🍸 Cocktails, late bars and the student crowd
Nightlife in Craiova — bars and clubs
A university city of a quarter of a million has a proper late scene, and Craiova's is concentrated almost entirely in and around the centre. It also follows the academic year closely — the difference between a Friday in March and a Friday in August is not subtle.
7 places
Where it happens
Within a few streets of Piața Mihai Viteazul and along Calea Unirii. Toska, Comitet, Motor X and ACSA are the central names; Cafe-Teatru Play is the one that programmes live music and events rather than just opening its doors, and Games District is the other kind of night out entirely.
The academic year runs it
This is the thing to understand before planning a night here. Term time — October to June, minus the holidays — is when the bars are full and the programming happens. July and August, when the students have gone and the locals are on holiday, are genuinely quiet: some places shorten their hours, some close for a fortnight.
If you are in Craiova in August and want a late night, check before you go out rather than walking into an empty street.
How the evening runs
Dinner between eight and ten, bars from ten, clubs properly busy after midnight. Because everything is walkable there is no logistics problem — the usual pattern is a terrace or a wine bar first, then somewhere louder, all within a few minutes on foot.
Matchdays at Ion Oblemenco push the whole evening later and fill the centre afterwards. In December the Christmas market does the same thing for six weeks.
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Tickets & tours
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Where to stay in Craiova
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Before you go
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Frequently asked
Where do people go out at night in Craiova?
Almost entirely the centre — within a few streets of Piața Mihai Viteazul and along Calea Unirii. Everything is walkable, so changing venue two or three times in an evening is normal and needs no taxi.
Is Craiova good for nightlife?
In term time, yes — it is a university city of a quarter of a million and the centre is busy from Thursday to Saturday. In July and August it is not: the students have gone, locals are on holiday, and several places close for a fortnight. Check opening hours before going out in summer.
What time do bars close in Craiova?
Bars generally run to two and clubs later at weekends, with earlier closing midweek and in summer. Clubs do not get properly busy until after midnight, so arriving at ten means an empty room.
