Clubbing in Warsaw

No Mercy

Attraction | "No Mercy - not when it Comes to Prices"

No Mercy Club is a place in Warsaw which appeals only to specific clientelle, I think the club has a cracking name and went along once on the promise that they played metal, it is in fact a gothic club rather than a hard rock or metal pub/club though, it's also quite expensive and far out of the city centre.

You can expect to hear Industrial, Electro, Darkwave, EBM and Electro.. the music tends to feature on the darker tracks of those genres too, the club however is quite glitzy but without the use of gold and silver, the door area is blood red and as you go down the stairs you enter a sort of purply, grey room with black wooden tables and colourful comfortable chairs that you imagine wouldn't look out of place in Gary Numan's attic. You can normally expect a rather slender, uniquely dressed crowd with more girls than guys and it's no wonder as most men probably baulk at the high entrance fee which is usually 15zl but can be as much as 30zl. Drinks are however reasonably priced but it's quite a way out and if you get lazy and can't be bothered for the night bus, you'll be forking out for a taxi too. Though I don't mind a bit of Electro or Industrial, the music generally doesn't appeal too much so I haven't been back but if that's the music you are into, it's one of the few places you'll find it. Occasionally they have concerts of fairly decent metal bands and Sunday's tend to be a tad different to the usual style of music.

Getting There:

Your best bet is to make your way to the Western Train Station (Warszawa Zachodnia) and then change to bus 523 until Os.Wolska, you could also take the 523 from Metro Politechnika.
From there you need to continue walking in the direction the bus went and you will see the club after a few metres on the left. It's not particularly straight forward though and if there are a group of you it will be easier to take a taxi.

Address: Ulica Bema 65
Web Address: http://www.no-mercy.pl/index.php?page=club

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by dangaroo on July 4, 2008

Dobra Karma

Attraction | "One of the Best Clubs in Warsaw"

Dobra Karma is a really nice club in Warsaw that might be considered a bit "underground", it's rarely visited by foreigners unless they are shown the place as it's quite out of the center and in the less than glamorous Wola region of the city. It is located in a sort of courtyard where several other pubs are located including Radio Luxemburg (which I've already reviewed).

Dobra Karma is cheap, friendly, sometimes a bit crowded and somewhere where everyone regardless of colour, hairstyle or outfit can feel very comfortable.

The club has two parts, a beer garden which is covered and heated during the winter and the club inside which isn't all that large, because of this people normally end up either standing up or sitting outside as the dance floor enlargens. The club plays reggae, jungle, ska and some early funk or soul classics. Entrance is normally 10zl but there are also numerous punk, ska and psychobilly concerts and if they are well known the price may be raised, on the other hand it is also quite often free to enter.

Dobra Karma are also well known for their cocktail making abilities and generally serve up Moquitos, Pina Colada, Sex on the Beach, Godfather, Daquiri, Margerita and many many more at a cheaper price than many other clubs. Beer (6zl - 1.25) and vodka is also pretty cheap, add to that your entrance ticket gives you a free drink usually and this means it's a pretty affordable place to go.

I actually spent New Year here, where they had a cracking party that was still completely packed at 5am and an insanely lethal home made firework display (cheap Chinese fireworks & drunk bar staff setting them off = what's that hitting me on the back of the head)

Getting there:

Of course all of this comes at a cost, as it's 20 or 30 minutes out of the centre. Perhaps only 10 or 15 if you are staying in the business district. To get there you can take bus 190 from Kino Femina or Metro Ratusz, get off at the stop called PKP Kolo (there is a petrol station by the bus stop), then cross the road to the opposite side of the petrol station, walk up a few metres and you will see the entrance to the car park.

Opening hours: 16.00 - until the last person leaves
Address: Ul. Gorczewska 67
Web Address: www.dobrakarma.pl (polish only)

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by dangaroo on July 4, 2008

Dobra Karma
Górczewska 67 Warsaw
+48 22 836 02 43

Klub Punkt

Attraction | "A Reggae Club with a Punky Name"

Klub Punkt is a club in the center of Warsaw which mostly plays reggae, dancehall, jungle and breakbeat, it normally has some quite good dj's playing and often has punk/psychobilly concerts or special parties in midweek. They normally host a pretty good Halloween Party which draws a huge crowd. The downside is that entrance is usually quite dear by local standards at around 15zl (3.90) and beer costing 9zl (2.25), the club normally appeals to a young clean crowd in some pretty interesting outfits.

The club is by no means your standard reggae shack but a well planned and decorated pub with spotless toilets (enormous queues when there's a concert though) and friendly staff, even doormen. They're disco lights are also of a pretty good standard, it's normally fairly quiet during midweek and you can find a place to sit.

To get there you must get to Plac Konstytucji and then follow the road called Koszykowa on the opposite side to the KFC until you reach the first corner, the club is on the left in a dip because it's underground. It's incredibly central and very close to several hotels and a youth hostel.

Address: Koszykowa 55
Web address: http://www.punkt.waw.pl

There's a plethora of public transport going there:

Bus: 100, 117, 131, 159, 359, 406, 409, 410, 415, 501, 509, 515, 519, 520, 522, 524, 525, 607, 611
Tram: 2, 4, 15, 18, 35, 36

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by dangaroo on July 4, 2008

Klub Punkt
ul. Koszykowa 55 Warsaw

Klub Park

Attraction | "Something for Everyone, Once a Week"

Park like the previously mentioned Proxima is a staple of student life in the city, not everyone can afford the plush glittery clubs in the center but youngsters don't want to just drink at home and this is where both of these clubs come in. For the sake of this article, the exchange rate is 4.1zl to 1 pound.

Ironically the beer is also relatively poor from here (on the pump - Krolweskie (5zl), Zywiec (6zl)) but the bottled beer (particularly the Lech Mocne) is still cheap at 6,5zl (1.60) and incredibly tasty.

