Prague (Praha) Vinohrady

Valentino, Vinohradská 40 (☎222 51 34 91; www.club-valentino.cz), On weekends, this caterpillar of a gay club blooms into a beautiful butterfly when it adds two additional dance floors to its always-open dance basement and ground-floor bar. In such a huge club, you can tailor weekend nights to your type: get down and d-d-d-dirty on one of the three “floors,” bob yo' brain to the beat with a drink at the bar, or, like Chill Bones Bill Bones Baggins, veg out on the patio with a pipe full of the Shire's best tobacco weed. Heck—don't even wait for the weekend. The basement dance floor shakes even when the full club isn't open. Females regularly in attendance; straight gents, not so much. A: Náměstí Míru. From the station, walk east on Korunní, then turn left on Sázavská and left on Vinohradská. Full club only open F-Sa. No cover. Beer 19-80Kč. Mixed drinks 33-135Kč. Open daily 11am-5am. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating. GLBT
Piano Bar, Milešovská 10 (☎775 72 74 96; www.pianobar.sweb.cz), This low-key gay bar may have a piano in its center room, but “piano” could refer to the noise level, which stays soft thanks to the older crowd Piano Bar attracts. But they're not that old—don't let the sewing-machine table fool you. C: Jiřího z Poděbrad. From the station, head east on Vinohradská and take a left onto Milešovská. Beer 20-30Kč. Mixed drinks 40-70Kč. Open daily 5pm-late. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet.
Vinárna Vinečko, Lodynská 135/29 (☎222 51 10 35; www.vineckopraha.cz), An upscale wine bar that errs on the side of adult, Vinárna Vinečko is the perfect place to spend a relaxed evening discussing how delightfully you boogie in a non-ironic way. On warm summer nights, the patio lets you decompress even further. Or, if you're lucky enough to be spending the evening with yourself, bring your laptop, use the free Wi-Fi, and treat yourself to a nice glass of vino—no buts—you deserve this. A: Náměstí Míru. From the station, head west down Rumunská, then take a left down Lodynská. The bar is actually to the right on Bruselská where it meets Lodynská. Snacks 68-105Kč. Wine 52-72Kč. Beer 23-60Kč. Open M-F noon-midnight, Sa-Su 2pm-midnight. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
SoKool, Polská 1a/2400 (☎222 21 05 28; www.sokool.com), Calm down, nerd-bomber, this bar won't make you popular; it's not Jesus or a new smell, so just calm down. What this bar can do is supply a totally relaxed, locals-only experience for the willing traveler. The bartenders speak a bit of English, so it will help if you speak a bit of Czech. For an easy night that won't end on the dance floor but might end with jigging and Czech drinking songs, come on out where the beer flows freely (and comes in liters!). Caution: those old radios hanging around are harder to steal than it would appear. A: Náměstí Míru. From the station, walk east on Korunní, then turn left on Budečská. Beer 15-64Kč (because it comes in liters!). Shots 35-40Kč. Open M-F 11am-midnight, Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-11pm. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Latimerie Club, Slezská 74 (☎224 25 20 49; www.latimerieclub.cz), Watch out for floating fish at this vaguely nautical gay bar that brings together a group of hip locals with fun foreigners. Perfect for travelers looking for more well-lit evenings, Latimerie isn't a slutty, sweaty grind-fest; it's just as animate, but slightly less sinister. That's not to say the club doesn't get wild—no printed closing time means the party goes as late as it's bumping. A: Jiřího z Poděbrad. From the station, head south down Nidranská. Slezská will be on your left. Beer 30-50Kč. Mixed drinks 50-180Kč. Open M-F 4pm-late, Sa-Su 6pm-late. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. GLBT