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56 GDAŃSK NIGHTLIFE
Polish Vodka
Proven masters of make-do with the potato as their
primary resource, the Poles have been producing and
drinking vodka since the early Middle Ages, distilling
their skill into some of the best vodka blends available
in the world, many of which date back centuries. The
two most highly regarded clear Polish vodka brands
must be Belvedere and Chopin, both of which you’ll find
in any alcohol shop. But you won’t find many tipplers
throwing them back at the bar. While clear vodkas are
generally reserved for giving away at weddings and mixing
in cocktails, the real fun of Polish vodka sampling is
the flavoured vodkas. Unlike beer with juice (regarded as
highly emasculating), flavoured vodkas are embraced by
both sexes and imbibed copiously.
Wiśniówka
Undoubtedly the most common flavoured vodka,
wiśniówka is a cheap, dangerously easy to drink,
cherryflavoured variety. You’ll see students and
pensioners alike buying trays of it at the bar, as well
as toothless tramps sharing a bottle in corners of
tenement courtyards. A splash of grapefruit juice is
often added to cut the sweetness of this bright red
monogamy cure.
Żołądkowa Gorzka
Due to its very name, which translates to something like
‘Bitter Stomach Vodka,’ Żołądkowa Gorzka gives even the
most infirm of health an excuse to drink under the guise
of its medicinal properties. An aged, amber-coloured
vodka flavoured with herbs and spices, Żołądkowa has
a unique aroma and sweet spiced taste unlike anything
you’re likely to have tried before. Incredibly palatable, it’s
best enjoyed when sipped on ice.
Krupnik
Popular in Poland and Lithuania, Krupnik is a sweet vodka
made from honey and a multitude of herbs. Buy a bottle
for Mum – drinking vodka doesn’t get any easier than this.
In winter, hot krupnik is a popular personal defroster with
hot water, lemon and mulling spices added.
Żubrówka
One of Poland’s most popular overseas vodka
exports, Żubrówka has been produced in Eastern
Poland since the 16th century. Flavoured with a type
of grass specific to the primeval Białowieża Forest
that straddles the border (a blade of which appears
in each bottle), Żubrówka is faint yellow in colour,
with a mild fragrance of mown hay and a subtle taste
which has been described as ‘floral’ or having traces
of almond or vanilla. Delightfully smooth as it is on
its own, Żubrówka is most commonly combined with
apple juice – a refreshing concoction called a ‘tatanka.’
Goldwasser
A celebrated Gdańsk tradition since 1598, Goldwasser
is a unique alchemic elixir characterised by the 22 karat
gold flakes floating in it. One of the oldest liqueurs in
the world, Goldwasser’s secret recipe contains some
20 roots and herbs, combining to create a sweet, but
spicy flavour with touches of anise, pepper and mint.
While we thought turning the potato into vodka was an
example of creative ingenuity, we’re not sure what sort
of statement the practice of turning gold into vodka
makes about Polish culture...
LOFT B-3, ul. Młyńska 15, tel. (+48) 535 92 98
58, www.loftpub.pl. We’re quick to endorse anywhere
that offers a bottle of Specjal for just 6zł and the tequilainfused
Desperados lager for 9zł, but fortunately that’s
not all this new pub has to recommend it. The small,
square space is relatively raw, with only surreal paintings
(phallic artwork of girls enjoying suckers, a weird mash-up
of Bambi and a gnome) to break up the bare brick wall,
but somehow it works. Bartenders write specials on the
chalkboard wall behind the bar, and the crowd appears
to be young folks who don’t subscribe to the thumping
club scene. Our only complaint: is toilet paper really so
hard to come by in this city? QOpen 13:00 - 24:00.
PAUGW
Przystanek Piwna C-4, ul. Piwna 52/53/1, tel.
(+48) 58 710 37 94, www.przystanekpiwna.info.
There’s a real vintage feel to Przystanek, a neighbourhood
bar festooned with padded alcoves, brass lamps and
antique signs from the age of the bi-plane. But don’t for
one minute think this is one for the fogies, this place gets
a cool crowd of people who prefer their bars to come with
character, not plastic gizmos and shiny surfaces. A welcome
break from New Look Gdańsk, and highly recommended
for a piwo on Piwna. Q Open 11:00 - 22:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
11:00 - 24:00. From June open 10:00 - 22:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
10:00 - 24:00. AGBW
Pub Duszek C-4, ul. Św. Ducha 119/121, tel. (+48)
512 78 84 83, www.pubduszek.pl. If you like your bars
to be slick, smooth and full of dressed up dingbats fiddling
with iPhones then move on. Duszek is anything but, offering
instead a scruffed down design that’s been fogged and
stained from decades of beer and smoke - honestly, a night
here is enough to cut years off your life expectancy. But
in a country that’s gone bananas for new and neon, glitz
and gits, this legendary local is something of a standard
bearer for old days Gdańsk. Watching Polish barflies get
trousered on vodka isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but this
place has atmosphere in spades, a friendly welcome, and
often raucous nights - not least when some incompetent
bashes out some notes on the cobwebbed piano, which
happens often thanks to their daily live music schedule.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. EGBW
Red Light Pub C-4, ul. Chlebnicka 9/12, tel.
