Music venues & clubs – All our local tips

The old Aida was located in Týnská, few steps from Old Town Square. As it was very well hidden, you just had to know where to go to find this crazy place. Now, in a new location, this venue is also not very promoted. Fortunately all the other advantages have remained. They offer great and cheap beer: Primátor. 10° for just 20 CZK (less than 1€), but also 16° on tap and bottled specials. Too many pictures on the walls, old-fashioned music from 70’s, a strange mixture of regulars and easy-going bartenders / owners who banter you to drink more.

There isn’t much space inside, so usually during the evenings you have to be lucky to grab a seat, but you can wait for a while chatting with the bartenders and sipping from a glass of glühwein (hot wine with cinnamon, cloves and sugar). There is also a selection of teas, one or two items from the kitchen and I like the fact they serve Czech soft drinks, not just “always Coca Cola”.

Aida Club is G&L friendly too (meet the owners and you get it quickly), while still remaining a typical, one would almost say “traditional” Czech pub.

PS: The closing hour might not be taken very strictly, especially on a crowded night.

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Aida Club | Bars, Music | Primátor 10° CZK 20
Na Zderaze 8 | Praha 2 | +420608121323
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 22:00, Sat 16:00 – 22:00

Two storey underground venue and a centre for diverse contemporary stage art. And if it is specialized, then it’s towards the alternative end, and truly an Ark.

Archa is one of my favourite places to find some interesting and clever pieces of performance art and they are able to communicate this diversity to the public. Tickets are not the cheapest, but – do I look for quality or quantity?

The Programme of Archa Theatre is rich – from dance to drama, from live concerts to workshops. To show their broad scope just a few names include: Min Tanaka (who opened it in 1994), Butthole Surfers, The Residents, Václav Havel, Zappa plays Zappa, Amon Tobin, …Archa is not only a theatre, it is a production house too – they have many international projects. Also I should not forget the Archa.lab, a loose alliance of artists collected around the Archa Theatre who stress the importance of practical theatre activities, focusing on exploration, research and experiment.

The Guardian newspaper mentioned Archa as the country’s “alternative National Theatre”, and that fits – Archa is exceptionally well-equipped venue for all kinds of stage art: from drama to dance, for concerts as well as performances. All that including a café that serves hot and cold drinks and snacks. Archa feeds the soul and body at the same time.

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Archa Theatre | Art & culture, Music, Theaters
Na Poříčí 26 | Praha 1 | +420221716333
According the programme

A cocktail bar, that offers not only plenty of well-made cocktails, but also large doses of music from local DJ`s and a rich selection of dishes. So if you feel like spending time in a vibrant atmosphere, without checking your watch, this is the place.

Back Doors is a pretty large place, an underground cellar, cleverly furnished and with a very well supplied bar equipped with skilled barmen. Sometimes it’s pure pleasure just to watch them, especially when I get a bit tired of conversation -  perhaps because of my favourite Daiquiris … I don’t know, hard to tell .-)

Inspired by similar clubs in the Netherlands and New York, the founders’ idea was to create a space offering everything you need for pleasant evening entertainment. No windows to the outside world ensure complete cosiness. As the hours go by and the glasses empty you can also experience a total lack of a sense of time. But who cares? Nobody goes to Back Doors to work, except the staff.

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Back Doors | Bars, Music | Daiquiri CZK 80.00
Na Bělidle 30 | Praha 5 | +420257315824
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 02:00, Fri 11:00 – 04:00, Sat 18:00 – 04:00, Sun 18:00 – 23:00

This tearoom is very dear to me. Perhaps also because I had the possibility to work there and get to know the person who runs the place.

I like it mainly because its atmosphere, the tone of the colors the walls are painted with and the style in which the tearoom is furnished. And of course, not to be missed! It is situated in the tower. So after two cups of the finest tea it is hard to say if it is the height of the mysterious tower or the tea that you are feeling.

The tearoom also serves as a library so you can enjoy your tea with some of the books they offer (some of them are in English). Every Saturday there is a drum session that anybody can join.

The Tearoom in the Tower also has really good prices compared to other tearooms in Prague. So if you don’t mind going a little out of the city center, you will not be disappointed.

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Čajovna ve Věži | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Music | Pot of Tea CZK 60
Na Výšinách 1 | Praha 7
Summer 17:00 – 23:00 daily | Winter 16:00 – 22:00 daily

My favourite club to go out with friends. It happens quite often that some of my friends has a birthday party there or I visit some of the concerts as a photographer.

It’s not only the dance club which is on the minus first floor, there is a lively bar on the ground floor and a “Live underground” concert room or the minus second floor.

I like the design of the place, each floor has its own specific features. For photos, feel free to look here. Sometimes the bar gets quite crowded and it’s not easy to find a place to sit. A lot of foreigners come there but I think they mostly aren’t tourists, probably students or people who moved to Prague.

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Chapeau Rouge | Bars, Music | Mojito CZK 110.00
Jakubská 2 | Praha 1 | +420222316128
No fixed opening times (I’ve never seen the place closed though)

Get swallowed by a living mechanical organism, moving in the rhythm of ska-punk-rockabilly-techno-drone-dnb-jungle-hip hop-chill out.

Buy a drink in one the bars and then sit down. I tell you – that’s the best position to admire a fan made of scrap iron and car-exhaust pipes. Lights above the tables consisting of gearboxes, drain pipes and kinetic sculptures of many kinds. All polished and mounted with care, animated with extreme effort and unlimited imagination.

Cross club is truly one of the most original Prague clubs. Gives enough space for whatever I feel like doing. Two stages, a theater and two to three bars are open for all kinds of concerts, poetry readings, exhibitions, and I shall not forget to mention the Ghettolledge – a street university.

Be sure that by your next visit there something will have changed – because the world behind the looking glass is never the same, including the numerous corridors that made you feel like you were lost in the rabbit hole the very first time you entered.

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Cross club | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Theaters | Ticket from CZK 100
Plynární 23 | Praha 7
From 16:00 (until the barman is in sleep) daily

Well, some might say it is pointless to feature such a place on Spotted by Locals. After all, The Hard Rock Café can be considered a chain like many others – and we don’t cover Starbucks or McDonalds, right? But for once, let us make an exception.

Why? Because it is one of the few places in Prague where you can get a real hamburger. Because there are really good shows with great musicians. Because it is the largest European HRC (they claim 1900 square meters) and really full of various items which belonged to famous musicians – from Bob Dylan to Korn or you can sit just next to Depeche Mode keyboard.

The place is large, since the historical building – few steps from the Old town square – is built with big proportions, elegant stairways and gallery on the first and second floor. And yet it doesn’t feel hollow or cold, but classy and comfortable. Especially if it is not you who pays – cause this is the downside of the experience. Bottle of a mediocre Moravian wine costs over 300 CZK, and hamburgers around 400 CZK.

Reservations are recommended if you want to sit next to an exact item of history of rock music!

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Hard Rock Café | Bars, Music | 0,75l Veltlín – Moravian wine CZK 335
Malé náměstí 3 | Praha 1 | +420224229529
11:30 – 01:00 daily

Prague is famous for many because of jazz clubs and festivals. You have plenty of options to choose from, and many of the clubs gained reputation throughout last 15+ years. But Jazz Dock is the new rising star.

Located in a great spot, literally sitting on the river with a stunning view, it brings a wave of a fresh design and concept. The glass wall reflecting the opposite 10 meter long bar is impressive, especially at night. There is a long list of spirits (including some hard to find specials) or simply go for a beer (35 CZK for jazz club is a fair price). For meals they offer a simple set of tapas and salads, but all fresh and well prepared. For winter evenings they came out with a seasonal menu with some yummy options and drinks that will warm you up! The cocktail and wine lovers will surely choose the right pick from the menu too.

But the main point is of course: jazz music. Jazz Dock in my opinion grabbed the no. 1 position in Prague. It’s due to a great selection of musicians, cheap entry (150 CZK for most of the shows, and only 90 CZK if you are >25 or 65+, 20% discount for regulars) and long opening hours – the concerts starting at 10 PM are followed by jam sessions that might last till 04 AM! On Fridays and Saturdays there are two concerts (at 19:00 and 22:00), Sunday belongs to dixie shows!

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Jazz Dock | Bars, Music | Kozel 11° CZK 35
Janáčkovo nábřeží 2 | Praha 5 | +420774058838
11:00 – 04:00 daily

La Fabrika has shone like the Bethlehem star in the field of art for a couple of years now. A free space for art that is contemporary but comprehensible for a broader public.

La Fabrika does not have a static group of artists, so it is truly a „free space”, as it calls itself. I love to go there see some dance, La Putyka for instance last time (which is brilliant, but – to enjoy it in its fullness is better to be able to understand Czech – or have some Czech companion, who can translate some of the songs).

Or I also remember the festival of modern classical music, Contempuls, which was perfect – from free wine on the bar till the last note of the evening. There are also all kinds of visual art and other multimedia events. The scope of La Fabrika is really broad and always interesting.