Park has an eclectic mix of music played on different nights, so if you are an rnb fan, like drum n bass or are a metalhead there is something for you but it won't always be like that, so you might feel let down!

That's why I'm here to tell you their line up!
------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
Monday - Dance (read: stupid guys, hot girls who spend most of the evening looking in the mirror of the girls bathroom)

Student price: 10zl Normal price: 20zl

Tuesday - 70's, 80's, 90's (all sorts of people)

Student price: 5zl Normal price: 10zl

Wednesday - R'n'b, Hip Hop (a mixture of chavs and cool people)

Student price: 10zl Normal price: 20zl

Thursday - Hardzone (punk and metal - youngsters going mental and older ones to fat for their trousers sitting around with a beer and playing table football)

Student price: 5zl Normal price: 10zl

Friday / Saturday - Pop (all sorts and normally insanely packed)

Student price: 10zl Normal price: 20zl and 12zl/24zl on Sat

Sunday - Latino (never been on Sunday but I guess it's quiet)

Student price: 10zl Normal price: 20zl
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The waiteresses tend to be pretty rude here and not particularly interested in serving, there can be 20 frustrated people waving money in the air and looking like they will die of thirst, or god forbid even sober up and the waiteresses will generally continue just talking to their boyfriend at the bar. I suggest getting one of those lighters with a flash light on the bottom and pointing it in their eye!

The pub is pretty nice with a roomy dance floor, spaceous toilets (should you choose to reside in there), several sofas around tables on one section, another section with bar tools around high tables and finally two parts with wooden tables and benches, one in a sort of cellar where the main attraction is table football and another outside in an enclosed garden with an open grill. There's always snacks flying around which I've never tried, they look good though.

The club also occasionally hosts fairly decent Dj's and concerts. One of the biggest let downs of this club is just when it seems to start getting really good, they turf you out. The place closes at 2 am! Something for everyone and you should definitely have a good time, it's also fairly central

To get there you need to take Tram 10, 16, 17 or 33 to "Biblioteka Narodowa", then walk across the zebra crossing and it is the club amongst trees with a huge sign "Park"

Address: Al. Niepodlegosci 196
Website: http://www.park.com.pl (only in Polish)

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by dangaroo on July 4, 2008

Klub Park
Aleja Niepodległości 196 Warsaw
+48 22 825 91 65

Proxima

Attraction | "Big Dance Club near Student Dorms"

Klub Proxima is located right next to the main student dormitories in Warsaw and therefore normally attracts a young crowd, I've been there numerous times over the years. The music interchanges between 80's and rock on most nights but it's funk, disco and rnb on Fridays, if there is a group of you visiting the city then it's almost definitely worth going there as there is a large open dance floor with a stage for those particularly confident in their skills!

Beer is cheap there (around 5zl - 1.25 (pounds, I've lost my sign!)) but it's normally pretty bad, queueing for a beer can take a while, then you are served in plastic cups and they go through so many barrels that it seems to taste funny. There is an upper level where you can normally find a seat, there is quite a selection of toilets so queues aren't that long (except for the girl's loo but that goes without saying in most clubs)

Proxima normally plays host to fairly decent concerts, tickets are usually around 80zl (20 quid), there is normally a decent rock, punk, metal, reggae or alternative concert there by a well known band at least a few times a week. Lee Scratch Perry seems to play more often than anyone else for some reason.

All in all it's a pretty good dance club and with the student dorms in such close proximity it's definitely a good place to meet members of the opposite sex! A lot of visitors miss this club out because it's a bit out of the center but it's really not that far and if there's a couple sharing a taxi, it won't cost you a lot. Alternatively you could walk in a straight line through the park (Pole Mokotowskie) opposite to the metro station of the same name, this however might be difficult to negotiate after a few golden ones.

You may have to pay an entrance fee of 5 or 10zl on weekends.

Address: ul.Ltwirki i Wigury 99a, Warsaw
Web Address: www.klubproxima.com.pl (only in Polish)

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by dangaroo on July 4, 2008

Proxima
Ulica Zwirki i Wigury, 99a Warsaw, Poland 02-089
+48 22 822 8702

Klub Klinika

Attraction

Location: Klub Klinika is located in Warsaw in Fort Mokotowskie (which was once used by the army but is now a collection of bars), it is in the back part past the barrier and is the club before Balsam, so if you get there - you've gone one bar too far!)

The address is Ul. Raclawicka 99 and it can be easily reached by taxi, tram 16, 17, or 10 from Central Station or bus N?? - 2 digit number, can't remember but there's only one on that route and it heads for the Central Station. The stop is Paszkowskiego.

I've never had the desire to go there but some friends of ours recently organised a party there after having returned from 7 months in South America, it is more or less what I expected.

Pleasant seats outside to enjoy a warm evenings cold beer, 5zl entrance to the party which is different music depending on the day but generally funk, house and other genres not to my liking played by other enthusiastic DJ's who change the tracks too often and scratch like a dog full of fleas.

After passing the standard club baffoon bouncers, you come to the bar and a dance floor, after the bar and to the right there is an entrance to a room which has an "arty" style to it, as can be seen in the photo, small tables are dotted with lamps and some 3rd rate modern art which seems to look as though they were running out of paint at the time, there is another bar in this room and a block of toilets(probably the best aspect of the club) attached, there's also a kind of patio behind the club which you can crawl through a window to. This room is slightly preferable but the crowd are still slightly snobby, I really hate trendy clubs and wouldn't see the point of a visitor to the city going there either.

Music isn't that terrible and people are completely harmless, so it could be worse but I'd rather be beaten up listening to good music! Club Klinika has a distinct lack of Dr. Robert!

