Expert recommendations for the best clubs, bars, and other after-dark venues.
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Birdland
Elegant and spacious live music club; founded by late Austrian jazz legend, keyboardist Joe Zawinul, who played with Miles Davis and other jazz giants. Third district, Am Stadtpark 1; tel. +43 1 219 63 93. www.birdland.at
Porgy & Bess
Nightly jazz and live music; also delicious Argentinean beef steaks and Spanish tapas—cebollas rojas en balsámico (red onions in balsamic vinegar marinade) and chorizo (Spanish sausage with garlic); located in the historic heart of Vienna. First district, Riemergasse 11; tel. +43 1 512 88 11. www.porgy.at
Flex
Widely regarded as one of Europe’s best clubs; phenomenal sound system; each night features different genres such as alternative and indie sounds, drum and bass, and hip-hop; channel-side location on the Donaukanal; outdoor seating in summer. First district, Am Donaukanal, Schottenring stop of U2 and U4 underground lines; tel. +43 1 533 75 25. www.flex.at
Volksgarten
Spacious, yet charming club with separate dance area and bar; potted palms create an indoor garden atmosphere; in warm weather enjoy the open-air dance floor and bar in the outdoor garden; adjacent to Vienna’s Volksgarten park in the city center. First district, Burgring; tel. +43 1 532 42 41. www.volksgarten.at
Babenberger Passage
“The most elegant venue in town.”—Thomas Rottenberg, local journalist. Playlist spans house music and dance-floor classics to favorites from the ’80s and ’90s. First district, Burgring, corner with Babenbergerstrasse. www.sunshine.at
Rhiz
“A place for all sorts of tunes that go beyond the mainstream underground music.”—Johanna Jaufer, journalist, FM4. Alternative, electronic, and experimental music; hosts prominent Austrian DJs and entertainers such as Fritz Ostermayer and Drehli Robnik; tucked under the bridge of the U6 underground line. Eighth district, Gürtelbogen 37-38; tel. +43 1 409 25 05. www.rhiz.org
Gürtel clubs
Colossal clubbing area stretching about two miles (three to four kilometers) under the bridge of the U6 subway line; several hot spots centered around Josefstädter Strasse, Volksoper, and Nussdorfer Strasse metro stations; includes cocktail bars, discos, and pubs. Gürtel Boulevard where the U6 line surfaces.
