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Nightlife

Bucharest's nightclubs vary between hip-hop haunts spinning the latest sounds and flashy discos where Romania's wealthy go to let off steam. Entrance fees are cheap compared to those in the West, ranging from nothing to US$1.50. As many nightclubs are within walking distance of each other (around the historic centre), club-hopping is an option. Visitors going further afield can grab one of the taxis that hover outside most clubs. Many nightclubs close in June for the summer and reopen in early October.

Jazz is popular in Romania and Bucharest has good jazz clubs. Latino music is also trendy and salsa-dancing couples invade the dancefloors of certain clubs. Casinos flourish in the new-found capitalist climate and many of Bucharest's well-to-do flock to those along Calea Victoriei. For up-to-date information on nightlife, get the latest English-language issues of Bucharest Info Top (free), Bucharest In Your Pocket (US$0.80) or Bucharest Nightlife (US$0.40)

Bars: Young people gather in bars to drink cocktails, cappuccinos and foreign beers. Wine is only available by the bottle and is excellent value for money. Some of the best bars are at the National Theatre - Il CaffÉ, left of the theatre, serves alcohol and tall-glassed cappuccinos in a lively, cosy environment with a nautical theme; and L?pt?ria Lui Enache, entered through an unmarked door on the theatre's left side, then by lift to the fourth floor, has an outdoor roof terrace and live bands on weekends. Good new bars include Opium Studio, Strada Horei 5, with great decor and retro music, and Havana, Strada Tunari 67-69, a Cuban Communist-style bar. Another Bucharest trend is Belgian beer halls - try L'Ancienne Belgique, Strada Dionisie Lupu 48, and La Belle Époque, Strada Aviator Radu Beller 6.

Casinos: Visitors to casinos should dress smartly and bring a passport. US Dollars or Lei can be used as currency for chips. The lavish 24-hour Monte Carlo-style Palace Casino, Calea Victoriei 133-135, has an excellent restaurant. Stylish Victoria Casino, Calea Victoriei 174, has a good cabaret show (open 1500-0700 Wednesday-Sunday).

Clubs: For hip rave sounds, try Karma, Strada Academiei 33-37. For upmarket discos, the chic Vox Maris, Calea Victoriei 155, is a good bet. DJs spin Latino sounds at Club Flamingo, Strada Zalomit 6, where Art Deco balconies, colourful kitsch sofas and a marble dancefloor add to the ambience. Club Maxsx, Splaiul Independen?i 290, and Club A, Strada Bl?nari 14, plays a different type of music every night of the week.

Live music: Intimate jazz and blues is played at the 24-hour CafÉ Indigo, Strada Eforie 2, which serves cool cocktails, and Ciuc, a delicious, dark Romanian beer. Green Hours 22, Calea Victoriei 120, and Swing House, Strada Gabroveni 20, feature top jazz names (live performances start around 2100). Rock bands play weekends at Backstage, Strada Gabroveni 14.

Folk music and dancing is performed in restaurants serving traditional Romanian cuisine, including Maxim Club, Strada Otele?anu 3A, where performers really throw themselves into the music. Caru' cu Bere, Strada Stavropoleos 3-5, is one of the most highly recommended places in Bucharest, not only for its superb food and live shows, but for its sumptuous neo-Gothic decor, complete with stained-glass windows, gilded arches, marble columns, wooden balconies and spiral staircases.



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