Czar Bar

Czar has good music to dance to & let go. That is why they get 4 stars.
It went to Czar in 2012 & had one of the best clubbing experiences (even though my phone got ruined from all of my sweat). When I went this time I was disappointed a bit. It was full of all sorts of people, but it was mostly a young crowd. There is also no dress code, which I’m not used to, so it was weird to me. Another thing I was not used to was seeing guys grabbing girls’ boobs & fingering them on the dance floor… But the music was good in all 3 rooms, so there’s that. I just wanted to dance, but so many guys bothered my friend & me. We had to leave early.

I love this place so much more now that it has merged with the Ritz.
You walk down a main corridor and there are rooms off to either side with different DJs and color themes.
We bypassed the smaller rooms and made our way to the main area in the back, where I was taken by surprise. Two words: the ceiling. Holy sh**. It’s this massive design of lights that move and change colors with the music. You have to see it to know it’s awesomeness. I think we spent half of our time there lounging on a humongous couch just staring at the ceiling and listening to the bass thump in our ears. It was almost hypnotic.
The dance floor is plenty big and, although it was covered in 18 year olds, my husband and I still had an awesome time dancing with minimal snarky looks darted our direction.
I can’t say I’ll be here often, but I’ll be here every time that I get a night in Ybor.

I used to love going to Czar. Went there every Friday even had my birthday there. But then I would never recommend it to anyone because they have the worst staff and the worst customer care service. The behavior of the staff last night was highly unacceptable. First a male employee walked in to a ladies stall in the bathroom and then two women employees came in yelled at us told us they dont need our business and told us that a boy walking into the woman, s bathroom is acceptable. The way they spoke to us and handled the situation was extremely unprofessional.
Czar employees (not including the sweet bartenders), go learn how to talk to your customers.

Depending on what you want your night to be, this is a decent place to check out. It really is aimed for a younger crowd so if that isn’t your thing you might want to go elsewhere.

I’ve had mixed experiences here. I have been for the Santa Pub Crawl once a year and have had an absolute BLAST. I love that they have video screens and during the Santa Pub Crawl they play mostly 80’s and 90’s so A LOT of fun.
Onto my most recent experience. I went on a Friday girls night out as someone said it was 80’s night. Yep, definitely not 80’s night. Honestly, this place just made me feel OLD. I know that this makes me sound lame and I promise that I can typically hang with the best of ‘em, but I just can’t get into this place. I probably will not be back unless it is for a special event.

I can imagine this place is great if you are 22 or under… if you are 25 and up and aren’t a party animal, raver or wear ripped/​dirty clothes. this place isnt for you. Someone told us there was an 80ies room but that was not the case during our visit. The general building is amazing and I have had a fantastic time during the Santa Pub crawl in December. but thats about it. I left this place smelling like smoke and feeling extrememly old.

During my clubbing years I was up for anything and as a group of friends we decided to hit this place. It was just alright. I didn’t really like it because it was just covered in smoke and we danced to the same beat over and over. I’m not sure what night it was but I wouldn’t say that was my favorite place to dance with the girls.

Czar used to be awesome, but it’s become overrun with 16 – 19 year olds (some with clearly fake ids) — most of them end up on the stripper pole in the middle room. The music is not as good as it used to be, but they still play some good stuff that is hard to find in Tampa clubs. The worst thing is that most of their good drink specials on Fridays went out the window as they became more popular. The last time I went to Czar, I ended up with a $ 65 bar tab, and most of the drinks were between $ 6-​$ 8… which is too much, since they used to be $ 3.
If you are 21+, I would still recommend Saturday nights. The music and crowd are better.

