Bar entertainment in Russia
-
A
Real Mccoy
This ‘bootlegger’s bar’ has walls plastered in old newspapers, two-for-one happy-hour specials (5pm to 8pm) and a dance floor crowded with expats. There is live jazz and rock music in the evenings (9pm Wednesday to Sunday) then, after 11pm, the serious drinking begins. The later it gets, the more they drink. The Real McCoy is considered to be the last of Moscow’s old-fashioned debauched and depraved dive bars, where women are invited to dance on the bar (preferably without a shirt on) and men are practically guaranteed to take home a new friend, if they are not too picky.
reviewed
-
B
Sportland
Non-stop sports on three giant screens and countless smaller plasma TVs around the bar. You will undoubtedly be able to catch your team's big game here, no matter who your team might be. Otherwise, there is no reason to frequent this casino-bar, unless you enjoy glaring lights, blaring slot machines and greasy food. The Rbl500-cover charge gets subtracted from your bill.
reviewed
-
C
Cynic
Calling itself a ‘trash-café-club’, Cynic holds a very special place in the hearts of the St Petersburg underground. Rumour has it that this divey place is struggling for survival, but the student-slacker crowd has not abandoned its no-frills cellar bar. Arty types still come to nurse cheap beers and indulge in the famously delicious grenki (black bread fried in garlic). Literature fans of the male persuasion can peruse Pushkin in the toilet.
reviewed
-
D
Ryumochnaya
This is a hold-over from the days when a drinking establishment needed no special name. The ryumochnaya was the generic place where comrades stopped on their way to or from work to toss back a shot or two before continuing on their way. It’s hard to say how long this particular ryumochnaya has been around, but you can be sure that if you order sto grammov (100 grams), they will know what you are talking about.
reviewed
-
E
Petrovich
The Soviet Union is gone but not forgotten. Remember simpler times at this popular retro restaurant, which reminisces with propaganda posters, hammer-and-sickle cutlery and Soviet pop music. The menu is riddled with inside jokes about the good ol’ days. This doesn’t seem like the kind of place that would have face control, but it is, so book a table in advance to play it safe. Enter through an unmarked door in the courtyard.
reviewed
-
F
Club Che
The revolution lives on at this popular, divey bar. The walls are covered with revolutionary graffiti and photos of the iconic namesake hero. Patrons get their groove on the dance floor to salsa and merengue music. The cuisine is more Tex-Mex than Cuban, but nobody is complaining about the huge plates of nachos and the spicy chilli. Bartenders also mix a mean mojito (rum drink with lime, sugar and mint) with Havana Club rum.
reviewed
-
G
GQ Bar
Anything that Arkady Novikov touches seems to turn to gold. Which may explain why this joint project with Condé Nast is currently Moscow’s hippest destination for drinks, dinner and other early evening socialising. The contemporary decor features an open kitchen and a subtle Asian theme, which is echoed in the menu. If you actually intend to sit down and eat, be sure to reserve a table and bring a bucket of money.
reviewed
-
H
Dunes
Feel like lounging on the beach with a fruity cocktail, catching some rays or playing some badminton? Then visit Dunes, St Petersburg’s first beach bar, complete with sand, hammocks and beach chairs. That this outdoor café is located in a crumbling courtyard (with no sea in sight) only adds to the charm. The place is hard to find: go through the unmarked archway off Konyushennaya pl and proceed to the second courtyard.
reviewed
-
I
Hungry Duck
An infamous bar, often described as the wildest in Europe. Its reputation is that most people lose most of their clothes by midnight, with every woman dancing on the bar. This may have something to do with the policy of free drinks for women till 23:00 on some nights. Everybody agrees, for better or for worse, that this place is `not as the same as it used to be.' Enter from the courtyard next to the metro station.
reviewed
-
J
Bridge Lounge
This swank spot is part restaurant, part lounge and 100% upper-class. Set within the western bastion of the Peter & Paul Fortress, this see-and-be-seen spot boasts an atmospheric location and awesome vista. Its white tent-roof interior is gorgeous, with plush pillows and drapes adorning the otherwise sparse space. Face control ensures that the clientele looks as good as their surroundings.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Kvartira 44
Somebody had the brilliant idea to convert an old Moscow apartment into a crowded, cosy bar, with tables and chairs tucked into every nook and cranny. It may be a little too close to home for many Muscovites, but it’s wildly popular with expats. There’s jazz and piano music on Friday nights at 10pm, and there is another apartment in Zamoskvorechie.