Drinks: Warka or Zywiec for 6zl* and 7zl respectively and quite a wide choice of bottled beers including the great Svyturys Baltijos from Lithuania Cocktails

Food: Nuts, Crisps, Toasted Ciabatta, Salt sticks

*rate as of 8 June, 2008 - 4.2zl to 1GBP

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by dangaroo on July 7, 2008

Radio Luxembourg

Attraction | "A Great Cheap Night Out"

Radio Luxembourg is the latest newcomer to my worldwide bar/club/restaurant reviews. Radio Luxembourg is an alternative club in Warsaw where you can see any number of live bands (reggae, rockabilly, psychobilly punk, ska, blues, death metal, viking metal etc) for usually no more than 5zl (1.20), a few times a month African nights or Indian nights are also organised where you can taste their styles of music and also food.

In the same courtyard are also Dobra Karma (a roots reggae/ska/balkan beats club), an African pub and a little greek restaurant, which gives it a nice feeling.

Beer is 6zl (1.45), other drinks are cheap too and the place stays open depending on how many people are there and what night it is but it should until around 5am. Although the area that it is in (Wola) is famed for being a bit chavvish, there's always a great crowd in this club and as long as you don't have to wait too long at the bus stop, you probably won't come in to contact with any!

The pub itself is a large room split into 3 parts, the first being the stage and the dance floor, then behind it tables and chairs facing the stage well spread out so you can walk between and finally at at the back a place where people go if they need to talk during a concert, just a standing area with table football.

Getting there:

It's not bang in the centre and therefore not really visited by foreigners but it's worth the effort to go there. If you are on your own, you'll undoubtedly make some friends.

Take bus 190 from Metro Ratusz or 171 from Plac Bankowy for about 12 minutes to the stop called PKP Kolo , you'll see the petrol station as you get out and some pubs/lights on the opposite side of the road, wait for the red man to go green, cross the road and it's the club on the right, facing the road. The address is Gorczewska 67.

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by dangaroo on July 7, 2008

Club Rock

Attraction | "Head banging in Warsaw or Maybe Not Anymore"

Club Rock, formerly known as Bikers is a rock club (you never would have guessed!) in Warsaw. Some years ago it had a very nice atmosphere and a lot of regulars but the club changed hands and promoted it much much more, including various television documentaries and so on and now it has bizarre clientelle who are generally going there on one-off occasion and rigorous security checks (we are talking 2 bouncers, 1 person for coats, 1 to stamp your hand, 1 to check your hand, 1 to pat you down and 1 bloke with a torch to check what is inside bags) which is completely ridiculous considering nothing has ever happened prior to the security being introduced! The new set of bouncers have been getting a bit too heavy handed and the majority of regulars have stopped going there because of this.

Even the music has changed, famed for it's late 60's/70's rock, metal and Polish punk and thus attracting a steady following of fans, it's now resorted to playing nu-metal and no hopers like Lenny Kravitz.

So what's good about it?

Well.. it's a cool pub/club within the grounds of a fort, the pub is built into the hillside in a tube shape, the building was formerly barracks. Bikes and bike memorobillia are across the walls and their are plenty of seats, a dance floor and often quite reasonable bands playing live.

Drinks are cheap, food is also available (pizza, nachos and snacks) and good. They now have an entrance fee, so it's 5zl entrance and then 6zl for a beer. The club/pub also has darts and table football. The place is open until about 5am most nights.

All in all, I think the time for visiting this place has passed and I would advise the young clubber/party tourist to go elsewhere (such as Rock n Roll pub or Radio Luksemburg). If you would still like to go - it's on Ul. Raclawicka 66 and the nearest tram or bus stop is Paszkowskiego. There is an awesome kebab shop that is open 24hrs opposite it.

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by dangaroo on July 7, 2008

Orange Klub & Restaurant

Restaurant | "Food in the Day, Music at Night"

Orange Club & Restaurant is an orangey coloured restaurant located parallel to several embassies (UK, USA, Czech Republic and more) in Warsaw, it's done in the new sort of trendy style with polished wood, white leather seats that seem to be too far back for you to be able to"tuck yourself in" and slim wrought iron banisters going to the top floor. Music, at least the last few times I was there was mostly 50's jazz or some 60's pop. Generally pretty fun music, the kind I like to sing a long to after having a few and which attract concerned glances from other tables!

There's a wide choice of meals which are all very well cooked, I tend to use it mostly for its American styled Mexican dishes like burritos, Quasadillas, fajitas, chilli con carne and a plentiful bowl of nachos to start you off. That's only a small part of their menu though which starts the day off with scrambled eggs or even an English breakfast (surely missing some of the ingredients), salads, pasta dishes, meat dishes from roast duck to steak or Bavarian shank.

The food is nice, ingredients are good, so what's the catch I hear you say.. well that would be the price, which is not prohibitive but is quite pricey when compared to other restaurants. A main course and a drink would cost you somewhere between 30-40zl (7.50 and 10 pounds), add a few more courses and the price goes up. What might be worth making use of is the Lunch Hour special where you can get a starter and a main meal for a mere 17zl (4.10). Despite the price, I still recommend going there for the good quality of food.

From 20.00, it turns into a club and has different music on different nights, I've never been there in the evening but it's supposed to be quite fun, music is generally 80's, 90's and 00's (I don't mean secret agent music!)

