World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Santiago de Compostela  - Nightlife
Nightlife

Santiago de Compostela is a university city, and the nightlife is dominated by the student population. Characterful bars and nightclubs can be found in the Old Quarter and along the Rúa do Franco, some converted from coach-houses or the stables of palaces. These were mostly a deliberate attempt to enliven the district in the evenings because the real student life goes on in the suburbs. The rectangle defined by Rúa de Santiago de Chile and Rúa de San Pedro de Mezonzo is the focus for this, full of raucous bars swarming with students in term time, especially on Thursday and Friday night. Students make up many of the most dramatic pageants and local festivals, and in the evenings they add as much colour with more spontaneity.

Bars typically close at 0000, while nightclubs stay open until between 0300 and 0500. The official minimum drinking age in bars and clubs is 18 years, however, entry is allowed to anyone over 16 years old.

Bars: A Taberna do Trisquel, Cantón de San Bieito 3, offers wines, beers and snacks from dusk until dawn. Fuco Lois, Rúa Xelmirez, 25 is a rustic pub with marble walls, an antique ambience and a young student clientele. If anyone needs an authentic Irish pub in Santiago de Compostela, there is Moore's, on Rodrigo del Padrón, while Americans in search of home should head to Café-Bar Gran Lucky, Fray Rosendo Salvado 10. The decor of Momo A Rúa, Virxe da Cerca 23, imitates a street. The wood-decorated Pepa a Loba, Rúa do Castro, is a brewery pub. Down in the newer part of town near the University, Archy, Alfredo Brañas 20, is a popular place to start an evening's drinking. Duplex and Blaster, República de Argentina, are both suave and polished, while La Ofisina, Fernando III el Santo 1, is probably the most popular of the newer bars

Casinos: There are no casinos in Santiago de Compostela. The nearest can be found in San Sebastian Nuevo Gran Casino, Del Kursaal De San Sebastian, Urbieta, 6, (tel: (943) 430 884; fax: (943) 430 234); in Santander Casino de El Sardinero, Plaza De Italia (tel: (942) 276 054; fax: (942) 274 619); and in A Coruña Casino Del Atlántico, Jardines de Mendez Núñez (tel: (981) 221 600). Visitors must be 18 years or over and carry a passport or driving licence. A dress code applies.

Clubs: Pub Ondas, San Miguel 3, turns from a folksy bar to a hard-core dance venue on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. The beautiful people hang out at Casting, Rúa Alfredo Brañas 5, while Liberty, Rúa Alfredo Brañas 8, is one of the busiest places in town. Half pubs, half discos, and all energy, Ruta 66, Rúa Perez Constanti, and Factoría, Rúa Gomez, are both near the Praza de Galicia.

Live music: Galician folk music is integral to the Galician cultural festivals, and there are usually musical events on every occasion. Much live music in Santiago de Compostela is served up in bars. Under the arcades at Rúa Nova 13, Retablo offers live music as well as a marble bar and a nineteenth-century ambience. Casa das Crechas, Vía Sacra 3, is popular with students and features live Galician Celtic music. Jazzclub Dado Dada, Rúa Alfredo Brañas 19, is the best place for jazz in town. For those who like to accompany their jazz with wines and occasional theatrical performances, there is La Borriquita de Belém, Rúa San Paio 22.



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