Want to know what’s up tonight? Check the La Fabrika news!

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La Fabrika | Art & culture, Music, Theaters, Festivals & events
Komunardů 30 | Praha 7
depends on given programme

I love going to the opera. I love all the rituals. It starts when buying the tickets. Then I dress up, do my make-up, hair style. And then, armed with my little Christian Dior purse, I slip into the shoes that I had on me in La Scala while visiting Milano. And I am ready to enjoy the glass of champagne during intermission, all those stand-ups and sit-backs while letting people pass to their seats, and leaving a tip for the person selling the programme. Of course you can get in in jeans and a sweater – but I think you definitely miss half of the fun.

The National Theatre, has an impressive exterior while inside it is all cloaked in king crimson velvet, gold and rich stucco ornaments. National Theatre is is one of the symbols of national pride, mirroring itself in the Vltava river. And it does have an interesting history. The support for building the theatre that came from the whole nation was more like a political proclamation. And when it got burned down in 1881, in 47 days (!) there were all the money and resources collected again, to be reopened 1883.

Tickets for today’s programme can be bought 45 minutes before the beginning of each performance at the evening box office, which is at the back of the theatre in the narrow corridor leading to Ostrovní street between the old/historical building and Laterna Magica (the glassy cube).

Spotted by Locals tip: If you love ballet, choose one with choreography by Petr Zuska (this season it is Extreme or Solo for Three). You won’t regret it.

Also there is a Čapek’s Makropulos turned into an opera by Leoš Janáček in cooperation with English National Opera London. I do recommend that!

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National Theatre | Art & culture, Music, Theaters | Ticket from CZK 50.00
Ostrovní 1 | Praha 1 | +420224901448
Box office 10:00 – 18:00 & 45 min. before the beginning of a performance

Have a drink or two and maybe meet some friends. That’s one of the reasons why I pop into the NoD bar time to time. The  other important reasons are the concerts, exhibition openings, and performances.

Experimental space NoD is connected with Roxy (see this article), a famous Prague club, and one of the oldest. Roxy downstairs, NoD upstairs. A perfect combination for those who feel frisky day`n`night.  NoD defines three subdivisions: theatre NoD, gallery NoD, and multimedia NoLab. They are connected by their openness to any good quality projects, efforts to uncover strange juxtapositions and dialogs.

When you arrive, get a drink first. The huge bar cannot be overlooked. Do not worry where to sit, there will always be a space, by the bar itself or on the platform next to the bar, or by the alcoves with jungle plants. And let me know, if you manage to work out any sensible connection between the neo-classical stuccos on the ceiling and the crazy paintings on the walls!

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NoD | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Snacks, Theaters | Show from CZK 100
Dlouhá 33 | Praha 1
14:00 – 22:00 daily

One of the places to visit at Újezd is definitely Popocafépetl. There are actually four Cafés of this name in Prague (Na Struze, Italská, Melantrichova) – this is the only one which works as a music club, though.

When you find the a bit hollow entrance and walk down the stairs to a what used to be a mid-age cellar, you will immediately smell the unmistakable odour. Then you walk into the small and only mildly-lit club with an original and sort of old-school decoration and the party can begin. You can order a coffee, beer, wine or basically any cocktail you name for a very reasonable price.

Virtually every day there is a concert on. Pick yours: Fridays and Saturdays there will be a DJ playing 80’s, 90’s and dance music, live gipsy bands play Sundays, Latino Mondays and other live concerts the other days. Just check out the program at their website. The entry is mostly free or up to 100,-. I would just very recommend making a reservation since the small club is often very crowded.

Last but not least, Popocafepetl doesn’t basically know anything like a rigid closing-time. They just close when there are not many people left – which can be either at 02:00 or 05:00. Therefore, it’s also a great place to hang out after you’ve been kicked out from somewhere else and still feel like partying…

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Popocafépetl @ Újezd | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Stella Artois, 0,5 l CZK 39.00
Újezd 19 | Praha 5 | +420602277226
16:00 – 02:00 (officially) daily

One of the most beloved and celebrated night clubs in Prague. One of the best vegetarian restaurants in Prague. Would you dare to miss it? I definitely would not. So follow me.

Even a glimpse from the street will tell you that this place is definitely different. A lavish interior design, rich ornaments, glass, mirror and gold. I love this combination – I feel welcomed nad pampered, the relaxing atmosphere helps me find a calm dimension, even when it is for just a short moment.