Web Address: www.orange-art-fun.pl
Address: Ul. Krucza 6/14, Warszawa

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by dangaroo on July 13, 2008

Underground Music Café

Attraction | "Underground Location, Mainstream Music"

Klub Underground really doesn't appeal to me at all, however foreigners do seem to quite like this place, in particularly Italians or Spanish. The club is located bang in the centre of the town, down some stairs next to the large McDonalds by Metro Swietokrzysa. You'll most probably have to wait to enter in a queue unless you are trying to come in at a weird time of the day, when you get to the front of the queue, you'll be met by suited balding slapheads who are there to tell you whether you can come in or not, most nights you should be able to get in wearing just about anything but some nights they will require certain shoes or dress. Oh, you also have to buy a ticket which is usally 10zl (2.50)

I tend to avoid anywhere with a dress-code but did have occasion to visit this place a while back, on descending the stairs and passing security you will enter a very red club that looks like something from Star Trek. Their are tables located around a passage way which trails half the circumference of the club from the doors to the bar. There is a selection of comfy chairs, when you get to the bar.. you'll be fighting for the attention of the bar maid to finally buy a pricey drink, should you want to go dancing, you'll find that the dance floor is in a staged section and all the girls vy for the best position, which normally culminates in one or two of them getting knocked off and injured, hopefully not noticed until the morning when the alcohol wears off. The club is generally somewhat of a hangout for richish or well dressed teenagers who dance to pop, hip hop (mainstream stuff not much cool stuff), soul, rnb and all the other kinds of mainstream music that generally do my head in.

Considering drink prices are high, music is poor and that nothing really stands out about this club, it's no surprise that I've only been a couple of times. In fact the only redeeming feature is its central location and more so the 24hr McDonalds which is next to it or the good kebab shop on the other side of the road.

Should you wish to dabble with the glitz of this teeny bopping club which is normally populated by quite a lot more girls than guys and presumably why the Italians like it, then here's some info:

Web Address: www.under.pl
Address: Ul. Marszalkowska 126/134

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by dangaroo on July 20, 2008

Underground Music Café
Marszałkowska, 126/134 Warsaw, Poland 00-008
+ 48 22 826 7648

Organza

Attraction | "Ok If You Like Salsa and Have Unlimited Funds"

Klub Organza is one of Warsaw's many orange/red themed nightclubs, it's generally either red or blue when it comes to clubs in the centre! Once upon a time this was a very "trendy" place to hang out and has therefore gained a reputation as either an expensive place full of snobs or a desirable location for those who never went the first time.

It's pretty popular and fills up, mostly filled with young office flies that can afford the pricey entrance fee and don't value beer (you can tell this by the menu which consists mostly of spirit, wine and girly versions of beer), prices start at 9zl (2.25), all in all the type of place that I like to avoid. Well at least they made Sunday's free which usually consists of some form of latin music and very little people there to participate.. after all the regulars are office types.

Despite the fact the salsa music that is usually played in this club appeals as much as living with Ricky Martin's armadillo the quality of DJ'ing is somewhat better than in a lot of places, mostly probably because the resident Dj's are foreigners with a lot of experience.

Address: Sienkiewicza 4
Website: www.kluborganza.pl

If you feel like splashing cash on nothing in particular, then by all means head to this, can't comment on the quality of food as didn't try any but it looks ok! Though I don't really like the idea of nightclubs that serve food, it just seems wrong!

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by dangaroo on July 20, 2008

Jadlodajnia Filozoficzna

Attraction | "Convoluted Name but a Damn Good Club"

Jadlodajnia Filozoficzna is one of the best clubs in Warsaw, centrally located and found in a courtyard down by the river on the opposite side of the road of the Library of Warsaw University, an impressive building. Unfortunately the courtyard's time is almost up, during the early night, there are some bouncers who give people a body pat, most probably to look for weapons but who knows, maybe just because they like it!

There is a selection of 3 clubs and normally at least one of them has live music, unfortunately one of the pack "Aurora" has already left us, the courtyard itself is a lively place where you can sit and drink beer, whilst talking or just admiring the bizarre political mural on the wall featuring George Bush, Osama Bin-Laden and some clowns. Club entry is ually cheap - 5zl and bands are often from the punk, new wave or harder music genres, other nights the club tends to have 90's or 80's parties. breer is cheap and tasty, there is a good choice of beers including Lomza which is a beer that is usually hard to find in pubs in Warsaw and one of the better ones that can be had. The club normally gets somewhat busy starting from midnight on the weekends, otherwise the amount of people, whilst not small will also not ensure that you spend a long time queuing for either the bar or the toilet and staff are usually pretty good.

The club itself has some seats outside, a top level with tables near the entrance, then a bar and a few steps below that a large dance floor also with a couple of tables.

All these factors make it one of the cheapest and most pleasant places to go in the evening and it's a shame that it is closing down at the end of the year or moving location as this place is rather good.

Beer from 6zl and available in bottles too.

Web Addess: http://www.filozoficzna.art.pl/
Address: Ul. Dobra 33/35 Warszawa

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by dangaroo on July 20, 2008

Kicz Pub

Attraction | "Pub Kicz - Groovy Old Time Here"

You can't really get much more centrally located than this pub, located just by Metro Centrum, hidden behind the towering Novotel, lies a little street with a nice pub/club, cafe and kebab restaurant. I've never been in the cafe but can highly recomend the kebab shop as one of the best in the city, it really uss an interesting blend of spices that give kebabs a much needed boost from their local cabbagey taste. Ideal for after party food.

Club Kicz has some seats outside under large u mbrellas as seen in the photo, then in the inside, you have an over the top funkadellia style pub with very comfortable seats. The drinks whilst not particularly cheap are still reasonably priced for its location and the pub always has a nice atmosphere, sheesha is also available for waterpipe smokers and a disco normally gets underway from around 10 or 11, downstairs. The dancefloor isn't the largest and can get quite crowded but there is normally a nice studenty atmosphere and people are friendly. One of the best parties is on a Tuesday, when they have 50's and 60's hits! A great atmosphere usually and much better than elsewhere on a Tuesday.

Drinks start from about 8zl (2.00)

Address: 22 Nowogrodzka St
Web Address: www.kicz.pl

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by dangaroo on July 22, 2008

Kicz Pub
Ul. Nowogodzka 22 Warsaw, Poland
+48 (22) 621 09 50

Sheesha Lounge

Attraction | "A Membership Card to See Dj Abdul? What!"