(+48) 505 78 50 95. A Gdansk bar with a Sopot feel
and along with Flisak 76 a place that’s worth staying
in Gdańsk for if you want to enjoy a few decent beers
with a young and relaxed crowd. You’ll find bottled Polish
beer rather than the big brand draughts and a series
of sofas and poofs to sit back and enjoy them on. A
great warm-up before heading into Gdańsk club land,
make a beeline for the mezzanine to get some tips for
where to head next from the studenty crowd who reside
nearby. QOpen 19:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 04:00.
AGBW
Restauracja Republika D-4, ul. Dziana 5/7 (entrance
from Długie Pobrzeże), tel. (+48) 796 09 13
92. Sitting in a great spot overlooking the river next to
the Green Gate is this American styled sports bar which
comes with padded bench seating, high stools at the bar
and tables where you can enjoy the decent bar food. But
the biggest draw is the sports coverage. Find a huge screen
as well as large flatscreen televisions set up so everyone
can watch the action - although with only one feed currently,
you might need to get in first if there is a choice of matches
to watch. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 - 03:00.
PAGBXW
Gdańsk In Your Pocket gdansk.inyourpocket.com
Riviera Literacka Klub Pisarza C-4, ul. Mariacka
50/52, tel. (+48) 796 54 94 50. Festooned with blinking
fairy lights this café/bar has literary leanings, and come
nightfall it’s an owlish crowd of whiskered academics and
unpretentious students who convene for beer and cigarettes
(outside of course) in generous amounts. Filled with dark wood
and local artwork this is a decent place alright, complete with
a spiral staircase twisting its way to a minstrel’s gallery. Not
at all hip, and certainly not trendy, but a calm place for decent
conversation with an un-showy crowd on Gdansk, perhaps
Poland’s, most attractive street. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri,
Sat, Sun 10:00 - 23:00. YJAEGB
Scruffy O’Brien F-3, Al. Grunwaldzka 76/78, tel.
(+48) 58 341 67 08, www.scruffy.pl. Aesthetically this
is the most convincing Irish pub of the lot, right down to
the chessboard flooring and wood fashioned furniture. The
suburban location means it’s free from the ‘just vomited in
the toilet’ crowd, and what you have is a pleasingly hassle
free venue in which sup Guinness and enjoy the slow lane.
QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. PAUEGBW
Stacja De Luxe G-3, Al. Grunwaldzka 22, tel. (+48) 58
345 00 05, www.stacjadeluxe.pl. Poland is proliferated with
pubs that were once public toilets, so finding a bar that formerly
housed a petrol station really isn’t as bizarre as it sounds. When
the sun is out take shade under the petrol pumps, or retreat
inside to drink amid bare concrete, Ferrari red car seats, wheels
and pipes. Plenty of industrial chic on display here, and quite
possibly a candidate for ‘the best pub in Wrzeszcz’. QOpen
10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00. PAUEGBW
St. John’s Pub & Cafe D-4, ul. Świętojańska 49 (Hostel
Zappio), tel. (+48) 58 322 01 74, www.zappio.pl. It’s rare
that a hostel bar would warrant a mention to those who are
bunking elsewhere, but St. John’s is worth a look, especially in
warm weather when the splendid summer terrace with views
of the adjacent church is available to everyone. In winter things
are kept to the vaulted brick cellars of this historic building,
which have their own uniquely evocative atmosphere, though
you can expect many of the patrons to have wandered down
from the dorms of the Zappio Hostel. QOpen 16:00 - 24:00,
Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PAEGBW
Tekstylia B-3, ul. Szeroka 121/122, tel. (+48) 58
304 77 63. Cutting edge? Maybe not. But while it’d be a
short thumb in London or Paris this new bar has certainly
got the locals talking - and drinking. Few if any places have
been busier during Gdańsk’s close season, and you’ll find no
shortage of good lookers both behind and in front of the bar.
Big, large windows make it perfect for people spotting, while
inside some industrial touches sit comfortably with whimsical
touches such as wire-framed corsets and some design
mag extras. Highly recommended for both pre-club drinks or
afternoon chillout. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. PAUGBW
U Szkota C-4, ul. Chlebnicka 9/12, tel. (+48) 58 301
49 11. At the Scot’s was a place that for many years sucked
in unsuspecting foreigners with its Scottish flag to discover a
British looking bar at the heart of a dimly lit restaurant featuring
an eclectic (read English) mix of British paraphernalia from the
ages. While nothing about the decor has changed, the running
appears to have been handed to a bunch of students who have
breathed life, if not a decorating budget, into the place. We
wouldn’t imagine the Guinness tap gets much of a work-out
(it’s 14zł you know, the young barman warned us) and things
are apparently so tight the chill cabinet which stored our beer
was turned off leaving us to sip a warm Perła and Merrydown
Cider. There’s better places and three of them are next door.
Q Open 16:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 02:00. AGBW
gdansk.inyourpocket.com
GDAŃSK NIGHTLIFE
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The best bar in the Tri-city for watching
football, rugby, and all televised sports
ul. Długie Pobrzeże 5, Gdańsk
Tel. +48 796 09 13 92
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Ul. Grunwaldzka 76/78
Gdańsk Wrzeszcz
tel. 58 341 67 08
www.scruff y.pl
May - July 2012
57