Best Clubs of 2012

Pacha in Ibiza

Dec 26, 2012 — A lot of interesting things happened in nightlife in 2012, but nothing took the world by storm quite like the electronic dance music craze and the emergence of the DJ as bonafied rock star. What was once a European phenomenon has finally migrated to the states where top spin-masters sold out massive arenas and stadiums.

Of course the high-end, ultra exclusive world didn't spot spinning either as newer, hotter, and harder-to-get-into spots kept popping up in New York, London, Paris, and LA where A-listers danced, drank, and sometimes fought (we're looking at you Lindsay, Drake, Chris B., The Game, etc.).

And finally, underground clubs that were simply made for dancing kept their reps with emerging artists, live shows, and all-night parties that end with breakfast.

So if you want to find hot DJs doing their thing, hot A-listers doing theirs, or just dance your butt off as we enter 2013, take a look back at some of our favorite clubs of the year and start making your nightlife plans going forward!

Club Silencio

Club
Masterminded and designed by famed filmmaker David Lynch, Club Silencio – named for the theater featured in Mulholland Drive – is a stunning and ultra-exclusive nightclub/bar/concert venue/whatever-eccentric-show-Lynch-has-in-mind-tonight kind of place. Once past a small sign and down six dim flights of stairs, international scenesters find
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Paris

142 Rue Montmartre
75002 Paris

01 40 13 12 32
Liked By:
Berghain / Panorama Bar

Club
A huge club housed in a former power plant, Berghain is widely considered the best techno/electro club in Europe. The imposing concrete structure is nearly as intimidating as the club’s reputation, with lineups featuring well-known resident DJs like Marcel Dettman and Ben Klock. The space is divided into two rooms with a severe décor consisting
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Berlin

Am Wriezener Bahnhof 1
10243 Berlin

030 29360210
Liked By:
Avalon

Club / Live Music Venue
From theatrical performances to famous headliners like the Beatles and Soundgarden, Avalon has been entertaining the masses since the 1920s, but it wasn’t until 2003 that a major makeover turned the space into a DJ-driven dance club hotspot. Although big-name bands still play the cavernous hall, the emphasis is clearly on electronic compositions
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Los Angeles

1735 Vine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90028

323‑462‑8900
Liked By:
Ushuaïa

Club / Hotel
An outdoor playground for partygoers, Ushuaïa is like the Las Vegas of Ibiza, with fountains, sculptures, and lots of house dancers in skimpy vintage swimsuits. A dance floor stretching around two enormous pools provides space for five thousand clubbers, while the arched wooden stage that towers over one side has played host to everyone from David
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Ibiza

Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel
Carretera Playa d’en Bossa 10
07817 Ibiza

971 396 710
Liked By:
Studio Paris

Club / Lounge
There’s always a line of stiletto-wearing ladies and sharply dressed dudes outside Paris Club restaurant, and though the swanky French eatery is itself ridiculously popular, most of these folks are waiting to get up the stairway in back that leads to Studio Paris. Patrons enter the rooftop club’s lounge area first, where plush black leather
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Chicago

59 West Hubbard Street
Chicago, IL 60654

312‑595‑0800
Liked By:
Supperclub

Club / Restaurant
Known for its super-chic and dare-to-be-different style, Supperclub is an indulgent club and restaurant intent on titillating all five senses of its sophisticated clientele. Three distinct areas make up the venue, the first being La Salle Neige, a combination dining room, stage, and art gallery with broad balconies and high windows. The soaring
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Amsterdam

Jonge Roelensteeg 21
1012 Amsterdam

020 3446400
Liked By:
Sala BeCool

Club / Live Music Venue
Something of a clubber’s club, Sala BeCool is a mid-sized, bare-bones venue inconveniently located a long walk from the nearest metro station. Despite that small drawback, however, a trip to the club is well worth the effort for dance music lovers who enjoy expertly mixed electronic music of the house/tech/minimal variety. Other than the bar and DJ
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Barcelona

Plaça de Joan Llongueras, 5
08021 Barcelona

93 362 04 13
Liked By:
Proud Camden

Art Gallery / Club / Historic Bar / Live Music Venue
Proud Camden couples the flair of a contemporary art gallery with the pulsing rhythm of a dedicated concert space, leaving slack-jawed tourists and artsy Camden Towners to wonder how a one-time horse hospital could be transformed into such a vibrant cultural gathering place. In homage to the building’s equestrian roots, the club’s long central
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London

The Stables Market
Camden Town, London NW1 8AH

020 7482 3867
Liked By:
La Terrrazza

Club
Don’t expect to raise the roof at La Terrrazza, because there isn’t one – this gorgeous mountaintop castle has been converted into a club where a stylish clientele dances between the castle walls illuminated only by strobe lights and the stars above. The club is housed in Poble Espanyol, a one-of-a-kind artificial village constructed in 1929
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Barcelona