Sheesha Lounge appeared in Warsaw a couple of years ago and soon made itself known through a bombardment of adverts on the television, bill boards in the major metro stations and a number of adverts in magazines. It was clear that they had set out to be one of the big clubs in the centre, the new kid on the block soon emerged as a big boy and is very often packed to the brim, so much so that the bodyguards often insist that it's open to "club members" only but seem to have no problem letting girls in.

The one time that I succesfully got through, I was quite impressed that the beer wasn't that expensive, the club was very nicely decorated and there was a great choice of flavoured tobacco for the sheeshas that the club is based on. There was also belly dancers that were getting the crowd dancing upstairs to Arabic hits while cosy tables downstairs were more relaxed.

Whilst there's a lot of young socialites visiting this place to have some fun, it's also popular with wealthy businessmen from India, Lebanon, Turkey or the Gulf rich states.

The lighting, comfortable seats, arabic music,range of flavoured tobacco for waterpipes and the whole atmosphere gives this points ahead of some of the other places in the centre and makes it a bit unique but the annoying entrance policy and popularity of the place lets it down a little.

Supposedly the Middle Eastern kitchen is also pretty good but I didn't try anything there, beer starts from 7zl (1.75) which makes it affordable. A selection of Arabic DJ's like DJ Abdul blast out Middle Eastern hits each evening in parties labeled "Orient Express", "One Thousand & One Night", "Sunset at the Rumm Valley" and other cheesy names!

Address: ul. Sienkiewicza 3
Web Address: www.sheesha.pl

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by dangaroo on July 23, 2008

Sheesha Lounge
Sienkiewicza, 3 Warsaw

Cafe Bar Lemon

Attraction | "Nothing Sour about Lemon"

Cafe Bar Lemon is one of those places that no matter how mediocre it is, you may well end up there just because it's open. It's a pub which is open in theory for 24 hours a day but in reality closes for one hour so that it can be cleaned.

The pub/club is also bang in the centre which means it is busy with a complete mix of people in every night, it's a popular place for waiters/waiteresses and barmaids/men to head to when they themselves have finished working late.

So what's it consist of? Well from ground level upwards there is a two tier bar which is normally fairly busy, they serve food most all the time and good food it is. It's quite a trendy place and therefore the prices represent it, service is good though.

Below in a basement, lies Lemon Club a dark place with a lot of colourful disco lights there is a club that normally plays something in the way of electronic music and seems to have a disproportionate amount of females to males, It has a very clubby feel to it, which doesn't appeal to me but if that's what you are into it, it might be a good place.

The pub itself has a mixture of people in, from relatively young locals, to rich baldy guys with a lot of cash, the occasional "ceelbrity", visitors who stroll in to something central and later in the night there also seems to be a fair amount of scantily clad escorts in the club and gawdily dressed pimps (often Turkish), throw in a nerdy naive American tourist who thinks he's pulled and it paints a picture of the goings on most week nights.

Both the club and pub tend to get pretty filled up.

It's only real bonus is the fact that it's one of the places you can rely on being open and that the food is good because you certainly wouldn't go there for the prices, even if the furinishings are plush.

Address: ul. Sienkiewicza 6

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by dangaroo on July 23, 2008

Cafe Bar Lemon
ul. Sienkiewicza 6 Warsaw

Saturator

Attraction | "Good Live Music Venue"

I don't know about you but I like to know what to expect from a club. This is not the case in Warsaw, the clubs have a tendency to just exist as a venue and play a different kind of music each day of the week - salsa night on tuesdays, rock night on thursdays etc, this I find irritating because with 100's of clubs and 7 days, it's almost impossible to remember what is on where and even then, sometimes they play something quite different to what they promise. I prefer to have a club that plays all out rock music or reggae or electronic etc and then you know where you are each day of the week.

Saturator is a good example of this, based in the east of Warsaw in Praga, rather close to the centre.. occasionally it has excellent Balkan Beat parties yet other days you can expect hip hop and rnb. There are also numerous live concerts there which are generally quite reasonably priced and normally quite good. The consistency of not knowing what kind of party it will be, frustrates me a little though!

The club also presents itself as a gay and les friendly place, whilst it's never been blatantly obvious to me - I'm sure you would have no problems if you are that way inclined. Beer at 8zl (1.90) is a reasonable price, the place opens at 18.00 each day of the week and closes when the last customer leaves, though in reality this means they tell the last few people tey are closed unless they are in a particularly good mood. 5am is a good guess, for closing time.

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by dangaroo on December 27, 2008

Zwiaz Mnie

Attraction | "Techno and Pricey Beer"

Zwiaz Mnie is a club in Warsaw, located on 11 Listopada street in the Praga area of the city, it's one of several clubs which have set up shop in the last few years. The issue being that the clubs tend to attract a rather alternative crowd in what is generally a chav central.

So much so in fact that some locals won't go there without being in a taxi, you do get quite a few nutters in the area and speaking a foreign language loudly is not a particularly wise thing to do. Not quite sure how I ended up at Zwiaz Mnie, a friend of mine said that there was a cheap party.. so along we went, we left shortly afterwards - although I knew that they played electronic music, not a genre I'm particularly fond of, that evening was very poor electronic music indeed, so we left.

The club itself is quite nice though, with a few comfortable sofas in the main dance room and seats around the bar as well as bar stools. I seem to recall beer being about 9zl (2.20), which is a little on the high side for the city. Recently I discovered it also has a bit of a gay following. Entrance varies from 5zl to 10zl depending on the day.

