Warsaw used to be quite a boring place as far as night life is concerned. It was associated mainly with the Palace of Culture and some typical disco places. During the last few years the situation changed much for the better.
Firstly, if you are gay, a fashion designer, a media personality, musician or a model, Utopia is a must on your list of places to party. However, you will not get there so easily, unless you not have influential friends, a club card or you do not look convincingly enough for the very fussy door selectors. The parties which take place there always host the best Polish and international DJs, promotions of VIP products or fashion shows. The club is located between the famous Polish designers' boutiques. You can see all kinds of celebrity pictures taken in the club in gossip-oriented glossy magazines. This "closed paradise" is a target of numerous attempts of some of my friends to get into. However, it is undeniably more about showing off in a designer dress to promote a new soap opera there, than to have fun.
If you are a fan of Williamsburg atmosphere, the best place you can spot in Warsaw is the Vistula river district with 3 clubs located in the garages. First of them, Aurora, used to be an intellectual meeting point a few years ago for a literature discussion with young writers. Now it is the alternative music kingdom. You can hear there music from all over the world, even punk from Argentina. You can listen to DJ who will play for the audience of four people or participate in the crazy "eighties" party. Nevertheless, the thing that made this place famous is the home drink Aurora, which is vodka Zoladkowa served with fresh lemon juice in the frozen shots, tasting amazingly regardless the season of the year. Diuna, the second place, is merely about jazz and electronic live music. It is the most peaceful and cozy place of all Dobra street clubs. It is a perfect place to relax, however some concerts can make it impossible to talk and to hear the conversations. In Jadlodajnia Filozoficzna you can hear ethnic and reggae rock and be a part of crazy parties with people dancing on the bar and pouring beer on one another.
If you are looking for something more sophisticated, with a touch of vintage glamour, you should head to Raclawicka street. In Balsam, New Deep and Pruderia you can either dance to electronica, trance, rock, soul and the contemporary hits or sank into comfortable armchairs and sofas. It is definitely the place you cannot miss once in Warsaw. If you come to Pruderia, do not be scared by a warrior-looking bald female door selector all covered in tattoos and piercing. As long as you have no intention of "club crawling" between Raclawicka's 3 clubs, she will not do you any harm.
The best party I have ever had in Warsaw was in New Deep. In Poland there is currently a great nostalgia for old "kitschy" Polish music from the eighties performed by the bands like Papa Dance, Krzysztof Antkowiak and children songs from the old television shows. The DJ in this place is amazing in creating the perfect blend of that music with contemporary hits. And once you dance and you get hungry, you can always have a bite of juicy and delicious grilled sandwich for just PLN 5. Next time you go partying in Warsaw do not miss the opportunity to see at least one of the clubs I mentioned.
