48 hours Warsaw clubbing revealed

I was once told that the uglier a city the more progressive and alternative it would be. So off to Warsaw, which apart from a provincial looking rebuilt old town, which looks more like a Dysneyland meet small Poland, the city is ugly ! Long grey charmless avenues, surrounded by long grey charmless sovient looking building blocks.

The clubbing world positions Warsaw as a posh wannabe London house scene. The looks, the money, the notorious bouncers, and of course a bit of eastern exuberance. Well, unlike Berlin or Prague, whoe alternative scene is rough and undelicate, Warsaw’s reminds you that nearby a whole other clubbing world is going on.

18:00
Start the night at the semi-legit bars behind 22-28 Nowy Swiat (one of Warsaw’s most luxurious streets). About 10 one-room bars, mostly identical make up this part. None have names or even open windows to peek inside. If it weren’t for the hip youth socializing inside, you’d bet they were hooker bars : redish lights, gates hiding the windows and limited noise outside. Well it may be thanks to that discretion that they haven’t been busted by the ubiquitous policie. It’s crowded, friendly and cheap. And once you’re in, you’re bound to argue whether Lech Walesa was right or wrong. And it won’t get you out before 10 !
Beer 1 € // drugs we don’t need it // flirt teach me some polish baby!

22:00
Head to Dobra, as the locals call it. Hidden in an alleyway off 33 – 35 Dobra Ulica, you’ll find a handful of small chill out clubs that perfectly fit into the eastern spirit. Hell you could be in Prenzlauer Berg or Metelovka. Electro tunes spinned in a low key fuck life I’m from the east” spirit. And the reddish loungy Diuna is feet away from the rougher Aurora – one of the most progressive clubs in town. You cold easily stay put till the wee hours of the morning, but once the midnight oil rings, let’s rock.
Beer 1 € // drugs let’s have a joint // flirt just relax, you’ll do it later

00:00
We all read about things, and then check them out. Well Organza seems like the place to be. Formerly über trendy and now nice and popular, with three levels of fun. Well that bar downtown, on ul. Sienkiewicza 4 is a miss rather than a hit but important to understand the clubbing scene. The bouncer thinks he’s smart, the waitresses cute and the clientele hip…well I tell you, go to Charlettenburg or Chelsea for that stuff…you’ll heare the same remixes and drink the same vodka.
Beer 1 € // drugs fuck no not here // flirt how much do you earn ?

01:00
Time for the notorious Luzztro (al. Jerozolimskie 6), THE after party club and the kind of club you’d love to have in any city. Drum and base in one room, minimal in the other. Half the people are dancing, the other half are laying dead on theotherwise cute leather couches. Oh, and the third half is snorting in the toilettes. And that’s just the beginning of the evening. It gets wilder and wilder, no one care who you are or where you’re from. You’re in Luzztro and we’re all equal when it comes to drugs and electro
Beer 1 € // drugs how much// flirt let’s fuck

BED TIME

18:00
Far, far away, in the middle of 200 meter long apartment blocks and in an area where weeks or months may go on before anybody noticed anything is a dirt road leading to some sort of high security complex and a weirdo looking TV tower. What’s strange is that 5 hip bars are standing there, right before you. And how the hell did they get there ? Music ranges from electro (at Pruderia) or salso or hip hop (at the famous Klub Balsam). Dance and drink with the city kids…but you shouldn’t stay too long if you want some alternative action. And all that is somewhere, best described as ul. Raclawicka 99 (don’t ask how to get there).
Beer 2 € // drugs no we’re city kids// flirt well, gotta speak some polish

22:00
Saturator is Warsaw’s new alternative clubbing. And alternative it is. Set in Praga, Warsaw’s answer to Zizkov, this place rocks. Two floors of socializing hip café and one small basement (a basement is really what it is, nothing more) where soon to be famous DJs coming from Poznan or Wroclaw mix their latest drum and base to an exuberant party youth. Wow is this place cool. And to get there, as usual, follow the alleyway at 11 Listopada, 22, then ring the door bell.
Beer 1 € // drugs if you’ve got extasy// flirt why not ?

00:00
M25. Firs things first. The address (Minska 25) is totally wrong ! The guys must have been hoocked on something to actually give this club a wrong address. Or else, they just didn’t want anyone to find it. A huge two story wharehous space, opened most weekends (but not all) spinning the electro-trance-minimal eastern Europe raves. One word of advice though : more commercial music has been heard recently and they’ve started sponsoring events. The word out, it may the end of what used to be a fucked up rave party
Beer 1 € // drugs it’s a rave party man // flirt it’s a rave party man

03:00
They call it Klubo but it’s actually Klub Kawiarna. Centrally located it’s the Paris Paris or Beatrice Inn –but in eastern europe. Small, velvet couches and old lamps coming from the ceiling. It’s young mega-hype and gorgeous, though unpretentious and ready for a good time, dancing on the sofas or even the bar ! It’s the kind of place you remember…and the music isn’t that good.
Beer 2 € // drugs it’s hit or miss // flirt let me give you a polish kiss baby !

Geneva, cooler than you think

When I speak about Geneva to virtually anyone outside the private banking and jewellery crowd, I hear one word : BORING. How wrong could they be; granted it's not London or New York, but Geneva has quite a lot to offer -and that is for the non jetsetting crowd. Apart from the food, astonishing (it is harder to get a bad meal in Geneva than in Milan or Paris !) the music scene gest this city going way far beyond a provincial status. The squat area calle l'Artamis, a stone's throw away from the world's richiest banks, has a few bars a an indie-cinema that's far more alternative than Copenhagen's Christiana. Set in a huge parking lot, the space, spread out over 200 m is filled with graphitia, burnt cars and hidden reggae and electro bars. A couple blocks away is l'Usine, a cultural centre hosting two clubs, one bar open practically 24/7 that ressembles a hip bar in Prague or Budapest, and a few other areas I don't know about. Naturally all the local deals about around that area, and anytime of day of night you're bound to get whatever you're looking for. Other than these two concentrated areas you find a few bars. Around the Université district, le Calamar sets the pace with great hamburgers and loungy bar; the café Bizarre, right behind the fancy Mandarin hotel is one of those bars you'd like to have in every city : cool, unpretentions, cheap and with the fussball table in the back beergarden. For the more upmarked crowd, the Shakers, Palladium of Java will satisfy those tastes. All in all, at least one good party, every night of the weel .