If it's your thing, the address is
ul. 11 listopada 22 (1st floor), Warsaw. and it opens at 18.00

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by dangaroo on December 27, 2008

Zwiaz Mnie
ul. 11 Listopada 22 Warsaw

Kafe Fajka

Attraction | "More Pipes Than a Grandad Academy"

Kafe Fajka was once a single pub hidden away in a set of buildings set back from one of the main streets in Warsaw (Nowy Swiat), accessed through one or two small then graffitied archways behind the bus stop called Foksal. The archways have since been cleaned up and Kafe Fajka proved incredibly popular over the last few years, they've slowly bought out numerous small bars or restaurants in the area so that the sight that greets you as you arrive in this little courtyard is quite bizarre.

Several little signs outside of bars saying Kafe Fajka, it's the same place but split into several different little buildings - each with a bar of its own.. take your pick. I always head for the original one, not sure why really as it's not the nearest and I'm sure that service doesn't differ! Kafe Fajka is ran by Turkish - fajka is the word for pipe in Polish and the game of the day here is water pipe smoking.

About the most authentic place to do it in Warsaw, many other places have it but few have smoked the waterpipes (sheesha, nargile, hubbly-bubbly) as much as the staff here. There's an array of flavoured tobacco to choose, I tend to enjoy the traditional apple though, I definitely wouldn't go for the mint which are undoubtedly like smoking a large menthalated cigarette! The price at 15zl (4 pounds) whilst by no means Middle Eastern, is not too bad. Beer is about 6-7zl (1.75 GBP).

In the past, this pub used to have cushions on the floor but they've altered it now so that there are plenty of comfortable seats, I never was very fond of the cushions on the floor things.. I'm crap at folding my legs! This place is highly recommended and you can find at least a few of them open at pretty much any time of the day or night. Though it may be closed between 4am and midday. The middle eastern music tends to blast out pretty loudly at times.

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by dangaroo on January 12, 2009

Kafe Fajka
Nowy Swiat Warsaw, Poland

Ice Club

Attraction | "Rudolf the Red Nose Dinner!"

Ice Bar is a club/pub in Warsaw that is a bit of a novelty idea really, I've only been there once and it was in the middle of the day, so I can't really say what the atmosphere is like at night. It costs 10zl (2.50 to get in), the ice room is always kept below -8, however men in search of perky nipples will be disappointed as everyone is given a super insulated space suit type garment to wear which either make you look quite cool or a complete fool, depending on your appearance and how much vodka the other people have drank.

The vodka (I can't recall seeing any other drinks on the menu but I'm sure there were) is about 2 x more expensive than in your average pub (10zl as opposed to 5) and the meals aren't cheap either. But if you fancy a reindeer steak, in -8 temperatures, sat in a space suit.. this is definitely the place for you. I didn't try any food there but it has a fairly resaonable reputation and there are a variety of dishes from Norway, Finland, Greenland, Siberia, Sweden and Denmark (Denmark? That's no where near the Arctic Circle.. I thought to myself!), as well as a variety of ice creams which certainly won't melt easily.

They play hits from the 70's and 80's and I found that once the novelty wears off, it's lacking in ambience. That may have been because we were the only people in though.

If you think it's for you - Ul. Panska 61 is the address (it's a short walk from Rondo ONZ tram stop), there is a map on it's website at www.iceclub.com.pl

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by dangaroo on January 13, 2009

Ice Club
ul. Panska 61 Warsaw, Poland 00-830
+48 (22) 654-5634

Fabryka Trzciny

Attraction | "Experimental Sounds in an Old Factory"

I went to Fabryka Trzciny about 2 years ago and haven't been back since but it's not because there was anything wrong with it, it was more because it's completely the opposite side of Warsaw from where I live and there's a huge choice of pubs, including some locals where I spend more time.

I was invited by some friends and when I read a bit about it and looked at its website, I thought.. oh no it's one of those trendy places that were popular in Berlin not so long ago, the kind that attracts people who are a bit "look at me, I'm drinking expensive drinks in a refurbished factory." I wasn't too far off actually and some of the customers could be described like that but even I was in awe of the decorating that had gone on there, the brick walls inside were only interrupted by the brashness of pipes and dials, comforted with plush leather seating that is so comfortable you struggle to get up, there are several different rooms, two of which function as a club/bar and others which hold performances, film nights, fashion shows and private functions. Some of these events may be closed to the public or may require paying an additional fee but the club itself is usually free, music when I was there and from what I've heard from other people is almost always something experimental, quite often electronic and drinks as I recall started at 9zl (2.10), unless you are particularly intent on taking part in these events or visiting this distant part of the city that is currently undergoing a face-lift, you may be better off sticking in the centre. On the other hand, the city centre is well trodden and can get a bit tiresome.

Address: Ul. Otwocka 14
Web Address: www.fabrykatrzciny.pl

To get there: Take tram 7 or 13 (the first runs from the Central Train Station or Metro Centrum and the latter from Metro Ratusz) until the terminus and turn left, after a few metres you will come to a large factory building this is it.

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by dangaroo on January 13, 2009

Fabryka Trzciny
ul, Otwocka 14 Warsaw 03-759
+48 (22) 619 05 13

Bollywood Lounge

Attraction | "Bollywood in Warsaw"

Bollywood Lounge is as far as I'm aware owned by the same people as Sheesha Lounge, less food is available though and it's more or less an out and out night club. It's only up the road from Sheesha too, but it's location is less glamorous surrounded by kebab shops and an old fashioned "Kurczak na Rozna" (roasted chicken on a spit) place, the building itself is a pre-fab job and it really isn't that fitting for what awaits which is a rather stylish club with comfortable slouchy armchairs, an astro-turfed terrace and a selection of water pipes (most probably borrowed from Sheesha!), people dress to impress here but you shouldn't have problems getting in unless you go and jogging bottoms and Chuckle Brothers style attire.

Beer starts from 9zl (2.25) which is a bit dearer than some of the local places, so it might be worth warming up elsewhere before heading here for some Bhangra parties, obviously if you want seats though, it's better to shun the cheaper beer and come early. The Bhangra parties are pretty lively and will defintely get you into a sweat, large screens show Bollywood films or clips to the music!

