttered spaces still feel warm and comfortable. The tables don’t rock, and the angle of the bench backs is just right (that’s not so hard, you might say, but how many bars have you been to that can’t manage it? Or just can’t be bothered?).

If you’d turned left instead at the bottom of the entry stairs, you’d either be in the toilets or would have walked down a long corridor to find the true back room of the bar, where there is a... climbing room. As in rock climbing. Fully set up with hand and footholds across walls and ceilings and a thick layer of mats for those with finger strength more suited to beer glasses.

“I bet this all comes at a pretty price,” you say? Nope. Kelt is 25Kc, and Velvet 23. Staropramen 12 is 17 for a small glass and 21 for a large, while the Staropramen 10 is 13 for a small glass and 18 for a large (cheaper only at Vertigo and the Outdoor Cinema). If you’re not partaking of alcoholic beverages, or would like something to mix them with, a cup of tea is 15Kc, soft drinks are 21Kc, juices 22Kc, and Red Bull 50Kc.

The staff is friendly and efficient, and there’s not the slightest hint of any snootiness or cooler-than-thou-ness you might expect from a stylish new bar of this standard. The owner seems to be in his late 20s and takes great care to make sure everything is as it should be. He’s certainly done a good job setting up the bar and employing staff.

At the time of writing, 9a is The Best Bar in Olomouc.