Krakow goes out late and goes out underground. Half the good bars are in brick cellars under the Old Town or in the old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, there is no fixed closing time, and a normal Friday ends somewhere between 2:00 and the first tram. The trick is knowing which room fits the night you want, and which ones are still open when you want the next one.
So this guide does two things. It names the bars we have reviewed, with what to order and our score, and it lists every place here with its Friday and Saturday closing time, marked live with what is open right now. Places we have not reviewed yet are labelled that way, with facts from their Google listings and no verdict.
A glass of Polish wine at Moti, cocktails at Mercy Brown, Kazimierz after midnight, zapiekanka on Plac Nowy on the way home.
Start early in Kleparz, walk ten minutes to Mercy Brown off the Planty, then cross to Kazimierz, where Singer and Alchemia are still going long after the cocktail bars close. Endzior on Plac Nowy serves zapiekanka until 2:00.
Who is open now, and who closes last
Sorted by weekend closing time. Badges update live with Krakow time.
| Place | Fri closes | Sat closes | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prozak 2.0Club · Old Town | 8:00 | 8:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| SingerBar · Kazimierz | 6:00 | 6:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa (Szewska)Shot bar · Old Town | 5:00 | 5:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| AlchemiaBar and concerts · Kazimierz | 4:00 | 4:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Harris Piano Jazz BarJazz · Old Town | 3:00 | 3:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| EszeweriaBar · Kazimierz | 3:00 | 3:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Mr. BlackCocktails · Old Town | 2:30 | 2:30 | Reviewed |
| William Rabbit & CoCocktails · Kazimierz | 2:00 | 2:00 | Reviewed |
| DrukarniaLive music · Podgórze | 2:00 | 2:00 | Reviewed |
| Jazz Club u MuniakaJazz · Old Town | 2:00 | 2:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Piec'ArtWhisky and cocktails · Old Town | 2:00 | 2:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Weźże KraftaCraft beer · Kazimierz | 2:00 | 2:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Multi Qlti Tap BarCraft beer · Old Town | 2:00 | 2:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| House of BeerCraft beer · Old Town | 1:45 | 1:45 | Not reviewed yet |
| Movida Cocktail BarCocktails · Old Town | 1:30 | 1:30 | Reviewed |
| Mercy BrownCocktails · Old Town | 1:00 | 1:00 | Reviewed |
| CiutCiut Wine Bar & Wine ShopWine · Kazimierz | 1:00 | 1:00 | Reviewed |
| HevreLate room · Kazimierz | 1:00 | 1:00 | Reviewed |
| MleczarniaBar and garden · Kazimierz | 1:00 | 1:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Pergamin 2.0 SkybarRooftop · Old Town (west) | 1:00 | 1:00 | Not reviewed yet |
| Krakó Slow WinesWine · Zabłocie | midnight | midnight | Reviewed |
| Moti Wine Bar & ShopWine · Kleparz | midnight | midnight | Reviewed |
| Stara ZajezdniaBeer · Kazimierz | midnight | midnight | Reviewed |
Hours from Google, checked 27 October 2026. Reviewed places link to our profile; the others open in Google Maps.
Where to go, by district
Kazimierz is the answer for most nights: Plac Nowy, Estery, Józefa and Szeroka have more bars per street than anywhere else in the city, from Singer and Alchemia to the Hevre prayer house, CiutCiut for wine and William Rabbit's hidden door. It also has the latest food, at the zapiekanka windows on Plac Nowy.
Old Town means cellars: jazz under the Main Square at Harris and on Floriańska at u Muniaka, cocktails at Mercy Brown, Mr. Black and Movida, craft beer on Szewska and św. Tomasza, and the late clubs. Floriańska and the streets right off the Square are also where the promoters and stag groups gather, so walk one street further.
Podgórze and Zabłocie, across the river, are calmer: Drukarnia on the waterfront with jazz in the basement, and Krakó Slow Wines for natural wine. Kleparz, by the main station, is the quiet start: Moti on the market square pours Polish wine until midnight.
The bars we reviewed
Cocktail bars
Mercy Brown
The big night out in the Old Town: cocktails built on house ferments, live jazz or a show most weeks, and a crowd that dresses up a little. Book at weekends.
Mr. Black
A dark room up the stairs off Szewska, a minute from the Main Square, and open until 2:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, which makes it the Old Town cocktail bar for after the others close.
William Rabbit & Co
The Kazimierz speakeasy: find the door, sit at the bar, describe what you like and let them build it. Open until 2:00 at weekends.
Movida Cocktail Bar
No concept, no hidden door, just the classics made properly on Mikołajska, until 2:00 on Thursdays. The safe bet when a group cannot agree.
Wine bars
CiutCiut Wine Bar & Wine Shop
The Kazimierz wine stop: 250 bottles leaning natural, poured by the glass, and open until 1:00 at weekends.
Krakó Slow Wines
Across the river in Zabłocie, the room where Krakow's wine people drink. Open until midnight Friday and Saturday, closed Mondays.
