Prague Bars & Cocktail Lounges

The home of Bohemia, it's not difficult to end up drinking the local ‘Pivo' (beer) from dusk until dawn. Although the outer suburbs spread out in full Sixties architectural hell, the centre of Prague remains much as it always has done: cobbled streets, winding alleys and a mass of spires. The underground is simple and the trams are plentiful although just walking should suffice. A good place to start is the Golden Mile, which takes you from the art deco municipal tearoom up to the palace on the other side of Charles Bridge. This was the route used for royal processions and also by prisoners before they met their end. As for bars, most are hidden away underneath the arches of the large gothic townhouses and if you want to keep going, you'll always find somewhere open.

Tretter's Bar

• V Kolkovni 3 Prague,
• Telephone: + 42 02 2481 1165
• Hours: Mon - Sun 7pm - 3am

Set in the heart of the Old Town, Tretter’s is a cocktail connoisseurs heaven: up to 200 concoctions available from 150 classics to 50 new creations, many the work of the bar's owner and globe trotting master mixologist Michael Tretter. An elegant old style interior with red upholstery, classy tables and a beautiful, long dark-wood counter, all the drinks taste good but try the bourbon, lime juice and grenadine special called the New Yorker and see if it transports you to Manhattan. The ultra potent Zido, a fruity mix of Cachaca, white rum, coconut syrup, lime and papaya juice is another winner, though you may not be standing afterwards. Four charming bar staff, one with an orchid behind his ear, take such care with their creations you almost don’t want to drink them. Those interested might even want to enlist in one of Tretter’s mixology teach-ins. Regulars are a sexy crowd of fashion, film and business types, here for great drinks, great décor and high-octane flirting. Join them.

Barock

• Parizska 24
• Prague,
• Telephone: (00 42 02) 232 9221
• Hours: M-S 8.30am-1am

The name might suggest a heavy metal hangout but it's Prague's elite who cram in here for succulent sushi and the coolest cocktails. A large, stylish space with a slick steel bar, cut-glass chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows, the walls are dotted with moody pics of pouting Czech models and that beauty next to you with the Whiskey Sour might well be one of them. Owned by Tommy Sjoo and Nils Jebens who run the trendy Kampa Park restaurant on the river. But did they mean Baroque?

Cafe de Paris

• Hotel Pariz U Obecniho domu 1
• Prague

If you haven't been to Prague you might think the bars there are all about beer. This isn't the case and if you're looking for a bit of elegance then this is the place to come. Its interior is art nouveau heaven and a little bit ritzy at the same time. Although you won't find Fred Astaire swanning across the floor their cocktails will more than make up for it!

Futurum

• Praha 5 Zborovská 7
• Prague,
• Telephone: +42 02 5732 8571
• Hours: Mon-Sun 8pm-3am

Live music venue, nightclub and party spot that puts on local bands and hosts various other cultural gatherings. Locals love the futuristic-meets-industrial interiors, all exposed metal and brick and hi-tech lighting, perfect for the mini-warehouse style space. Drinks and friendly regulars apart it’s Friday nights that draw the crowds: retro-loving hipsters spinning to the 80s and 90s beats, and chatting to the young leggy blondes by the bar. Why not go over to one of them, look into her palm, and read her Futurum.

Solidini Neistota

• Pstrossova 21
• Prague,
• Telephone: +42 02 2491 0593

Popular food, drink and dance spot for twenty something locals, a fair preponderance of students and budding catwalk queens among them. Fortunately the space is large enough to fit in tourists like you too. All the great Czech pilsners are on tap and stressed bartenders somehow manage to remember your orders in the crush and mix up some standard cocktails too. Food includes tasty grilled meat dishes, although the drink is what draws the crowds – and those potential models. Why not sidle up to one and ask her to show you around the Old Town. She might even speak to you.