Jazz clubs
Prague has a genuinely strong, long-running jazz scene, with several dedicated clubs in and around the Old Town hosting live sets most nights of the week. It's one of the better ways to spend an evening that isn't a beer hall (see our beer hall guide for that side of things) without leaving the historic centre.
Rooftop and riverside bars
A handful of rooftop bars around the New Town and Old Town give evening views over the rooftops and spires that rival the daytime lookout points, the Dancing House's rooftop bar among the best known. On the water, a range of boat bars and evening river cruises turn the same views we cover in our boat trips guide into a nightlife option rather than a sightseeing one.
Where locals actually go
For a less touristy night out, head to Vinohrady or Žižkov — both neighbourhoods have a strong, growing craft cocktail and natural wine bar scene alongside their famously high pub density, at prices well below the main squares.
The one scam genuinely worth knowing about
Prague has a long-standing, well-documented problem with so-called "gentlemen's clubs" and hostess bars near the main tourist areas that run a deliberate overcharging scam: a friendly street tout invites you in, drinks arrive without a clear price, and the bill at the end is wildly inflated, sometimes with intimidation used to enforce payment. The simplest defence is the same one in our common scams guide: don't follow a stranger's recommendation into an unnamed venue, and never accept a drink without seeing a price first.