Getting to Reduta: entrance and rules

Finding Národní 20

The club's address is Národní 20, Prague 1, 110 00. Národní is a long street that runs from Jungmann Square to the Vltava and the Legion Bridge, along the line where Prague's Old Town and New Town meet. The National Theatre stands at the river end, which makes it an easy landmark to aim for. The club's own site describes the location as a short walk from the National Theatre, Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Use the theatre as your point of reference.

By metro

Národní třída station is on metro line B, between Karlovo náměstí and Můstek. The Prague Visitor Pass page lists the metro and tram stop Národní třída as the club's nearest stop. From the station, follow the signs to Národní street and look for the lit Reduta sign above the doorway. If you ride in from the centre, Národní třída is the stop beside Karlovo náměstí on one side and Můstek on the other, and the station has lifts as well as escalators.

By tram or on foot

Trams also serve Národní třída, and the Spálená exit of the metro station connects to the tram network. One Prague public transport ticket covers metro, tram and bus within the city. A 24-hour or 72-hour ticket must be stamped when you first board a vehicle or enter a metro station. If you are staying in the Old Town or around Wenceslas Square, walking is the simple choice, because the club's own site calls both a short walk away. Keep the stamped ticket with you for the whole trip, because its validity runs from the moment it is stamped.

The doorway

At night the entrance is a lit doorway under a large REDUTA sign, with a poster case beside it and a passage leading inside. Other businesses share the frontage, so look for the Reduta lettering rather than the first lit door you reach. A few steps lead to the jazz hall. The venue is not wheelchair accessible, though the staff will help where they can. If anyone in your party finds stairs difficult, ask the club before you book whether the steps will work for you.

Arriving and the cloakroom

Arrive at least 45 minutes before an early-evening show, and at least 15 minutes before a late one. The house rules keep coats, jackets and bags out of the hall, and the cloakroom is free. Backpacks, large bags and oversize luggage are not allowed in, and neither are pets or food and drink from outside. Your confirmation shows your start time, and the booking calendar gives the time for each date you consider. If you are collecting a group, tell everyone the arrival time and not just the start time, because the cloakroom adds a step before you reach your seat.

Inside: the bar and the hall

The Saxophone Bar is separate from the main hall. It pours beer from a golden saxophone and sells wine, including a house cuvée, sweet aperitifs and a signature cocktail. The bar sells snacks, but the club does not serve meals. Once the performance starts the lights go out and the hall settles into what the club calls an intimate darkness. The building is described as a cultural monument, so expect an old room rather than a modern auditorium. Order your drink before you sit down, because once the lights go out you will want to stay where you are.

How long it lasts

On some nights, often Fridays and Saturdays, the club adds a second, late show. Children under five enter free and there is no age limit for jazz fans, but a late show suits older children better than toddlers. The booking calendar shows the start time and the length for your date, so check it before you plan dinner or the trip back. After a late show, remember that Národní třída is the nearest metro and tram stop, and look up the last service for your line before you leave your hotel.

What the music sounds like

The club's programme spans swing, Dixieland, mainstream and modern jazz, big band, blues, funk, bossa nova and jazz pop. Jazz standards are part of the repertoire. In January 1994 President Clinton played Summertime and My Funny Valentine here, two songs from the 1930s that Wikipedia lists among the most recorded jazz standards. Guests describe swing quartets, singers and a night of Ella Fitzgerald songs, so expect solos passed around a small stage. The programme page tells you which style a given night leans toward, and the club's tribute evenings make the easiest first night because you already know the songs.

Read next: What to listen for at a jazz club

The box office and the programme

The club's contact page lists a reservation phone number and email address, and the programme page shows each night's acts with a Get Ticket button. The Prague Visitor Pass page gives the opening hours as according to the concert programme, so there are no fixed daytime hours to plan around. If you need to ask about a large party, a private event or a seating question, write or call before you book, because the answer can change which category you choose.

A walk before the show

Národní is a street worth arriving early for. The National Theatre stands at its river end, opened in 1881 and rebuilt after a fire, and Café Slavia sits on the corner opposite it. If you plan to eat first, the streets around Národní have plenty of choices, and the club's own site calls the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square short walks away. Leave enough time to be at the door at least 45 minutes before an early show.

Read next: An evening around Národní street

Who this isn't for

Reduta is the wrong choice if anyone in your party uses a wheelchair, because the hall is up a few steps. It is also a poor fit if you want dinner during the show, or a quiet evening for talking, since the room goes dark and the sets are for listening. Families with toddlers may prefer an earlier evening elsewhere, and anyone who runs hot should think twice about a packed summer night, since one guest describes the hall as hot on a July evening. If you need the steps, the dark or the late finish to be easy, a quieter weeknight early show is the safer pick.