Where jazzy tunes meet fin de siecle
Krzysztof Skonieczny | 19th January 2008

Enjoying the fame of one of the best live music clubs in Krakow (and as some say, the whole country), Stalowe Magnolie definitely seems like a place worth visiting. What's all the fuss about? Let's take a look.

Situated near the end of ul. sw. Jana, and announced by a large sign, the club is difficult to overlook - yet the way its exterior lures your eye isn't nearly as aggressive as the nearby dance music den, whose bass beats are literally pouring out on the otherwise calm street.

As we enter and walk through a heavy curtain separating a tiny hall from the first room, a sense of distinguished calamity arises. It is a Monday evening, though, and on the weekends the club is far, far livelier and wilder.

We walk across the first room, where there is a small stage where every night a band plays a sort of poppish jazz to the accompaniment of an electric piano, into the the bar. It is the main room of the club's first section, decorated, as the rest of Magnolie, in a red, fin de siecle (or, as the authors of the club's home page incorrectly prefer "fine de siecle") manner.

Our attention is caught by the fanciful, magnolia-shaped chandeliers and neat little table lamps that light your personal surroundings, casting a sort of a fairy-tale effect.

As we sit on one of the couches, still scanning the room, we notice some details - the typical jazz-club ones, like a trumpet or some vinyls - that cause a sense of slight inconsistency.

The first thing we notice, as the waitress hands us the menu, is that the club is not among the cheapest in Krakow. A large beer costs 10 zloty, a shot of the cheapest vodka 12 zloty, and a JD 22 zloty. The choice is quite large and spans from the above-mentioned typical club drinks to more sophisticated beverages, including Dom Perignon and a wide selection of whiskeys and mixed drinks.

share on stumbleupon | facebook | digg | del.icio.us

Please register and sign in to be able to comment on this and other articles