Avenida Marquès de Comillas, 13
08038 Barcelona

93 272 49 80
Liked By:
Middlesex Lounge

Club / Lounge / Restaurant
If variety is the spice of life, then Middlesex Lounge and its impressive selection of international DJs are adding some serious flavor to the Cambridge area. Patrons shouldn’t be fooled by the tiny bar and modest high-ceilinged lounge that doubles as a mellow local eatery by day – at 10pm, the line starts forming, the gray suede benches and wood
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Boston

315 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

617‑868‑6739
Liked By:
Sotavento

Club / Lounge / Restaurant
Part of a line of upscale club/lounge/restaurants that line the coast just below Port Olimpic’s twin towers, Sotavento is a beautiful venue even the most experienced clubgoers will likely be impressed by. A swanky Italian restaurant by day, the venue transitions to club mode around midnight when the ample polished walnut dance floor is overtaken by
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Barcelona

Passeig Maritim, 38
08003 Barcelona

90 222 67 88
Liked By:
Club der Visionaere

Club / Pizza Place
Despite the numerous club options in Berlin, Club der Visionaere manages to separate itself from the pack, most notably by moving the club experience outdoors. The sprawling multilevel space, which overlooks one of the many canals that run through Kreuzberg, makes an immediate impression with a pair of giant backlit willow trees that greet
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Berlin

Am Flutgraben 1
12435 Berlin

030 69518942
Liked By:
Palais

Club
Open exclusively during the summer, Palais is the largest and most popular nightclub from Monaco to St. Tropez, attracting three thousand stylish clubbers every night. Located in the same building where the Cannes Film Festival is held, the club consists of one immense, open room surrounded by a balcony and features an ultra-modern décor
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French Riviera

3 Boulevard de la Croisette
06400 Cannes

04 92 99 33 33
Liked By:
Beacher's Madhouse

Club / Members Club
An ultra-exclusive, celeb-packed club that’s gone purposefully insane, Beacher’s Madhouse is a vaudeville-inspired performance space where beautiful women don little more than tassels, exotic animals traipse across the stage, and a little person or two flies through the air. Located in the basement of nightlife mecca The Roosevelt Hotel, the only
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Los Angeles

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(entrance on Orange Street
south of Hollywood Boulevard)

323‑785‑3036
Liked By:
Trouw

Club / Restaurant
From the creators of Amsterdam’s former hotspot Club 11 comes Trouw, an industrial and heavy techno venue as hard-hitting as the original. Once a newspaper printing house, the club underwent minimal renovation that enhanced the raw factory theme with a touch of urban stenciling, street-style patterns, high-tech club lighting, and an impressive
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Amsterdam

Wibautstraat 127
1091 Amsterdam

020 4637788
Liked By:
Royale Boston

Music Venue / Nightclub
Without question, Royale Boston is one of the hottest Beantown clubbing spots, playing host to hordes of young singles looking for fun. The elaborate main floor, whose carved moldings and crystal chandeliers hark back to the venue’s past as an opera house, is fitted out with an ultra-modern sound system and lights that whip the mix of
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Boston

279 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

617‑338‑7699
Liked By:
Space of Sound

Club / Nightclub
Anyone who still isn’t convinced that Spanish nightlife rivals that of any other country on the continent should head to Space of Sound. After a weekend of nonstop clubbing, the apparently nuclear-powered madrileños prove their reputation as world-class partiers by packing into this mega-club starting at 4pm every Sunday. The waves of people who
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Madrid

Plaza Estación de Chamartín
28036 Madrid

90 249 99 94
Liked By:
Proof

Club / Lounge
The Gold Coast isn’t lacking in swanky lounges, but Proof turns the glitz up a notch with its intimate size and a focus on those three little letters glam clubbers love to hear: VIP. Though it has two floors, both are relatively small, compelling mixing and mingling among the glass-enclosed private tables where perfectly coiffed guys drink
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Chicago

1045 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611

312‑646‑6000
Liked By:
Pacha

Club
Definitely the glitziest and most fashionable of the island’s clubs, Pacha also holds the distinction of being the only one open all year round. But like every other venue on the island, the club really shines in the summer when lines of stylish patrons are still filing in at 5am hoping to see and be seen. The club consists of several
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Ibiza

Avda. 8 de Agosto S/N
07800 Ibiza

971 313 612
Liked By:
Ministry of Sound

Club
Ministry of Sound is a world-renowned superclub, the backbone of London’s clubbing scene, and heaven on earth for lovers of trance music. Divided into five separate rooms, four bars, two VIP lounges, and four DJ booths and dance floors, Ministry exudes a raw energy that draws a diverse clientele of music lovers, hipsters, and young
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London

103 Gaunt Street
London, SE1 6DP

02077408600
Liked By:
Top of The Standard

Club / Lounge
Crowning the rooftop of one of the city’s swankiest hotels, Top of The Standard – formerly known as Boom Boom Room – is an exclusive members-only lounge sporting a luxurious 70s-inspired glam. An elevator featuring psychedelic videos delivers designer-clad celebs and tastemakers to a hallway of mirrors and windows that opens into a gilded
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New York