Even if the location is a bit strange, it's still damn central and easy to find.

Opening Hours: Mon-Thursday 12am-02:00am, Sunday: Closed, Friday: 12am - 4 am, Saturday: 4pm to 4am

Address: ul. Przeskok 2

Web Address: www.bollywoodclub.pl

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by dangaroo on January 13, 2009

Mandala

Attraction | "A Restaurant by Day, a Club by Night"

Mandala located in a courtyard close to the Central Station in Warsaw's poor excuse for a red light district is an excellent little find. Mandala isn't a big place, with a small bar downstairs and a few seats, a particularly classy toilet (I checked it out just for this review - the food didn't lead me there)

The kitchen is open from midday through to 10pm with slightly shorter hours on a Sunday, the chefs are from Nepal and there's an array of Indian cuisine available at a substantially better price than a lot of other places serving Indian food in the city. With lunch time meals costing between 19zl and 30zl (£4-£6), you can't go far wrong. I've not actually tasted the food, so perhaps you can but the stylish design of the restaurant and exceptionally high standards of everything else give me a sense of security.

I hear that the place can get quite busy during the day with it racking up a student clientelle. I personally visited it at night on a Monday when there was a little reggae concert going on, free entrance (it was Monday!) but I'm not aware of them charging entry on any day. The dance floor has the potential to get crammed as it's only small but this makes for a cosy atmosphere, a few small tables with candles on them surround the wall with several comfortable lounges spread around the club too - an alternative crowd is drawn to it.

This club/restaurant makes excellent use of a small space and is well designed combining modern factory like features (pipes etc) with modern art. The bar has a great range of drinks, my tipple is beer and a big Lech (0.5l) is 7zl. Good Dj's, occasional live music, relatively cheap drinks and food ensure that this is and will remain a top venue.

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by dangaroo on February 24, 2009

Chlodna 25

Attraction | "An Ever Evolving Cafe!"

Chlodna 25 is an alternative pub/club/cafe which opens each morning at 8am - serving strong coffee, sweet cakes and an array of fresh juices and beer. During WW2 there was a bridge at this location seperating two Jewish ghettos, the street continuing past the cafe has little going for it and has seemingly never recovered from its ghetto days as it hosts a mixture of mechanics, dodgy knocking shops, a scrap yard and some cheap greasy spoon type places. Chlodna 25 on the other end, is just a little seperated from the rest of the remainder of the street and its no wonder that this place has been racking up the awards in recent years.

Unfortunately with the acquirement of awards, the prices have risen but the food, service and clientelle still very much remain the same. Here you can find an odd mixture of people from local business heads from the skyscraper at the end of the street, to high-school students sneaking in there for a coffee and a crafty fag, arty types, expats and the occasional dog.

Being a beer drinker rather than coffee drinker, I can't judge the coffee too much but it has a good name and the smell is tempting even to a non-coffee drinker. The prices starting at 9zl for a beer have risen by 50% over the last couple of years but it's still not too prohibitive and sometimes it is worth paying a little more for a nice atmosphere. The cafe has wifi, it is interestingly decorated with wild art and spiral steel stairs which lead to a club in the evening and a place of meetings during the day. Chlodna 25 (which also happens to be its address) is very much at the forefront of cultural events, liberal political gatherings and in particular recycling and sensible consumerism.

All of this makes the cafe, a rather forward thinking enjoyable place with an enjoyable atmosphere and an especially pleasant few tables outside to while away the hours in the summer.

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by dangaroo on March 4, 2009

Chlodna 25
ul. Chłodna 25 Warsaw
+48 22 620 24 13

Club 70

Attraction | "Disco Music and Occasionally Cheap Prices"

Club 70 is a smokey little nightclub in the centre of Warsaw, both the location and prices are relatively reasonable and you are likely to come across their stencilled graffiti somewhere in the centre with a funky haired disco go-er's silhoutte on the ground promoting the place.

Whilst you certainly can't fault the effort this place put into their website, promotions and making large parties of people welcome, you don't really know what to expect as they don't have so much of a regular crowd and as the people make a party, it's hard to know how the night will turn out.

The club is pro-stupid outfit, in particular inviting people to wear disco clothes, they also play disco tracks from the 70s up to hits from the 80s and 90s. This means that the usual entrance fee may be waived if you are dressed like one of those high-pitched numpties The Beegees!

I can't say any of them appeal, so it's not really a place that I would choose to go but there it is definitely one of the livelliest places in Warsaw, if nothing else and drinks are cheap on certain nights which may be a telling factor as other club's rise their prices. Whilst the 8zl (1.70) a beer price is definitely not the cheapest in town, the 20zl (4 quid) or 15zl (price for women - 3 quid) for as much beer as you can drink on Monday, certainly is one of the better offers and ensures an early week party!

This club tends to be a girl friendly club, offering girls free entry on various nights. It can be found centrally at Ulica Walicow 9, this is easily walkable from most places in the centre, from Rondo ONZ - walk down Ul. Jana Pawla II in the opposite way to the Central Station to the first crossroads, turn left on to Grzybowska and follow this road until you get to Walicow. Easy!

Not really my scene but might come of interest to one of you, should you be visiting!

Web Address - www.club70.pl (click the Union Jack in the corner for English)

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by dangaroo on April 14, 2009

Club 70
9 Walicow St. Warsaw, Poland
+48 (22) 6547141

Charlie Billard Club

Attraction | "Neon Lights, Bad Music"

Charlie Billard Club is a club, bar, cafe, restaurant and games place all in one. Located in the south of Warsaw in the wealthy Natolin area, this venue can be entered from the upstairs (and exited from the downstairs) of the shopping mall Galeria Ursynow.

The pub is quite large with an overall darkishness to it, contrasted only by bright neon type lights in certain corners of the pub. The pub has several billard tables, dart boards and at least one babyfoot table. The waiteresses run around between tables in relatively skimpy clothing but are generally fairly on the grumpy side. Drinks are certainly not the cheapest at around 10zl but because there is little competition in the area, the place is always relatively busy.

They team up with neighbouring Pharoah - a Syrian restaurant to provide an array of kebab like dishes, which in my opinion have seen better days. Expensive and with a bizarre atmosphere, this place is only really worth going to due to it staying open relatively late in what otherwise would be a bit of a dead area. There is a bit of a dancefloor but the music is terribly naff and unless you are big into pop, this is not worth thinking about!

As far as this type of place goes, it's not actually that bad but these places are low on my list of visiting! Unlike the majority of these places where you can only find baldy chaps with blonde girls both of which spend way too much time in the solarium, you will find that this place attracts a mixed crowd (although still a lot of the aforementioned types) due to its location.

Perhaps the biggest warning of all though is that the staff have a bit of a reputation for stealing anything left behind.

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by dangaroo on April 15, 2009

Charlie Billard Club
al. Ken 36 Warsaw, Poland

Golden Wheat

Attraction | "Strange Name, Strange Place"

Golden Wheat seems to me the most random name. Living relatively close, it wasn't long before all the other bars had closed for the evening and this was the only place left open. Found just off Ul. Jana Pawla, with it's Americanesque signs and bright lights inside, it's hard to miss it.

During the summer months there are seats outside, inside there are several leather couches around tables and some bar stools.

The staff are a bit surly, the prices are relatively cheap but this is primarily a place where people come to play billiards and one armed bandit machines, the clientelle isn't particularly desirable and can get aggressive - although the bouncers tend to sort it out inside, the air conditioning doesn't work - so it can get quite stuffy, according to certain sources the beer is diluted, though the majority of after party visitors are going to be too bladdered to really notice.

One of the worst things about this place is the low quality hip hop and in particularly souly pop which blares out, meanwhile a completely different artist and pop video is being shown on the big screen..

The only thing that this place really has going for it is that it's open 24 hours. It's also pretty clean.

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by dangaroo on April 15, 2009

Pole Mokotowskie

Attraction | "Warsaw's All Action Park"

Pole Mokotowskie is a recreational park within walking distance from the centre of Warsaw, for the lazy ones or anyone worried about making it back after testing out the nightlife the park has to offer - fear not, it has its own metro stop which is just 2 stops from the centre and is also serviced regularly by night buses.

Translated to "Mokotow Fields" and regularly called its plural Pola Mokotowskie, it is a park with a bit of history. First of all it contains the National Library but before Warsaw Okecie airport was built it was the city's airport (pre 1934), another part was the racecourse (until 1939) and the part nearest what is now Metro Politechnika was the Polytechnic Aircraft Works.

The park is made up of two parts, the "little" part officially known as Jozef Pilsudskiego because of a large statue dedicated to the prominent Polish figure, here you can also find an aeroplane. This is a relatively leafy section with benches and not too much going on, passing the pub "Park" there is then a bridge which crosses over a main road and comes to the National Library and another pub, there is then a relatively marshy area of the park - with lillies and stepping stones. This is a fun part for children but calamatous for a blind Golden Retriever (or anything blind I imagine)!

You then get to the centre piece which is a man-made lake/pond (kind of in between really), let's call it a water feature! Here you can find dogs jumping in and out and the occasional child in the summer but it's dried out during the winter. There are 3 more pubs surrounding it, as well as a playground and it's common that various fairs and concerts take place there. It is really packed on weekends, particularly because the police have a relaxed attitude towards drinking in this park, although there are plenty about on the look out for trouble makers so it still retains a nice family atmosphere. Cyclists and roller bladers are probably the most dangerous things there though!

Behind the water feature is a hill, where it is common for the city organisers to put together free foreign films on screens. There's normally some pretty classy films here, obviously the subtitles are in Polish though..so it's a bit tricky if you understand neither that nor the language it is made in.

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by dangaroo on April 20, 2009

Pole Mokotowskie
Pole Mokotowskie Warsaw, Poland

Arena Klub Biliardowy

Attraction | "Another Table Football Option!"

As you may have read on some of my other nightlife reviews, I tend to be a bit of a table football freak (albeit not a very good one these days), there aren't many places that combine the two succesfully, so when drunk enough to be brimming with confidence in my skill - I tend to get itchy fingers and head over to a place with table football with a select elite (read: anyone who wants to join and has at least one hand)

Klub Biliardowy - the rather self-explanatory Polish word for Biliard Club usually consists of awful coloured lighting, bad music, several pool tables and the occasional babyfoot table. Arena is no exception from this ugly style of venue, particularly popular with muscular bald chaps and women with unique shades of make-up and even glitzier stilettos, clashing phenomenally with the orange skinned clientelle. Located on Ul. Panska, it's between two of the central roundabouts "ONZ" (United Nations) and "Daszynskiego", just round the corner from the cool as you like Ice Bar.

Arena, on the top floor has always been pretty empty when I've been and whilst most tables charge you 2zl a pop, this place offers you as many "goes" as you like for 10zl. Beer is on the cheapish side and I seem to recall moaning about it last time, so the pipes were probably having an off day either that or the surly bar maid put the most revolting thing she could find in it. The beer is usually quite refreshing though. Beware of spending hours looking like an idiot trying to find the toilet, the toilet door is cleverly blended in to the wall and is hardly noticeable unless of course someone is coming out doing up their britches.

This is a simple venue but it's central, cheap and open until 4am, so there' s not too much to complain about. It's closed on Sundays.

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by dangaroo on April 20, 2009

Arena Klub Biliardowy
ul.Pańska 61 Warsaw, Poland

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