Ljubljana is a great town for crazy parties until the wee hours. Still most of us need a little warm up before we hit the clubs. There are a number of cool pre-party places where you can prepare yourself for Ljubljana’s nightlife and here’s a list of those we like best.
Parlament Pub
A great place to either start or end your night, or maybe just to grab a cup of coffee during the day. Parlament is a coffee palace and a pub, that turns into a club in the evening, and stays open until 4AM. It’s known for cheap drinks and cocktails (3 for the price of 2) and a young crowd, comprised mostly of local & international students. It’s one of those places that is always packed, regardless of what day or time it is. All this makes Parlament an excellent choice for a pre-party.
Shooters
A great pre-drinking place with a cool old-school american style interior. They are known for their wide range of shots and of course their sexy all-female staff. 6PM – 11PM is happy hour, when you can get discounts on your drinks, after that the bar stays open until 5AM. They’re mostly visited by a younger crowd of students and the like.
Cutty Sark
A typical English pub that has one of the widest selections of beer in the city. A place that attracts a very diverse crowd of all possible ages and is almost always full, especially on weekends. Cutty Sark is also known as a cool sports bar where you can watch a game over a beer with your buddies.
Petkovškovo nabrežje (Bar Area)
An area along the riverbank of Ljubljanica where a number of bars are located. It’s a great place to pre-drink, especially during the summer, when you’re able to sit outside. Most of the bars have screens so you’re able to watch the games. They’re also known for offering a wide selection of beers, including a number of local craft beers, which can be really good and we highly recommend you try them.
Cankarjevo nabrežje (Bar Area)
Another area along the riverbank of Ljubljanica where several different bars and restaurants are located. Unlike the Petkovškovo nabrežje, which is known for its pubs with great beer, Cankarjevo nabrežje has more cocktail bars and lounge areas. Just walk along the riverbank and see which ones you like best. Some of our favourites are: Tokyo Piknik, Solist Bar, Chill out, and Fetiche.
Pod skalco
Known for cheap drinks and late working hours. Pod Skalco is open every day until 3AM, even on holidays and certain workdays when some places are closed (or close early). If you find yourself lost and unsure where to go on a Sunday or a Monday, this is the place where you’re always welcome.
Ljubljanica beach
Though not exactly legal, you can always buy drinks at the supermarket, and pre-drink outside. The beach of river Ljubljanica is a popular place for that. Note that in Slovenia you can only buy alcohol from 10AM to 9PM and smaller stores only offer the very basic stuff. If you’re staying in the center, you’ll get the most drinks to choose from in larger stores such as Maxi. If not, or if you don’t mind taking a ride to one of the shopping centers (BTC or Rudnik), you should, by all means, go to one of the larger supermarket. Just be sure that when you’re drinking outside, you clean after yourself and don’t make too much fuss, or else you might get in trouble with the local authorities.
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These are some places we recommend you to visit for getting your party started in Ljubljana. Our best advice for a pre-party though is to save yourself a bit for later. Remember this is supposed to be a warm up before the actual party, not a party of it’s own. If you get wasted too soon you’ll have all sorts of problems, starting with not being able to get into the best clubs. They tend to deny entry to those who are too drunk, not to mention it’s unlikely you’ll keep a fond memory of your party if you get sick or aren’t even able to remember anything. If you’re not sure how to take on a pre-party in Ljubljana we recommend you join a Pub Crawl. That way you’ll visit all the best places with a guide and finish in one of Ljubljana’s finest clubs. All the while you’ll meet other travelers, warm up with a bunch of drinks, and get ready for the night of your life.