The Standard Hotel
848 Washington Street
New York, NY 10014

212‑645‑4646
Liked By:
The Cuckoo Club

Club / Restaurant
Once voted Best New Club at the London Club and Bar Awards, The Cuckoo Club is undoubtedly one of London’s hottest nightspots and attracts a well-heeled, fashionable crowd of the city’s movers and shakers, as well as a routine smattering of celebrities. Lavishly decorated in hues of pink, burgundy, and purple, The Cuckoo Club features fine dining
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London

Swallow Street
London W1B 4EZ

020 7287 4300
Liked By:
Greystone Manor

Club / Lounge / Restaurant
True supper clubs must present a high-class image, and even the most diehard club hater would have to admit that Greystone Manor is the picture of opulence. The Hollywood glitterati are known to flock here, enduring a barrage of red carpet flashbulbs before joining the rest of the A-listers, hobnobbers, and lucky optimists dressed the part as they
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Los Angeles

643 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90069

310‑652‑2012
Liked By:
Santos Party House

Club / Lounge / Music Venue
The area south of Canal Street where Santos Party House resides may look barren and uninviting by day, but after dark, the place comes alive with a boisterous crowd of hipsters eager to dance and groove to a throbbing beat. Launched by 90s nightlife legends Andrew W.K. and Spencer Sweeney, Santos is a gritty, bi-level, 8,000-square-foot club where
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New York

96 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10013

212‑584‑5492
Liked By:
Black Cat

Bar / Club / Live Music Venue / Restaurant
A U Street Corridor staple since 1993, Black Cat is a cornerstone of the DC music and nightlife scene, and continues to feature an incredibly diverse mix of nightly acts. Lesser-known bands and DJs perform on the knee-high stage in the Backstage Concert Room, a purple-hued and sparsely decorated ground floor space that doubles as a makeshift
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Washington, DC

1811 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

202‑667‑4490
Liked By:
P1

Club
Considered one of the chicest and most famous clubs in Munich – and perhaps in all of Germany – P1 regularly attracts the crème de la crème of the city as well as international celebrities, football players, actors, and models. Located below the famous Haus der Kunst art museum, the beautifully decorated venue consists of two large rooms, each with
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Munich

Prinzregentenstrasse 1
80538 Munich

089 2111140
Liked By:
Backstage

Beer Garden / Club / Live Music Venue
One of Munich’s more alternative clubs, Backstage is a sprawling complex with both indoor and outdoor spaces for live concerts, movie showings, and club nights. Popular with an edgier crowd of teens, students, and young professionals looking for a change from the usual upscale clubs and tight door policies, the venue sports an ever-changing décor
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Munich

Wilhelm-Hale-Straße 38
80639 Munich

089 1266100
Liked By:
Westway

Club
Although the venue still has an awning reading “Westside Gentleman’s Club,” which confuses out of towners looking for a lap dance, Westway is now a fledgling nightclub helmed by Jane Ballroom nightlife impresarios Matt Kliegman and Carlos Quirarte. The duo retained much of the original décor, creating a sexy spot for the twenty-something clientele
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New York

75 Clarkson Street
New York, NY 10014

212‑989‑1150
Liked By:
Social Club

Club / Live Music Venue
The Social Club’s reputation for hosting the best DJs in the city, taking chances on new French indie bands, and offering the most diverse roster of musical genres has earned it an enthusiastic and devoted following in the Paris music scene. A nondescript corner entrance leads fans down a set of shabby stairs into a dark underground area
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Paris

142 Rue Montmartre
75002 Paris

01 40 28 05 55
Liked By:
Eden

Bar / Club / Lounge
Although the garden of Eden is described as a luscious enclave where man was taught to be fruitful and multiply, it’s doubtful the prettied-up Adams and Eves at Eden nightclub need any such education. A bamboo-fronted bar, faux water features, and emerald-lit walls lined with grass create a different kind of paradise in the first floor Green Room
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Washington, DC

1716 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

202‑905‑9300
Liked By:
Le Pompon

Bar / Club / Live Music Venue
A former synagogue may seem like an odd place for a Parisian hotspot like Le Pompon, but there are few, if any, hints left to point to the building’s past. Nowadays, in fact, the ground floor looks more like an aristocrat’s living room, the subterranean club gets bumping fast, and the stylish clientele is equal parts hipster and dance-happy
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Paris

39 Rue des Petites Écuries
75010 Paris

01 53 34 60 85
Liked By:
Rickshaw Stop

Club / Live Music Venue
All-ages clubs are hard to come by in San Francisco, which may explain why so many of the city’s dance-happy teenagers routinely pile into The Rickshaw Stop. Set inside a former television studio, the divey venue hosts live bands and DJs throughout the week at affordable ticket prices that match its million-miles-from-exclusive vibe. Rich red
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San Francisco

155 Fell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

415‑861‑2011
Liked By:
Monroe

Bar / Club / Lounge
The remnants of old Hollywood live on at Monroe, an upscale lounge that infuses a little classic celebrity glamour into the hard-partying North Beach scene. With ubiquitous dark wood flooring, sleek low banquettes, and wall-sized fashion and art tapestries bearing everything from galloping horses to sultry models, the venue packs a lot into its
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San Francisco

473 Broadway Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

415‑772‑9002
Liked By: