Stand aside pretenders! Many cities lay claim to the best parties in Poland, but only Warsaw's nightlife credentials bear up to serious examination. Krakow may boast more bars per square metre than anywhere else on the planet or so Krakovians keep telling us!
In Poland's vibrant, cosmopolitan and fast-paced capital. Of course one man's roisterous rave is another man's dud disco, so it's worth doing your research before you pack your red paint and jump aboard the next easyJet flight. We'll give you some ideas in each nightlife category below, although for a full run-down check out our bars and clubs directory where you'll find blow-by-blow accounts of what Warsaw has to offer - including reviews from that all important critic, Joe Public.
Most sensible people would agree that the prelude to any good night clubbing out starts at a bar. The chance to listen to ear-splitting hardcore trance whilst being jostled by bare-chested meatheads and spaced-out supermodels is never so appealing when sober.
There are of course many who would say that it's not that appealing when drunk, in which case the bar takes on an added import as the sole focus of your night. But whether you're dropping by simply for the sake of oiling up, or because you intend to make yourself part of the furniture, we can strongly recommend you checking out the likes of Mono Bar, Paparazzi, Lemon Cafe and Sheesha when in Warsaw.
Mono Bar's core sound is 70's and 80's and they also have jam sessions and concerts. Lemon Cafe meanwhile is a bit more laid-back and can be low-key or loud depending on the crowd, whilst Paparazzi is reliably packed with girls fresh from the casting couch of the latest Bond movie. And of course if all you want from your nightlife is a good old pint of the black stuff, Jimmy Bradley's is a superior venue of its kind.
