World City Guide

Nightlife

The vibrant student community of Bologna fuels a lively nightlife scene that can be every bit as radical as the city’s politics. There are a profusion of nightclubs, discos and live music venues, with a smattering that remain open until about 0400. Irish pubs are among the most popular watering holes in Bologna, serving everything from the ubiquitous Guinness to camomile tea. Good areas for nightlife are the student quarter, Old Town and the streets around the main square.

The Bolognese are often considered natty dressers but there is no pressure to get glammed up, seeing as many of the younger residents are lovers of ‘grunge’ fashion. Nevertheless, some nightclubs will refuse entry to people wearing jeans. Most late-night venues charge an entrance fee that usually includes one drink and females are often let in for free, while male companions must pay. Look out for promotional evenings advertised around the university area. The minimum drinking age is 18 years and the average price of a beer is ¬3-5.

Talkabout (website: www.talkabout.it) offers English listings of nightlife, sports and other events. For the latest information on what’s on, clubbers should pick up a copy of the free magazine, 051, available in most bars, hotels and from the tourist office.

Bars: Osterias are pub-like venues that have been the mainstay of Bolognese drinking for centuries. For an authentic glimpse of an ancient Italian watering hole, in existence since the 15th century, plunge into the Osteria del Sole, Vicolo Ranocchi 1d. It is open 0800-1400 and again in the evening 1900-2000 – just long enough for the old men of Bologna to have a quick row about politics. Buy a picnic lunch from the nearby market and eat it here, providing this is accompanied by a glass of wine purchased on the premises. The Olindo Faccioli, Via Altabella 15b, founded in 1924, serves over 400 wines and is a great place to relax over delicious antipasti. Of the many pubs, Birreria Il Druido, Via Mascarella 26b, is one of the most likeable. Run by a veritable Italian druid with a passion for beer, it has a cavernous interior with long wooden tables and benches. The Irish pub, Celtic Druid, Via Caduti di Cefalonia 5c, is owned by the same team and serves excellent Irish brew while refraining from the kitsch shamrock excesses so common to theme pubs. Another Irish-style bar, Cluricaune Irish Bar, Via Zamboni, is located at the heart of the university district and buzzes with drunken action all week long. For a break from beer and wine, join the Latino trail and grab a margarita at Piedra del Sol, Via Goito 20, where the fajitas are as good as the queue suggests (closed Tuesday).

Casinos: There are no casinos in Bologna.

Clubs: Soda Pops, Via San Vitale, is a designer dance bar that is popular with the hip young crowd. In the winter months, students flock to Matis, Via Rotta 10, Casteldobole, for techno, hip hop and the very latest music trends. Kinki, Via Zamboni 1, is a long-time favourite, founded in the 1950s. The club has re-emerged from being an exclusively gay club back into the mainstream, with regular big domestic and international guest DJs. The JAM Club, Via Mascarella 2a, is where everybody with nowhere else to go ends up at midnight – a standard Italian discotheque with plenty of mirrors for posing. All three have a cover charge ranging from ¬10 to ¬20, which usually includes entrance and one drink. In the summer, the action moves outdoors. The City Council encourages open-air raves and subsidises Made in Bo, Parco Nord, Via Stalingrado, a massive and free outdoor disco, which takes place under the starry sky in July and August (closed Monday). Link, Centro Sociale, Via Fioravanti 14, is open daily 2200-0500, featuring avant-garde art and live bands early on, then ambient or techno music late into the night.

Comedy: The Ruvido Club, Via del Roncrio 10, hosts some of the best-known names among Italian comedians. If you want to discover Italian stand-up, this is a good place to start.

Live music: Cantina Bentivoglio, Via Mascarella 4b, is something of a Bolognese institution. A cross between a wine bar and a restaurant, it hosts live jazz from September to June (website: www.bentivoglio.it). There is no cover charge and it is nearly always packed, so it is advisable to book (closed Monday). The Chet Baker Jazz Club, Via Polese 7a, is another popular Bolognese venue for quality live jazz (website: www.chetbaker.com). The atmosphere is reminiscent of the smoke-filled clubs of New York and indeed the club can boast performances by top-level jazz musicians, such as Tommy Flanagan and James Moody. Those looking for a more local flavour may prefer the Osteria de’Poeti, Via dei Poeti 1b. The restaurant, established in the 1400s and retaining many original features, serves traditional Bolognese food to the strains of local folk music (closed Monday and 15 July to 25 August). Expect to pay at least ¬30 per person for a meal. Jazz is featured twice a week at the Osteria dell’Orsa, Via Mentana 1, and reggae, ska and hip hop is featured at the Officina Estragon, Via Calzoni 6 (website: www.estragon.it). Bar Wolf, Via Massarenti 118, is a hotbed of experimental and eclectic live music, with everything from classical quartets and jazz, through to rock and trip hop.