Our selection of alternative clubs in Krakow offer something a bit different for those looking to go late in this amazing city.
Whether it’s a grimy dive that echoes with Tom Waits and mistuned trumpets echoing throughout or a shadowy metal bar with disconcerting murals on the walls, this selection of alternative clubs in Krakow is sure to get you riding the city’s wave of wild nights and early mornings.
We don’t want everyone to know, but at KrakowBuzz we’re kinda’ aficionados of the late-night scene in old Krak. We’ve been partying on and off here for the best part of 10 years.
As you can imagine, that means we’ve had our fair share of fun evenings. What’s more, since we’re not really ones for big techno clubs and chic cocktail bars, we always found ourselves seeking out the secret, alt places in the Old Town, Kazimierz (the main “hipster” area of Krakow), and beyond.
Here are our favorites…
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Find more guides by checking our Krakow nightlife section
Jazz Rock Café
It might be the scrawled murals of dead babies on the walls that keep the crowds of tourists from lingering at this underground basement bar on Sławkowska for too long. Or perhaps it’s the hidden entranceway set behind the ATM machine. Who knows?
Nonetheless, Jazz Rock remains one of Krakow’s truly off-the-beaten-track partying spots. A backing track of Iron Maiden meets Black Rebel Motorcycle Club meets Bowie (occasionally Bowie) to prove it, too.
Once in, patrons can opt to drink away the evening in the smoky bar room, or pay a tad extra for entry into the main space. Wherever you go, expect full-force metal, hard-hitting drink combos and some… shall we say interesting locals to mix with?
Pauza
There’s no bar in the Old Town that’s quite nailed down the shabby-chic Indie aesthetic like Pauza.
Parquet block flooring greets you at the top of a chipped concrete staircase somewhere down a dank alleyway. Neon lights illuminate the path to the bar, a retro chrome-wood mashup where you can grab bottled craft beers and mixed cocktails.
Move from there through to the main seating area to find a series of 70s chez lounges arranged like something out of a school classroom. The work of local photographers is displayed on the walls and they’ve even managed to keep the original heating block – that large tiled thing in the corner.
Pauza is more of a chillout space than a full-on club but it does get a buzz on in the later hours. It’s also two steps off the main Pasaz party street, where you can connect up with shot bars and the amazing beer-food spot that is Ambasada Sledzia.
Albo Tak
Albo Tak is a ramshackle beer hall style place that sits right above another of the alt clubs mentioned on this list: Alternatywy.
To get there, you’ll need to navigate you way through the big doorway that comes off Maly Rynek (the small square next to the Main Square), through a little bookshop, and then up a twisting staircase to the main drinking area.
Don’t expect much from the looks. It’s all paint-peeling tables and crooked school chairs on beer-stained wood flooring. But you can’t deny it’s got a vibe.
Albo Tak has cut its teeth as the go-to student dive for pre-drinks in the Old Town. It’s still going strong on that count. Expect cheap beer and youthful crowds but not much in the way of chichi style. Just the way we like it.
Downsides? Closes at 1am and doesn’t have a dancefloor.
Quick-click links to our top stays in Krakow
- PURO Krakow Kazimierz – If in doubt, go PURO. Retro rooms, a noir cocktail lounge, and an underground spa. It’s our fav all-round hotel in the city right now.
- Hotel Stary – A famous lux hotel in the Old Town. Beloved of celebs. Wellness facility in the basement. Book it if yo’ budget allows!
- Academia Apartments – The Deluxe Apartment in this complex has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Planty Park and the Old Town. It’s exquisite for those who want more space.
- Greg & Tom Party Hostel – Greg & Tom is nothing short of legendary. Great vibes. Low prices. Nightly parties.
Must-do activites in Krakow
- Wawel Castle – A guided runthrough of Krakow’s mighty castle complex.
- Taste Vodka – These guys run the single best voddie tasting tour in town. It’s fun, it’s food-filled, it’s wild.
- Oskar Schindler’s Factory – The factory from the iconic film is a journey through the millennia of history in Krakow.
- Zakopane – If you have time (two days is ideal), you should definitely visit the mountain town of Zakopane!
Alternatywy
Where better than a club called ‘Alternative’ when it comes to seeking out alternative clubs in Krakow? Find it set deep below the surface of Krakow’s Old Town. There, Alternatywy beckons as a classic subterranean dive with a labyrinth of hidden rooms, smoky seating areas and bars.
Popular with pub crawlers, students and unashamed hedonists, the dancefloor here comes courtesy of circa 1986, via 60s garage, via 90s grunge. That makes for one eclectic line-up of tunes to grace the backroom areas, where clusters of locals can usually be spotted through the haze of cigarette smoke shooting multi-coloured vodkas.
More recently, Alternatywy became popular for touting some of the cheapest beers in the city. Jars of Okocim were going for around just 3 PLN a pop on certain nights! Fingers crossed that deal is still on…
Propaganda Pub
Brace yourself: Propaganda Pub isn’t to be taken lightly. there are no chilled out quite pints in this one. There’s not a Tinder date to be found – at least not a normal one.
Put on your leathers and hit the venue on the northern edge of Kazimierz District. It sits in a narrow tenement with two stories; one above ground one below. Upstairs is all 60s and 70s rock and roll posters, vintage pinball screens and biker gear. Downstairs…well, we don’t know, we’ve never been allowed in (thank God).
Anyway, beers are cheap, service is famously curt, and there’s real atmosphere in this grungy, gritty pub.
Plan your trip to Krakow
Search for flights – For our money, Kiwi is one of the best flight search engines out there. Great interface, easy to plan return tickets on low-cost fliers.
Book your stay – Booking.com rules in Krakow. We think it has the biggest range of hotels and some of the best rates.
Get insurance – Travel insurance is a must, even for a quick weekend hop to Poland, and ESPECIALLY since Brexit (grr). We’ve got SafetyWing insurance (medical insurance for frequent travellers).
Sort travel money with Wise – We can’t recommend Wise enough. Zero fees for card transactions, free ATM withdrawals up to 200 quid abroad, and the best app we’ve ever used. We won’t travel without one.
Szpitalna 1
The heir apparent of famed and much-eulogised Rozrywki, Szpitalna 1 now brandishes the baton of underground electro better than any other club in Krakow.
Spread out over a series of subterranean rooms just a short jaunt from the Market Square, this one’s exposed-brick caverns and smoke-filled spaces are packed with students and locals and travellers alike on the weekends. There’s more LFO to filter cut-off than you can shake one of the in-house homemade cocktails at.
And even if it’s not a night of deep bass you’re after, the smattering of quieter seating areas, ad hoc beer pong sessions and chatty vibes that abound here mean there’s always something to enjoy.
Sadly, Szpit as it’s known to the locals, shut up shop in early 2024, though there are still some nights when the doors mysteriously fling open and an even happens. Whatsaaagoingonnn?
