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98 SOPOT NIGHTLIFE
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Late Night Eats
Białe Wino i Owoce M-4, ul. Grunwaldzka 4-6, tel.
(+48) 58 718 64 25, www.bialewinoiowoce.pl. Late
night eats Polish style. Drop by this great little bar/diner to
fortify yourself with tastier than they sound dishes like ‘cold
legs (pork in jelly)’, white sausage, herring or tripe washed
down with 4zl vodkas or bottles of regional beer. The atmosphere
is always jovial, seeing as most of the clientele
have already ‘fortified’ themselves in the neighbouring bars
and clubs and this is a perfect way to offset that inevitable
hangover. QOpen 11:00 - 05:00. PAGBW
Kebabistan M-4, ul. Bohaterów Monte Cassino 36/1.
The north’s premier purveyors of Europe’s top booze food have
now moved downtown into the heart of the action on Monte
Cassino. Offering both beef and chicken kebabs, this bright
modern space is constantly busy no more so than when people
start making their way home from one of the many surrounding
clubs and bars. Our favourite kebab now without the walk/crawl
to the train station. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00, Thu 11:00 - 04:00,
Fri, Sat 11:00 - 05:00. PAGBSW
NEW
Śledzik u Fabrykanta M-4, ul. Bohaterów Monte
Cassino 60, tel. (+48) 58 551 58 32. The biggest but
not necessarily the best result of the recent explosion in the’
Zakąski Przekąski’ bars which serve up a range of quick and
simple Polish dishes such as lard on bread and herrings and
onion for one price (generally 8zl) and a beer or shot of vodka
for another (generally 4zl).Q Open 10:00 - 05:00, Sat, Sun
09:00 - 05:00. From June open 09:00 - 05:00. ABXW
Sopot is the centre of Tri-city and summer Poland’s nightlife.
While there have been improvements in the options in
neighbouring cities, the options here have gone through
the roof. This is one huge party zone particularly at the
weekends and throughout the summer. It doesn’t matter if
you’re looking for peace or oblivion, Sopot has something
to suit everyone. Most of the action is centred around the
main drag, Monte Cassino.
Bars & Pubs
3 Siostry M-4, ul. Grunwaldzka 47/1, tel. (+48) 58 550
10 13, www.3siostry.pl. A weird little spot presided over by
a team of sisters. There’s three of them allegedly, but judging
by the number of stilettos hanging from the walls there could
just as easily be thirty. And these ladies (stunners, the lot of
‘em) seem to be onto something. With a DJ at the weekends
and live music and special events at other times of the week,
this place is regularly packed into the very, very late hours of
the morning with a noisy crowd of friends and strangers mixing
and mingling long after legs, brains and mouths have stopped
working properly. No dress codes or club queens here, just
normal people having a glorious time. QOpen 14:00 - 24:00,
Fri, Sat 14:00 - 04:00, Sun 16:00 - 24:00. PAUBXW
512 M-4, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 10 (Sheraton Sopot
Hotel), tel. (+48) 58 767 10 60, www.sheraton.pl/
sopot. The flagship bar of the Sheraton looks and feels every
bit as new as the mothership it was born to. Set around a big
square bar 512 is a hip space where booze flows courtesy of
expert staff not averse to mixing one of the better mojitos
around. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00. PAUGW
Błękitny Pudel (The Blue Poodle) M-4, ul. Bohaterów
Monte Cassino 44, tel. (+48) 58 551 16 72. Possibly
the most underrated bar in town especially considering it
sits in the centre of the city’s nightlife quietly minding its own
business. The Blue Poodle is a bit like entering a dream, with
cobbled flooring taken by springy armchairs and a gurgling
fountain. Grandfather clocks sit next to dusty banjos, and
the overall effect feels pleasingly eccentric. Visit at night and
the place generates a sleazy decadence that’s just ripe for
beery whisperings. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 09:00 -
05:00. YABXW
Cafe Ferber M-4, ul. Bema 1, tel. (+48) 784 04 00 05,
www.ferber.pl. Long established in Gdańsk the Ferber brand
hit Sopot a couple of years back, and if the crowds are anything
to go by look for a long and prosperous stay. Dominated by
a purple-lit square bar set centre stage, the Sopot version
of Ferber features lots of plastic bits and bobs, transparent
lamps and the sort of design now favoured by practically every
club. No surprise therefore that it fills with prospective nightclubbers
discussing their next move, so look suitably dazzling
if you want to make an impression. QOpen 09:00 - 01:00, Fri,
Sat, Sun 09:00 - 04:00. PAUEBXW
Coctail Bar Max Sopot M-4, ul. Grunwaldzka 1-3,
tel. (+48) 691 13 00 00, www.barmax.pl. Stock up
on aspirin, you’ll be needing it. Featuring a remarkable
choice of booze this air-conned beach bar has spirits from
everywhere stacked around a central display by the bar: the
higher you look the more premium they are. The standout
feature, however, is the fruit cocktail menu - tons of fresh
fruit squashed and squeezed into rainbow coloured alcoholic
and non-alcoholic bliss. The artistry involved does lead to
wait-times, but the young, hip staff make it worth the while.
