Padova Nightlife

This small enoteca features live music, while featuring tasting of 15 wines from Italy and the Veneto. We were there on a Sunday evening where the music began at an early 7:30 PM. The group played a lot of tunes from Nat King Cole but there were other jazz selections. The groups name is Why Nat? The keyboard player and his group are quite busy playing at least 4 nights a week.
The enoteca crowd seemed to be between the ages of 19 and 37ish.
I recommend going early to get a table, as seating is limited. The music was so good that people did not seem to mind standing in a crowded place for hours.
They have plates of different local salamis, cheese or bruschetta.
3 glasses of wine, a plate of salamis and a plate of bruschetta was 21 euros. This is a good price.

Dress Code: Dress Code? I don't think there is one there. We saw lots of different styles of dress.

Every Saturday afternoon, the Multiastra - Via Tiziano Aspetti 21, has showings of current movies in English. The price is 6.50 euro per person, and starts at 3:30 PM.

It is wonderful to watch a movie in your native language (English), and to hear English being spoken around you while waiting for the show to start (and unfortunately as the movie plays).

After awhile you recognize familiar faces, and it is a great place to meet fellow countrymen. What surprises me, as well as impresses me, is to see Italian students joining in to try and learn English.

The theatre is clean, modern, and very comfortable. To find out how to obtain information on what is showing, just sign up and they will e-mail you listings of upcoming shows. (see e-mail number below) They have a limited selection of snacks, and popcorn is of the pre-packaged variety.

Dress Code: no nudity, but wear a smile

3 more images

My first night in Padua, I noticed a poster for a free concert of Beethoven music, which was due to start around 20.30 hours. Chairs were being set out in the square in front of the 12th century baptistry of the Duoma.
I decided to sit in one of the nearby cafes in the square and have something to eat and drink before the concert started. It was a great spot for people watching!Musicians and members of the choir were sitting with friends and family at some of the nearby tables.
As the lights came on illuminating the ancient walls of the buildings around the square, there was quite a buzz of expectation.

Eventually the concert started, and I wandered across to find a spot to watch. It was quite interesting to watch the crowd. The choir and orchestra started the concert, and were later joined by 4 soloists. I'm afraid that I didn't recognise the first few pieces, but was enjoying the atmosphere, as I stood against a wall to the side of the stage.
My ears pricked up, when I recognised 'Ode to Joy'- This was one of the hi lights of my Italian holiday. A special moment of good music in a lovely setting.
Reluctantly I had to leave before the concert ended, as I had to get a bus back to my accomodation. On the way to the bus stop I passed by the Town Hall, where I could hear more singing. I'd seen a school choir practising here earlier in the day. I stopped for a while, to listen to a Male Voice choir, but again couldn't linger too long. I tried to find out the next day what the concert had been for, but the lady in the nearby info office wasn't too helpful

I'm afraid that my pictures are all too dark to see clearly

Dress Code: There was a variety of clothing - some of the audience were 'dressed to the nines', while others were more casually attired. Some men were in their work overalls.

It was a bit cool standing watching the concert and I was pleased I had a cardigan with me

In Padova there is a local low (?) according to which every foreigner has to buy a card that lets him enter the clubs.To buy the card he has to show some id documents (passport ) and the card costs 10euros (12/06).The only problem is that all clubs in Padova dont belong to the same card system, I had for example to buy a different card when I tried to enter to another club :(

4 more images

we had eaten a fabulous dinner [see restaurant tip] when the entertainment began, provided by an amazing group of people of various genders [male, female and somewhere inbetween]

the singing was mostly awful but hilariously funny after several glasses of wine, songs were murdered by a `lady` who loved the spotlight and claimed centre stage as her own

the belly dancing was really good, performed by a lady who really was a lady, and a lady who wasnt [maybe]

an old Italian song began to play, the crowd roared their apporoval
our lovely chanteuse led a young man out and made him lay on a row of chairs arranged in the centre of the room

then she sat on him

the room was in an uproar, she started to sing the song which involded lots of wriggling
lots and lots and LOTS of wriggling

the crowd was appreciative, whistling, cheering, clapping and calling out remarks that didnt need translating, and of course we joined in

all too soon we reached the time when we couldnt stay awake any longer, Rex and Sacre won the endurance prize, they had arrived in Padova only 30 minutes before we all met, after a flight from the US to Milan via Paris, then a train to Pafova, who says the young have all the stamina ?

we had really felt we were part of the community sharing the evening with everyone, it was a fabulous night out

Dress Code: just turn up dressed....dresses for men are perfectly permissable

1 more image

When I studied abroad there, these were the 3 places we frequented the most.
Fishmarket has a student night (it was Wednesdays when I was there) that plays a great mix of music that Americans will know. Its a really fun dance club open late.
Cantina is a smaller, intimate place that's great for drinks. It can get crowded and pretty rowdy on some nights, especially when cover bands are playing. It has a Spanish theme, located downstairs, giving it a cozy vibe.
The other bar we went to a lot was Highlander. This is a big, Scottish-themed pub with two levels and a great selection of brews. This is the place when you have a group that wants to hang out and sit down and be able to talk.
Being a college town, there are plenty of other places to go out. The best way is to ask the University students that are all over the city.

Dress Code: No real dress code, but people dress nicer at Fishmarket. Italians are always stylin'.

Sorry people, Maria and I are past the nightclubbing stage. We wouldn't know what to do if we entered one. You'll have to discover this stuff on your own.

We can tell you that we have 'never' seen one case of drunkeness since we have arrived.

Dress Code: We just remain 'clothed'.

This is the 2nd largest square in Europe (the one in Moscow being the largest). It’s a pretty cool expanse of space, with rollerbladers, students, etc milling about. When we were there, there was some kind of speed-blading competition going on round the centre of the piazza and a dancing competition (with lights, costumes, an enthusiastic audience and an even more enthusiastic presenter) taking place at the same time. Lively and gorgeous at night because it’s lit so beautifully. My favourite bit of Padova.

Dress Code: chilled wear