reviewed
-
K
Tribunal Bar
This used to be a kind of legendary place, famous for the debauchery and decadence that would set in as soon as the crowd had enough to drink. It’s now in a new location. And while ads promise that ‘the legend continues’, the debauchery feels a little over-programmed. Nonetheless, scantily clad women dancing on the bar are practically guaranteed.
reviewed
-
L
Pivnaya 0.5
With Soviet films playing on the big screen, this classic place recalls the days when the local pivnaya (beer bar) was the only choice for a brew. This particular pivnaya has gone upscale. The retro-chic atmosphere is heavy on the chic, however, with its dark wood and copper décor, sumptuous leather furniture and electronica music.
reviewed
-
M
Money Honey
A vital conduit into the teenage rockabilly underbelly of St Petersburg, Money Honey is for kids gone bad as well as those who have invested too much money in Brylcreem and leather jackets. It's a fun and unpredictable place to hang out, famous for brawls and carousing, suitably located in the rather Dostoevskian Apraksin Dvor shopping arcade.
reviewed
-
N
Art Garbage
Enter this funky club-café through the courtyard littered with sculpture. Inside, the walls are crammed with paintings of all genres, and there are DJs spinning or live music playing every night. The restaurant is relatively minimalist in terms of decor, but the menu is creative. Is it art or is it garbage? We’ll let you decide.
reviewed
-
O
Cabaret
Like the name suggests, it's a fancy club with all of the requisite luxury cars and drivers parked out front. But don't feel bad about not getting in, because upstairs in the same building is Sky Bar, which offers one of the best rooftop patios with views of the capital and a smart, atmospheric interior.
reviewed
-
P
City Bar
Always busy with expats, travellers and locals who enjoy their company; people come for free wi-fi access, fine food and live entertainment. Music, poetry readings and stand-up comedy are all on the agenda, depending on the day. Also available: English-language books and DVDs from the lending library.
reviewed
-
Q
Sakvoyazh Beremennoi Shpionki
In a city of bizarrely designed drinking and dining halls, the ‘Pregnant Spy’s Suitcase’ is one of the wackiest. The food is notionally Mexican and European – you don’t come here for that, though, but more for the outlandish décor ranging from the Kama Sutra room to the torture chamber.
reviewed
-
R
Probka
Small, romantic and sophisticated – what more could you ask of a wine bar that features a choice selection from around the world? Several wines are available by the glass, and there’s a menu of light snacks or a more expensive Italian restaurant upstairs.
reviewed
-
S
Krizis Zhanra
Everybody has something good to say about Krizis: expats and locals, old timers and newcomers, young and old. What’s not to love? Good cheap food, copious drinks and rockin’ music every night, all of which inspires the gathered to get their groove on.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Kvartira 44
Somebody had the brilliant idea to convert an old Moscow apartment into a crowded, cosy bar, with tables and chairs tucked into every nook and cranny. It may be a little too close to home for many Muscovites, but it’s wildly popular with expats.
reviewed
-
T
Bar 30/7
This slick bar on the Boulevard Ring is somewhere to see and be seen in Moscow. If you can snag a seat in the attached 'sun room' seating area, you will enjoy a lovely view of the boulevard promenade. Good luck, as the place gets packed on weekends.
reviewed
-
U
Sochi
Occupying one half of the same building as Tinkoff, this new venture is by the woman who launched St Petersburg’s DJ-bar scene. Prop yourself at the long bar or groove along with the hipsters to bands and eclectic selections from the DJs.
reviewed
-
V
Kona Bar
Patronised by many oil-talking businessmen, the Kona Bar is bamboo-loungey and masculine – with football on the big screen and upscale machismo over by the pool table. Food is from Pacific Café next door.
reviewed
-
W
Saint Tropez
Sochi's premier nightspot comes with two dance floors to suit the mood. One with low-level lighting, cool music and snuggle-up tables and the other lit with hyperactive spots resounding to pulsating techno.
reviewed
