7kh 7ul flw\ v prvw dxwkhqwlf 7h[ 0h[ uhvwdxudqw ... - In Your Pocket

52 GDAŃSK NIGHTLIFE
Drinking at a Glance
Local
Try the beers brewed on-site at Brovarnia, while more
local juice can be found at Amsterdam Bar. For a taste
of local hedonism, and a cross-section of the weirdest
characters in Gdansk, then fight through the crowds who
gather at Cafe Absinthe. Or explore what’s left of the
famous shipyards by heading over to Buffet.
Lads
Start in Degustatornia Dom Piwa, a lively pub
featuring over 100 world beers. Buddha is a late
hours favourite, and the staff well familiar with slurred
proposals from smitten stags. Failing that head to
Kabaret Ewan for a guaranteed rub with the local
talent, or if you are feeling flush jump in a cab and head
out to the upmarket New Orleans. For live sports, or
at least live sports on Polish TV due to the lack of SKY,
head to the Republika
Couples
For something really picturesque take an evening stroll
down ul. Mariacka and stop for a nightcap in Cafe
Kamienica or at Riviera Literacka Klub Pisarza.
Splurge
Go five star and set up shop in the Hilton’s rooftop High
5 where you can slash out 260zł on an amber cocktail.
While not particularly pricey, Tekstylia looks to be attracting
a high end crowd, so mix with the local jet-set
by heading there.
Local Beer
Polish vodka, great, Polish beer, not so great.
That’s not a rare opinion, and one frequently
espoused by the staff of In Your Pocket.
With the big brands coming from Silesia and
Poznan what about local beer? There is hope.
First of all there are the in-house brews
at Brovarnia, one of the country’s best
microbreweries. And then there is the discovery
of a rather smashing local brewery
called Amber Browar. Their track record
should be proof enough with top prizes for
both Poland’s best pale beer (Żywe), best
dark beer (Kozlak Amber), and best beer
(Kozlak Amber again). The secret of their
success? Aside from a master brewer
who is clearly a genius they use only the
best ingredients – hops from Lublin,
fermentation yeast from Munich and
absolutely no preservatives, additives
or corn. That’s why you’ll still
feel on top of the world following an
absolute skinful. So what brands to watch
for then? Żywe looks like it might well become the
official brand of In Your Pocket, though do keep an eye
open for Zlote Lwy, Kozlak and Amber Classic, while
the Johannes beer introduced to celebrate the 400th Polish
That’
espo
With
Pozn
Firs
at
m
c
c
s
b
d
(
s
w
b
f
a
t
f
anniversary of Hevelius’ birth proved so popular that they
have decided to keep brewing it. Find the Amber Brewery
represented in Flisak, Cup of Tea and the Goldwasser
or Targ Rybny restaurants
Bars & Pubs
Amsterdam Bar Beer & Bagel B-4, ul. Garbary 6/7,
tel. (+48) 58 717 29 39, www.amsterdambar.pl. Local
bottled brews have made a huge leap forward in the last
couple of years thanks in no small part to places like this
which are prepared to snub the major brewers and stock
independent brewers in depth. Themed nights which see
different beers discounted as well as live music and televised
sports make sure that this small cafe/bar is never empty.
QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. PAEGW
Barbados B-2, ul. Karmelicka 1, tel. (+48) 58 769 32
70, www.barbados.com.pl. A large and basic affair that
fills with after-work nine-to-fivers nattering into their mobile
phones. There’s a good chance they’re planning the weekend
ahead, which is when this place transforms from boring bar to
cracking club. The DJ spares no eardrums with his vapid collection
of ‘best of’ CDs, but that doesn’t stop glorious lookers
from squishing themselves in and waggling their private bits
in the direction of bouncing cleavages. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00,
Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. PYAUEBXW
Brovarnia D-4, ul. Szafarnia 9, tel. (+48) 58 320 19
70, www.brovarnia.pl. Quite possibly our favourite microbrewery
in Poland, which is by no means the empty award you
might think. The beers - brewed on-site - are faultless, while
the smoking ban does its bit to really exaggerate the pungent
smell of malt and hops. Found in a restored granary building,
this pub features stout wooden fittings, black and white pics
of dockside Danzig, and small little hatches that allow beams
of sunlight to slant inside. Even better, if your head goes boom
after eight of their lagers then just check into the excellent
Hotel Gdańsk upstairs. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. Opening
hours may be extended in summer. PAUEGSW
NEW
Bruderschaft B-4, ul. Długa 81/83, tel. (+48) 694 84
56 93, www.pubgdansk.pl. Located on the main street,
but easily missed, Bruderschaft (Brotherhood in German) is
a decent little drinking hole in a street surprisingly low on
bars. That has a lot with the neighbours, but you’ll not annoy
them tucked down in this brick cellar with a bare bones look,
friendly staff and a good choice of beers on offer late into
the night. Nothing remarkable but a recommended stop on
any crawl of the old town’s bars. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri,
Sat 10:00 - 04:00. AEBXW
Buddha Lounge B-4, ul. Długa 18/21, tel. (+48) 58
322 00 44, www.buddhalounge.pl. One of the few decent
pre-club spots in the old town with a midnight blue design
and some velvety seats. Trumping the competition the design
here features the best painting ever: some naked bloke with
antlers on his head. If that doesn’t sound your lookout then
drink Peroni lager while checking out the best bar girls we’ve
ever seen - yummy. They claim to have the latest opening
hours in the old town and we’ve yet to prove that claim wrong.
QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. PABXW
Café Absinthe B-4, ul. Św. Ducha 2 (Teatr Wybrzeże),
tel. (+48) 58 320 37 84, www.cafeabsinthe.pl. Penetrate
the greenish fog and find a basic space with tables
and chairs squeezed in at all angles occupied by a collection
of what can only be described as true pub legends including
the occasional one-eared Absinthe drinker, a midget, afterwork
cabaret dancers and visiting sailors. By day a great
place to eavesdrop on foreign language teachers involved
in intense conversation, by night a choice place to cut loose
the shackles of sobriety. QOpen 10:00 - 04:00, Sat, Sun
10:00 - 07:00. PAUGBW
Gdańsk In Your Pocket gdansk.inyourpocket.com
Café Bar Mon Balzac C-4, ul. Piwna 36/39, tel. (+48)
58 682 25 25, www.monbalzac.pl. Decorated with muted
colours, big candles and even bigger sofas, Mon Balzac has
a sophisticated edge and a popularity factor that’s nearly
too high to compute - you won’t find a busier bar although
attentive staff make frequent forays to ensure your Złoty
Lwy never nears empty. Toilet access, meanwhile, is gained
through a mirrored door, something which might present a
problem once the beer goggles are lowered. QOpen 09:00
- 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 04:00. PYAEGBW
Cafe Ferber B-4, ul. Długa 77/78, tel. (+48) 58 301 55
66, www.ferber.pl. Decent separation of the smoking and
non-smoking sections, space-age toilets and a fine selection
of board games are what attract us to the very red Cafe
Ferber, which is at once both a daytime ladies-who-lunch type
cafe and a rather saucy late-night drinking den. The terrace is
one of the best people-watching spots in Gdańsk - weather
permitting - while the picture behind the bar one of the most
startling. QOpen 09:30 - 24:00. PYJAUBXW
Cafe Kamienica C-4, ul. Mariacka 37/39. Drink under
the gables and gargoyles of Mariacka in this standout café/
bar, a boho space set on two levels. Consisting of strip-wood
floors and arty loot this is a place not short on charm and,
when the weather is warmer one of the biggest and best
terraces in Gdańsk. Winter or summer, there are few more
atmospheric places for a coffee or beer. QOpen 10:00 -
22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00. JAGB
Cafe Lamus C-3, ul. Lawendowa 8 (entrance from ul.
Straganiarska), tel. (+48) 500 13 28 97. Hipster alert
- there’s a new place in town. A cafe/bar set up in an old
shop which screams 1970s down to the heavily patterned
wallpaper that we’re sure carries the same design as a dress
our mother used to wear. The main reason for visiting, if not
to admire the barman’s impressive Freddie Mercury style
moustache and sideburns, is the choice of bottled Polish
beers which is excellent. Pop yourself into the corner during
the day with a book and the hours will fly by while in the
evening the place fills out to the early hours with people set
on having a good time. One of our favourite newbies of 2011
- find it not at the address printed but around the corner on ul.
Straganiarska. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00, Fri 10:00 - 02:00, Sat
12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 01:00. 6GBSW
Cafe Szafa B-3, ul. Podmurze 2, tel. (+48) 693 11 62
27, www.cafeszafa.pl. The owners are obviously exercising
a snip of black humour by calling this place a café. It’s no
such thing. It’s Hades, it’s hell, but most of all it’s a force ten
hangover. As the opening hours on the door demonstrate
(open 15:00 until pain), you’ll need serious drinking legs to
survive this legend. Debauchery is part of the parcel here,
with a sloshed skate fashion crowd necking shots until daybreak.
Murky and a little bit shabby, this bar features weird
artwork, cool tunes, half-wrecked furniture and all the other
leftfield elements needed to make this one of the best bars
of its genre. A brilliant place where memories are forged and
forgotten in equal measure. QOpen 15:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat
15:00 - 05:00. AGBW
Cup of Tea Żywe Club C-4, ul. Szeroka 119/120, tel.
(+48) 508 71 63 74. Don’t be fooled by the club part in their
name - this place is tiny, like cupboard tiny, and chances are
you’ll be fighting for seats. Seat stealing opposition comes in
the form of super-fox girls; there’s no machismo here, just a
laid back vibe from people who don’t dress up to drink. Aside
from a permanent traffic jam at the bar, find some excellent
local-brewed beers, as well as some hookah pipes standing
amid colourful art. QOpen 14:00 - 24:00. JAGB
gdansk.inyourpocket.com
GDAŃSK NIGHTLIFE
May - July 2012
53