Moti Wine Bar & Shop
The quiet start to a night in Kleparz, five minutes from the main station: Polish wine by the glass until midnight, every day.
Beer, live music and late rooms
Hevre
A former prayer house on Meiselsa with faded frescoes, busy from breakfast to 1:00 at weekends. The room you show visitors on their first night.
Stara Zajezdnia
A brewery in an old tram depot on św. Wawrzyńca, with house beers brewed on site. Good for groups, until midnight at weekends.
Drukarnia
By the river in Podgórze: drinks upstairs with a view of the Vistula, jazz in the basement later, and open until 2:00 at weekends.
Clubs, jazz and craft beer: on our list, not reviewed yet
These are well known and verified as open, but we have not scored them yet, so there is no verdict here. Addresses, closing times and ratings come from their Google listings.
Late bars and clubs
- Prozak 2.0 Long-running club in the cellars on plac Dominikański, the one people mean by "until morning".
- Singer Candlelit Kazimierz bar with old sewing-machine tables, open into the early morning.
- Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa (Szewska) The cheap vodka-and-beer chain; this branch on Szewska stays open until 5:00.
- Alchemia Classic Kazimierz bar on Estery with concerts in the cellar.
- Eszeweria Vintage-furnished bar on Józefa with a garden at the back.
- Mleczarnia Café by day, bar by night, with a garden across the street on Meiselsa.
Jazz and live music
- Harris Piano Jazz Bar Jazz cellar under the Main Square at Rynek Główny 28.
- Jazz Club u Muniaka The jazz club founded by saxophonist Janusz Muniak, in a cellar on Floriańska.
- Piec'Art Whisky and cocktail cellar on Szewska.
Craft beer and a rooftop
- Weźże Krafta Multitap on Dajwór with a long list of Polish craft beer.
- Multi Qlti Tap Bar Craft beer taps on Szewska, a minute from the Main Square.
- House of Beer Beer bar on św. Tomasza with a big bottle and tap list.
- Pergamin 2.0 Skybar Lounge bar on the 7th floor at al. Krasińskiego 1.
Food after midnight
The classic is a zapiekanka from the round hall on Plac Nowy, where Endzior serves until 2:00 every night. The grilled kiełbasa from the blue van by Hala Targowa runs in the evenings, usually Monday to Saturday. More in our Polish food guide.
The rules, and getting home
Shops stop selling alcohol at midnight. Since July 2023 shops and petrol stations across Krakow cannot sell alcohol from midnight to 5:30. Bars and restaurants are not affected.
No drinking in the street. Open alcohol in streets, squares and parks is illegal and fined, Planty included. Smoking is banned inside bars, and you need to be 18 to buy a drink, so carry ID.
Watch for the club trap. The US Embassy in Poland has warned about drink spiking and inflated card bills at some clubs. Ignore promoters and friendly strangers inviting you somewhere near the Main Square, ask for prices before you order, and keep your card in sight.
Getting home. Night trams 62, 64 and 69 and night buses numbered 6xx run through the night, and Uber and Bolt work across the city. Skip the unmarked taxis waiting outside clubs. Tipping is around ten percent at table service, nothing at the bar.
Planning around a date? Our events calendar shows the food and drink events coming up, with what is on right now.
Questions people actually ask
Where is the best area for nightlife in Krakow?
Kazimierz, around Plac Nowy, Estery, Józefa and Szeroka, has the densest mix of bars and stays busy latest. The Old Town has the cellar bars, jazz clubs and big clubs within a few streets of the Main Square. For a quieter night, Kleparz by the main station and Zabłocie across the river have the wine bars.
What time do bars close in Krakow?
There is no fixed closing time. Most cocktail and wine bars close between midnight and 2:00, later on Friday and Saturday. Some bars run much longer: Singer in Kazimierz until 6:00 and Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa on Szewska until 5:00 at weekends, and the club Prozak 2.0 until 8:00, according to their Google listings.
Can you buy alcohol at night in Krakow?
Not in shops. Since July 2023 shops and petrol stations across Krakow cannot sell alcohol between midnight and 5:30. Bars, pubs and restaurants are not affected. Drinking in the street or in parks is illegal and fined.
Is Krakow nightlife safe?
Generally yes, with one known trap. The US Embassy in Poland has warned about drink spiking and inflated card bills at some clubs. Ignore street promoters and friendly strangers inviting you to a bar near the Main Square, check prices before you order, and keep your card in sight.
How do I get home at night in Krakow?
Night trams 62, 64 and 69 and night buses numbered 6xx run through the night, and ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Bolt work across the city. Avoid unmarked taxis waiting outside clubs.
What is the best cocktail bar in Krakow?
Our top score goes to Mercy Brown, off the Planty on Straszewskiego: house ferments, live music most weeks, open until 1:00 at weekends. For later drinks, Mr. Black on Szewska stays open until 2:30 on Friday and Saturday.
Are bars open on Monday in Krakow?
Most are, but check first. Mercy Brown and Krakó Slow Wines close on Mondays, while Mr. Black, Movida, William Rabbit, CiutCiut, Moti and Hevre all open every day. The live table on this page shows who is open right now.