A great place to kick off the night before heading into one
of the neighbouring clubs. QOpen 09:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat
09:00 - 05:00. PAUGBW
Sopot In Your Pocket sopot.inyourpocket.com
NEW
Czarna Wołga (Black Volga) L-4, ul. Jagiełły 6/2,
tel. (+48) 608 20 43 25, www.czarnawolgasopot.pl. A
sinister legend is attached to the name of this place - Black
Volga the Soviet limousine. It seems that in the 60s and
70s a car of this type was rumoured to cruise eastern bloc
countries abducting children for their blood and organs
which would be sold to rich westerners. Nice image. The
car of the legend can be seen painted on one of the walls
of this trendy, relaxed bar which is decorated with all sorts
of Communist era paraphernalia and is set in a quiet street
minutes from the main drag. Drink regional beers and order
‘Polish tapas’ like lard and herring in the company of a laid
back crowd while music videos or the match are projected
onto the wall of one of the two rooms. Our favourite find so
far of 2012. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Mon 16:00 - 24:00, Thu,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 02:00. AXW
Galeria Kinsky (Sopocka Wytwórnia Filmowa)
L-4, ul. Kościuszki 10, tel. (+48) 58 551 17 56.
For those unfamiliar with Klaus Kinski he’s a deceased
actor known as much for his odd sexual appetite as for
his one hundred plus films. He was born upstairs, and
these days his childhood home is Sopot’s most curious
bar. Done out in lurid crimson, features include spooky
pictures of the man himself, a jumble sale collection
of cinematic tat, an eerie black toilet and U2 (Kinsky’s
favourite band apparently) tracks and videos of their
concerts playing in the background. Don’t for a moment
think you can get away with a soft drink; patrons here
live every bit as hard as the man they emulate. QOpen
16:00 - 04:00. PAUX
Józef K. L-4, ul. Kościuszki 4/1b (entrance from ul.
Dworcowa), tel. (+48) 58 550 49 35, www.jozefk.
pl. An editorial favourite, and a first rate venue if you’ve
just missed your train. Set just a minute from the station
Józef K is a boho haunt piled high with broken typewriters,
empty birdcages and artwork hung at wonky angles.
This is what Kraków used to be like, before the Brits
took over, and the mezzanine level is a choice spot to
spy on local intellectuals locked in whispered debate.
QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 01:30, Sun
11:00 - 24:00. GB
Julka Cafe M-4, ul. Morska 4, tel. (+48) 58 550
72 43, www.julkacafe.pl. An engaging little spot, and
we’re not kidding when we say little, set not more than a
hundred metres from Monte Cassino. Interiors are dark,
moody and soothing, and given an extra oomph with
some glittery chandelier-style lights and chequered flooring.
Comfortable and classy, and with a small mezzanine
allowing you the benefit of perching a few inches extra
over the rest. Keep an eye for the range of Kormoran
Brewery beers which are an excellent alternative to the
mass-produced brands and hail from the Mazurian region
of Poland. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00.
AGBW
Le Bar M-4, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 12/14 (Sofitel
Grand Sopot), tel. (+48) 58 520 60 00, www.sofitel.
com. Sweep through the Grand Hotel’s fearsome lobby to
reach a drinking space seemingly built for deal clinching
drinks. An extravagant chandelier hangs from a ceiling
painted with a giant sun, while dark woods and art deco
lamps fill any space not occupied by armchairs. The only
bad news is the view here; to see the ocean you’ll have
to peer past tables of chewing, slobbering diners, which
is every bit as lovely as it sounds. QOpen 09:00 - 01:00.
PAUEGBW
sopot.inyourpocket.com
SOPOT NIGHTLIFE
Off to the beach
Sopot is the most popular and offers numerous fish
bars on the beach side including Hawaii style Tropikalna
Wyspa which you’ll find south of the pier down at gate
#27. As suits its resort image, the beach has endless
opportunities for outdoor types; ranging from cruises on
mock pirate boats to being dragged behind a speedboats
on inflatable banana.
Gdynia Orłowo (get off at Orłowo train station and
head straight down ul. Orłowska) is the quieter, with an
eroding cliff and scenic forest trails that come populated
with families of wild boar. The pier sees summer theatre
performances take place on the beachfront open-air
stage. The city beach to the north is found right by
Skwer Unii Europejski and comes with lifeguards, showers
and toilets. You may be interested to know that the
first ever ice-cream on a stick was created on the nearby
Świętojańska street back in 1932.
Jelitkowo, south of Sopot, still has classic fisherman’s
cottages dating from the 18th and 19th centuries
on ul. Bałtycka. By 1875 the area had begun
to transform into a spa resort for wealthy Germans,
and evidence of their presence can still be discerned
by the existence of a number of plush villas. The
cycle path running from Sopot to Brzeźno (5km from
Sopot pier to Brzeźno pier) passes through the scenic
Jelitkowski Park and is a must for those who embrace
the outdoors.
Wine
Vinoteque Sopot
M-4, ul. Powstańców
Warszawy 10 (Sheraton
Sopot Hotel), tel.
(+48) 58 767 19 63,
www.sheraton.pl/sopot.
We’ve seen wine
bars open aplenty in recent
years as the locals
have been bitten by the ‘wino’ bug. That said this
is as original and interesting a place to have come
out of that due to the choice of 24 wines available
by the glass from a range of over 200 world wines
which includes half bottles and magnums as well as
rare, hard-to-find and award winning bottles. The fact
that they can offer both such a wide and impressive
range of wine in 25ml, 75ml or 125ml sizes is due
to the Enomatic dispensers the New Zealand owner
has pioneered in Poland which keep wines in perfect
condition for three weeks allowing guests to sample
wines where once the only option was to buy by the
(sometimes expensive) bottle. Set in Sopot’s underground
rotunda,Vinoteque has high tables and lounge
seating along with a menu of pastas, cold tapas,
Joselito ham with crusty bread and a hot dish of the
day - - all paired with a glass of wine to match the
dish. And if you like what you’ve discovered there is an
adjacent shop where you can pick up the bottle at the
same competitive price it sells for in the Wine Express
shop in Gdynia. QOpen 16:00 - 23:00. PAUGW
May - July 2012
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