The restaurant, lounge and café is on the street level. The café is in more classical style facing the street; a lounge with a good bar and then, further back, the last, darkest and most romantic part – the restaurant. Excellent meals are served in all of them. The lounge is my favourite for lunch with friends, the café is great for business meetings and the back restaurant works well when there are more of us.

The menu is fully vegetarian. I love their delicious entrees and appetizers that originate in kitchens of places such as Greece, India, Thailand and Mexico.

The club downstairs is worth visiting – if you like the newest style in the dance scene. There something going every day – if it is a regular programme like FX Bounce! or Soultrain Weekender, there is always something good and somebody new to meet. Have a look at the programme and you will understand why Radost FX is Prague’s first and favorite place to party.

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Radost FX | Bars, Music, Restaurants (veg) | Main from CZK 130
Bělehradská 120 | Praha 2 | +420224254776
11:00 – 04:00 daily

When I think about the times when Roxy was one of the very few options in Prague for a decent evening, when I felt like some dancing, it makes me feel like I am getting old. Hush, that`s not the topic

Opened in 1992 under the name of Roxy, after a thorough reconstruction led by architect Jan Mayer, this place become alive again. In 20`s and 30`s it was a shining pearl at the Old Town, full of people in its restaurant, cinema and a ballroom.

Today, after another rebirth in 2002  after being damaged by the enormous floods, the Experimental Area Roxy/NoD now offers a full variety of concerts, dance music, gallery presentations, internet café with wi-fi connection, theatre, films, performances and workshops. For some of their best gigs have a look yourself.

If you are into clubbing and are in Prague for couple days, Roxy is definitely the place to go – next to Radost FX (see this article). Have a look at the programme to see if anything interests you. They have regular Free Mondays and Midweek Lounge, where entry is free.

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Roxy | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Music, Theaters
Dlouhá 33 | Praha 1 | +420224826296
Depends on given programme

Built by count František Antonín Nostic-Rieneck in classicist style, was opened in 1783 with 1000 seats. Later, to make it more comfortable, the number of seats were lowered to today’s 659. After the count`s death, the theatre was given to Czech estates, and renamed from the ‚Nostic Theatre’ to the ‚Estates Theatre’.

As the history of this one is very different from that of The National Theatre (check the National theatre article), the atmosphere of the Estates Theatre is also different. All furnished in white, pale blue and gold, I feel like I am in a cultural paradise of the high-class Prague bourgeoisie from the end of 18th century. All cherubic bottoms are perfectly rounded

Once I was taken behind the scenes, where the singers and orchestra were preparing for Die Zauberflote  (The Magic Flute). Seeing the Queen of Night sipping her drink, Sarastros chatting with Tamino and the First Violin smoking her last cigarette before the show, that was something I will never forget.

And then there was the show – their production of The Magic Flute is truly breathtaking. Maybe what counts here is the enormous success that W. A. Mozart experienced with his opera buffa Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). Afterwards which he wrote Don Giovanni especially for this theatre, and for those he named as “my Praguers who understand me.”

Have a look at their programme and choose your evening tale!

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The Estates Theatre | Art & culture, Music, Theaters | Tickets from CZK 50.00
Ovocný trh | Praha 1 | +420224228503
Box office 10:00 – 18:00 & 45 min. before the beginning of a performance

Disclaimer: be warned, this is nothing for posh people, non-smokers, wine lovers. U Vystřelenýho oka (it means: at the Shoot Out Eye – as the quarter itself is Žižkov, named after famous one-eyed Hussite military leader Jan Žižka) has been a special place for all rock enthusiasts, drunkards, musicians, bohemians since 1993.

Inside the pub there are often concerts, even though it makes the place too crowded and totally full of cigarette smoke. The bartender is always in a good mood – and he copes with all kind of crazy regulars with a great ease – and also serves some of the best Pilsner around.

In the summer I recommend the beer garden, but you shall still take a look inside – because it it hosts lot of cool items designed by Martin Velíšek, surreal artist. From pictures on the walls, t-shirts to be bought, funny menu cards, ashtrays resembling Hussite wagons to head-rests above urinals on Men toilets.

Plus you shall not miss a large portion of craut soup with sausage (for just 25 CZK) or wiener schnitzel with potato salad. Not to forget – there is also a tea-room loosely connected called Čajírna nad Vokem, which resides just above the pub.

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U Vystřelenýho oka | Bars, Music, Snacks | Cheese & Fries CZK 80
U Božích bojovníků 3 | Praha 3 | +420222540465
Mon – Sat 16:30 – 01:00