I graduated from America’s #1 party school in 2011, but I never left a bar at sunrise until I came to Bucharest. Not saying I wasn’t able to drink the night away back in the day, but it’s a bit hard when body guards have their way with shoveling out drunkards at 2:00AM.
Different strokes for different folks – while Americans suit up at nine to hit the clubs by ten, the Romanian rush hour for nightlife begins around midnight. Bucharest has been perfecting their nightlife methodology for over 555 years. That’s a lot of practice.
Defending the Romans and kicking out communism called for a toast and Romanians didn’t hesitate to grab their glasses. Plus, the Romanian viticulture dates back to more than 10,000 years and they were the 11th largest wine producing country in the world in 2011. Top this off with their national drink Tuica and your are in for a nightlife to remember, or to forget.
Similar to just about every other European country, Romania did not hesitate to channel their passion for getting ‘tipsy’ into one of the main attractions of their city – nightlife.
Bucharest in my opinion is strikingly similar to Dublin in the fact that hundreds of pubs are packed together in a central area. A few pints can transport you straight into a Blair Witch Project buzz where you’ll swear that you’ve “already been here”.
Dublin is much easier to navigate than the cob-web streets of Bucharest but the layout of both cities encourage high frequency bar hopping. Exit any bar in the Old Town area and take ten steps in any direction to discover a brand new menu and vibe. The key to Bucharest nightlife is setting an initial meet-up location and maintaining a loose schedule.
At least this is what I’ve been doing for the last year to make the most of my evenings. I meet friends at point A. We migrate to point B and lose a few friends on the way. Explore point B and then escape to point C.
Without further adieu, lets explore three awesome Bucharest clubs and bars.
Control Club – Pub · Event Venue · Dance Club
Decompress after a long week of work and straighten out your 9-5 back pains at Control – located at Str. Constantin Mille, nr. 4. This place makes for a dynamite night throughout all four seasons, thanks to the giant, recently renovated terrace and two super sized sound proof rooms where you will find Dj’s and live bands every Friday and Saturday.
Occupied by 22-35 year old students and working professionals, control charges a 10RON entree fee ($2.5) to maintain their reputable status as one of the top techno/live music clubs in Bucharest. Even though their logo is a guitar pick, deep house and techno are the most common sound waves resonating between these walls. I credit Control for expanding my tastes in music from indie pop and alternative rock to bass thumping never ending techno. In addition to the musical aspect of Control, they have also upped their light show tech – mapping out visual graphics on every wall, transporting you to a fourth dimension.
Controls ‘off the beaten path’ location makes it a semi-secret gem of Bucharest nightlife, but word-of-mouth, top-notch musical performances and affordable prices* have turned up the volume of Control Club over the years. *9RON/500ml beer ($2.25)
Tip:
Control does not have a kitchen but a nice restaurant/bar called Alt-Shift can be accessed by the main entrance. Make a quick pit-stop upstairs and refuel for the party downstairs – DJ’s keep the music alive all night.
MOJO – Social Club · Night Club · Karaoke
MOJO music club is located in the heart of Old Town and attracts the most populous crowd of karaoke singers and live music fanatics in Bucharest. Founded by British expats with a mission to harness the up-coming talent pool of both cover bands and kick-ass rock n’ roll, MOJO takes the podium for hosting the best cover bands of Bucharest. It’s a hand picked music club straight out of London!
Decked out in British decor from top to bottom, MOJO is a three level nightlife venue located at 14 Strada Gabroveni.
Grab the mic and sing your heart out up stairs on the karaoke stage – it’s all fun and games until about 2AM. Then it’s tamed chaos. Pick your song from a song catalog as thick as cozonac and grab a Karaoke Cocktail for the ride – 17RON ($4.25)
MOJO has pioneered the ‘after work pint’ atmosphere thanks to their middle floor area. An extra long high top bar covers the length of the room and the opposite side is full of cozy coffee tables – the perfect space to watch sports and relax after a hard day of work.
Make your way downstairs every other Wednesday for their successful quiz night, a charitable event that packs the house in support of a good cause and great fun. Quiz night is for thinkers only and the various teams of six take it very serious – the prizes are awesome, including a snowball money prize that once reached 2,000RON ($500)
The staff is friendly and accessible and the menu is creative. The busiest days are Quiz night, Friday and Saturday night. Patrons may be asked to pay a 10RON entry fee.
Tip:
Reserve a table in the basement for Friday and Saturday evenings for parties of all sizes to experience the best of MOJO
Fratelli – Night Club
Glamour, glitz and high-end nightlife separate the Fratelli club from the rather casual and hip clubs in Bucharest. When I imagined Eastern Europe nightlife clubbing before I stepped foot in Bucharest, the Fratelli Club is most in line with my expectations. It’s posh, chic and the dress code is strict, but once you’re in, get ready for a wild evening. Fratelli hosts a variety of themed parties and there’s a reason why they have 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 12,000 ratings.
Prices are roughly twice as high at Fratelli than other Bucharest venues, however, the service is fast and it’s worth the memories. Simply mind your own business at Fratelli and have good manners as 95% of the people you meet made reservations and are occupied. Not to say that chatting with strangers is prohibited, but Fratelli evenings are generally planned in advance and catered to big groups like work parties, company outings, bachelor parties and birthdays.
Tip:
Don’t show up with your two guy friends at 1:45AM wearing New Balance shoes. That’s not gonna’ fly at Fratelli.
Cheers and drink responsibly.