I enjoy Czar for a concert. They have decent acts that they pull in for a fair price. I was recently there for Peter Bjorn and John. The crowd was wonderful, great vibe in there that evening.
It will never be Tracks like I used to go to as a teen but it still has the bones of the old place with the original tile from El Goya, etc…
Anyways, decent drink prices and depending on what night you go, it can be a really good experience.
I don’t typicaly hang out there though if there isn’t a concert.
(Side note — not smokey which I liked and great vodka options which I really liked)

I’ve been a moderate fan of Czar, in its many configurations over the past few years, but I wasn’t a convert until this year. Subtle improvements — including the 21-​and-​up line — really show that the management pays attention to their audience and tries to make them feel special.
For those new to the venue, Czar is made of three connecting rooms, each bigger than the last, starting with a vodka room, starring every vodka brand you can think of, the middle room, with a large bar and medium dancefloor setup, ending with the «Imperial Ballroom», with its large dancefloor and double bars. The owners are also prepping a posh new venue at the corner, so I guess the room count will soon be 4.
This is the part of the review where I tell you what kind of crowd makes its home at Czar, but I really can’t. It’s almost impossible to pinpoint. There are scenesters, hipsters, fashionistas, sexy nerds, casual neighborhood folk, Hyde Park interlopers, businessmen, gay, straight, queer, whatever. I happen to like the fact that I’m just as likely to run into one of my close friends as I am to run into my boss.
The drink prices are average to high, so if you’re looking for a deal, stick with their specials, which are usually drinkable and cheap. If you like liquor and sharing with your of-​age friends, get a «Broke Ass Bottle Service», which is basically a small bottle of liquor with a mixer of your choice, coming in just under $ 20.
While all nights at Czar could fall under the category of «exuberant dance party», my favorite nights are Friday and Saturday, but I hear that their PULP party on Wednesdays is fun as well. Wednesdays and Fridays skew YOUNG, so be forewarned if you have self-​confidence issues about being over 30 (also, don’t share your drink with people you don’t know — underage scavengers are not shy). Saturdays has an older and more diverse crowd — the diverse genres they’ll play music from on Saturday makes it my fave.
Neither here nor there, but I find Czar to be the best venue when no one in a group can make up their mind on where to go.
So, in a nutshell, despite all the over-​it hipsters grousing about the venue, I find Czar to have matured over the years, and they’re always finding new ways to improve.

I realize my review is more representative of a Czar that existed somewhere between 4 and 8 years ago, so I thought I would update this to keep you guys up to speed:
Come to Czar if you’re under 21, want to rock that new look from Urban Outfitters you bought hours before, or are just an old-​fashioned aspiring sex offender! This place is perfect for you!

I have been going to Czar for about two years now and it is definitely one of my favorite places to go out in Tampa! The crowd is a very diverse mix of teeny-​boppers, «hipsters», «hardcore» kids, suits and ties, ghetto, trashy and just about anything else you can think of; that’s one of the things that makes it such a fun atmosphere!
It’s true that you will see a lot of the same faces every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, but Czar gives you incentive to come back. The more loyal of a customer you are the more perks you get. I have met some amazing people through this club, bonding over a Socialist Martini (a 32oz «shot» of appletini deliciousness) or five!
Depending on what nigt you go, the music is completely different. My favorite night if the week is Czar’s newest creation, Popsickle Party. Saturday nights = free drinks from 10pm — 11pm, $ 5 Socialist Martinis, alcoholic popsicles, and fun music ranging from 90s Green Day to Al Green. If you want to dance this is definitely the night to go out!
A lot of people want to hate on Czar, but I have found that these people have either been kicked out for underage drinking, being a drunken disrespectful asshole, or are just one of those uppity jerks that doesn’t know how to have a little fun. Basically you’ll enjoy yourself if you treat the staff well, don’t get too out of hand and don’t think you’re too cool for your own good.

Came to Czar tonight and it was a pretty cool club. Free cover if you sign up on their site before 8pm and make it through the door before 11pm. I didn’t know there was so much space inside. 3 large rooms, lots of bars and a huge dance floor. The music in the club tonight was mostly Indie Pop/​Techno on one side and then Hip-​Hop on the other. I’m more of a Top 40s kinda guy, but it was a nice change visiting this club. The lighting inside is done well, you aren’t crammed near the ceiling so smokers can smoke and the smoke will rise so you won’t even smell it (and many of the people clubbing there were smokers). The crowd was mostly hipsters and teenyboppers (most people looked 18 – 20 years old). There was a few resting spots. I saw a guy trying to impress his girlfriend while jumping on a pole… there’s a ladder that goes up to an overlook of the huge dance floor in the farthest room, going up there was pretty cool. The club got pretty packed around 1am like most clubs in Tampa. One interesting thing I noticed was guys wearing their sunglasses inside the club, even though it was so dark at times that I could barely make peoples faces out in the crowd. Bartender made me a Long Island ($ 10-​there goes my cover charge pretty much) and packed on the alcohol, but put a little too little mixer on top so it was very bitter. Overall, Czar is an okay, much better than many other clubs in Ybor… a cool place to listen to a change of music and surroundings.

All you need to know: Decent music, average drinks, a unique theme.
I’ve been to Czar a handful of times and always end up having fun. There are a lot of complaints about how fake everyone is and how the entire place tries too hard but I’ve never had that feeling there (granted, those people are present, but I haven’t noticed moreso than any other club I’ve been to).
With that said, I’ve always made sure to go with a good group of friends and we make our own good time without spending our time judging others. Get some drinks in you and enjoy the DJ’s!

Well, if drone-​minded-​cocktail-​swilling-​wanna-​be-​reality-​tv-​dropouts ever were looking for a social black-​hole to get caught in every Friday night… well stagger right in!

What’s cooler than communism? Faux-​communism practiced by coked addled Tampons!
There’s a perfect formula to offending folks. Open up a nightclub with a communist theme because you think the hammer-​and-​sickle is cool. Yep. Right, the folks that have been oppressed by the communist regimes throughout the world totally appreciate that. Why don’t you build a faux Berlin Wall separating yourself from The Orpheum, where hipsters can be hip for cheaper prices?
In true commie form, Czar is the only place in Ybor that plays current and good synth and electro music, unlike The Orpheum where people still think Hot Chip are cool, you can saunter into Czar on a Friday for PULP and be treated to some okay tunes. Once in a blue moon, if the promoters take a break from doing crappy blow and they’ll actually do their jobs and put on a decent show here. You may pay cash for your drinks, or a $ 30 minimum to use your card. No ATM in sight, but perhaps I was blinded by the seizure-​inducing flashing lights and missed it.
Czar wants to excel so that all the other clubs nearby who cater to similar crowds fall into a pit of depression. Czar, true to the name, is the overlord of the Tampa «cool kid» scene and you may not topple their empire. Or else you will not be given your monthly rations of stale bread and PBR. Remember this.

The only thing enjoyable about this place is the décor so if you are into carpet and wall hangings then its your bag.
There were a few decent staff members but overall the asshole meter is off the chart. Honestly it isn’t worth the five dollar cover.

Interesting and often expansive venue.
Czar is the most accommodating bar/​nightclub on 7^th Ave. Some nights 2 rooms are open and for special events and live shows the Imperial Ball Room is often opened up. The old Soviet theme follows throughout and personally the Friday nights «Pulp» are the most interesting there. The rest of the weekend you can hang out and hear a wide range of music with an alternative lean and a friendly crowd. Come as you are and feel comfortable, I’ve gone in with slacks, jeans and cargo shorts and no one gives you a dirty look.

Expensive drinks, at least $ 5 cover and slow bar staff. Laura pours fair drinks otherwise $ 10+ for anything moderately good but weakly poured. Otherwise, it is the hot spot on Fridays. Skip it Saturdays since everyone is at the Orpheum for S.O.S. Order drinks anywhere but the first room ‘Cyberia’ since it’ll take over 15 minutes to get a drink haha. P. S. No cider
Skip this venue for shows! I went to see Ladytron and the sound was so horrible. All I heard was warbled guitar and a slight breath of the singer. I have seen Ladytron before and they are GOOD life– I couldn’t hear anything other then bass the whole night. It was such a waste– so boo to the sound guy.

The «Uncommon Bar for the Common Good» they say. They have Roller Disco Weds and live shows on the weekend. The place is expansive with hands down, the best chandelier in all the US. It leans toward the Gothy/​Metal industry, but not exclusively and even when we saw Genitorture there the crowd was pleasantly mixed.
The door guys are sweet, go figure, and the bar wenches are HOT and totally rock it.
I was impressed with the beer selection, they even have Rogue Ale, which I didn’t expect in my foray into the East Coast bar world. The only things I would change is more than 2 stalls for the ladies room and an upgrade on the sound system.
Ok, so now I know… there are 3 parts to the club, including an amazing Vodka Bar. Oh yea!