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Pietermaritzburg Nightlife, South Africa

There is not too much of a variety of nightlife in Pietermaritzburg, since there are only a few clubs that dominate the area.

The Crowded House, which is pretty close to their City Hall, is the most popular. They have been serving people for 12 years, which is third longest period for a nightclub to be opened in the area. Their status has become legendary, and they offer their patrons a secure and safe environment for enjoying a good night of fun by offering transportation to and from the club, which is free. If you are into commercial music, having a little bit of everything mixed in, then this is the place for you. Thursday nights are student nights at Crowded House, where students have the chance to get together, catch up on things, and just have a ton of fun. Crowded House is also available for reservations of private parties on Friday evenings, and their bar is mobile, meaning that they can take the bar to wherever you want it to go and on any day that you want it.

A couple of other very popular places are the Exclusive Lounge and the Red Door. You can listen to house and kwaito music at the Exclusive Lounge, or you can go to the Red Door and listen to alternative/punk/rock music on Fridays.

The Stagecoach Pub and Grill is another great place to spend an evening in Pietermaritzburg, which is located close to the University. They are open every day of the week, and their hours are 11:00 in the morning until late at night. From Monday until Thursday, they celebrate Happy Hour from 4:00 until 6:00 in the afternoon, serving complimentary snacks and discounted drinks. Any meal that you get can be served inside the restaurant, the pub, or on a veranda that is covered. They offer an array of food dishes, which range from jumbo burgers, to ribs, pizza, seafood, eisbein, kids' meals and interesting combos. The setting of the Stagecoach Pub and Grill is the old Wild West, and it is casual, friendly, vibrant, and intimate.

There are also a few other places here and there, which include The Lizard's Rock, but it is more of a restaurant that has a bar and deck area; and the Caffe Vacca Matta, which is to be found at Golden Horse Casino, has a more formal dress code.