The first edition of Kraków In Your Pocket was published in July 1999...
...a time when society genuinely wasn't sure if computers could count past the number 1999, when most Polish businesses did not have websites, and when the IYP office didn't have internet at all. The files for that first edition were delivered, by hand, to the printing house on a stack of floppy disks. Today, only one precious copy of this printed guide exists in our archives, miraculously preserved by a reader who used it way back then, kept it for the past quarter century, and delivered it to our office in winter 2023 (thank you!).
In honour of our 25-year anniversary, we are taking a look back at that historic first edition and highlighting some of those rare, remarkable venues that have stood the test of time. With its short, directory-style format, the first issue of Kraków In Your Pocket listed an incredible 50 bars and clubs on just 3 and a half printed pages. Of those 50 venues, exactly 11 remain open today - an impressive result, if you ask us, in a field with extremely high turnover. [Alongside those 11 veteran venues, we've included a couple others that were covered in other sections of the July 1999 edition (cafes, restaurants) that today profile more as bars.]
We're hardly suggesting that these are the best places for a drink in Kraków, in fact a couple of them are downright dreadful, but there is certainly comfort to their familiarity, and we've nothing but respect for any business that can survive as long (longer!) than we have. If anything, this exercise suggests how often we overlook some of the city's most authentic, well-loved venues in the effort to describe new places and chase down trends. It also emphasises the power of Kraków's student population, the main demographic keeping most of these storied venues in the green. Without further ado...
13 KRAKÓW BARS THAT REFUSE TO DIE
1. Piwnica Pod Baranami
2. Dym
3. Singer
4. Irish Pub Pod Papugami
5. Vis a Vis
6. Harris Piano Jazz Bar
7. Albo Tak
Hidden above a new age bookstore, this is definitely one of those places you don't find on your own, but are lead to by an enchanting local student you've just met, whose friend works behind the bar and can get you free drinks. Its staying power is due to the fact that it feels a bit like a private party in a stranger's apartment, you can still smoke inside (smoking ban be damned), and everyone feels safely obscured from the unwanted gaze of their parents. Apparently passed down from class to graduating class, though Albo Tak is essentially a student dive bar, there's nothing sloppy about it. The crowd is mostly art and humanities majors who just want a warm place to hang out with their friends where no one will bother them (ie, chastise them for smoking). For many years running they've hosted screenings of classic films at 20:30 on Mondays. Worth dropping in if you want to connect with local students.
8. Klub Kulturalny
This large cellar bar is another veteran venue where smoking seems to have been grandfathered in. A favourite of students (who smoke), Culture Club features groovy art, cheap drinks, a rock soundtrack and a haze of smoke hemmed in by the rough-hewn stone caverns of this difficult-to-escape underground maze. One of the last places to close for the night, Klub Kulturalny is the place to go when you've been kicked out of a couple bars already, but don't want to go to a dance club. The karaoke nights are super popular and the hangovers are made easier by the fact that neither you, nor anyone else, will remember a damn thing about the night.
9. Jazz Rock Cafe
One of Kraków's oldest, most enduring clubs, this place has been partying hard since 1995. Like Klub Kulturalny and Albo Tak, JRC isn't easy to find, but it's consistently packed out with drunk students after midnight. A cult institution, don't let the name fool you, this cellar club profiles as a dark-hearted, hardcore haven for students who are ready to hit the dancefloor to The Prodigy, Rammstein and Iron Maiden, and might make out with you while slow dancing to Nine Inch Nails. The formula works, appealing to metalheads, goths, emo kids, punks and pretty much any rebellious youth culture group. Self-described as 'hellmade', JRC tries hard to be nightmarish, but it's actually hella fun.
From the 1999 edition: "There is a feeling of dropsy amongst the tightly packed young crowd, gasping for air in rather claustrophobic surroundings. Or groping for something firm and fleshy to hang onto."
10. Klub Pod Jaszczurami
One of the longest-running venues in all of Poland, 'Under the Lizards' opened way, way back in 1960! A 'student club' in the sense that it is integral to the cultural life of Kraków's universities, Pod Jaszczurami has hosted many historic events and personalities over the decades, and continues to be the site of a wide variety of regularly occurring events, including concerts, dance parties, cabarets, stand-up comedy, karaoke, poetry nights and student meetings. Essentially a college campus student centre that's been grandfathered into Kraków's market square, it operates every day as a bar with Gothic arches on the inside and patio seating directly on the Rynek. A great place to mingle with young folks, have a look to see what's happening on stage as you inevitably stroll by.
11. C.K. Browar
Predating the craft beer craze by decades, Kraków's first microbrewery dates back to 1996 and has changed little since. With a great location at the top of now-pedestrianised Krupnicza Street, the 'Imperial-Royal Brewery' (Cesarsko-Królewski Browar) pays homage to Austrian and Polish traditions of the 19th century, serving classic Polish dishes in an underground beer hall full of stained glass, wood furnishings and copper brewing vats, while outlying banquet rooms feature an array of hunting trophies and other medieval trappings. Uniquely, their beers can be ordered to your table in 5-litre pipes that have their own tap - a gimmick that can result in a rather laddish, loutish atmosphere, particularly when matches are streamed in the main bar area. Although Poland's obsession with craft beer has overshadowed this old stalwart, it's also resulted in their improvement of their beers, and CK Browar also participates in local food and drink fairs, showing off their versatility. Ironically this might be the most modern business on our list, and certainly continues to serve a role as a place where visitors can taste quality local beer and Polish cuisine.
12. Non Iron
Though smack in the middle of the Old Town, Non Iron has managed to remain an obscure dive bar that's strictly for locals, despite the fact that they frequently stream football, rugby, boxing and other matches, and have a good selection of Czech beer. In our assessment, this is one of the most underrated bars in town, and also one of the most surprising entries on this list. The fact that they endure is entirely due to their loyalty of their clients. If you're a rugby fan, check it out. If not, leave this one to the locals.
13. Feniks
Have we saved the best for last? No, but it is definitely the oldest. Forget 1999, the 'Phoenix' dance club dates back to 1933, and has essentially been frozen in time since the early 90s. As we said in our first guide, "If your idea of a great night out is grazing at a buffet whilst a band in spangled waistcoats belt out phonetically remembered covers of oldies like Dr. Hook's 'Twenty-four Years I've Been Living Next Door to Alice,' then this is the place for you." Essentially a Polish wedding party, without the bride and groom, buy your vodka by the bottle, dance to dreadful disco polo hits, smoke butts in the hallway by the bathrooms, and mingle with the mixed crowd of older people who came in from the surrounding villages just to be here, and drunk students who claim they're only here for a lark. A lark indeed, but there's nothing ironic about Feniks for most of the people inside. Dancing to casiotone covers of old Polish pop songs is their idea of entertainment and fun, and you have to admire the absolute lack of awareness it requires to make that choice. If you're longing for the old days after reading this article, take yourself to Feniks and try not to break a hip.
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