World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Moscow  - Nightlife
Nightlife

Discos are popular in the city, although there are also an increasing number of pub-type bars, many of which serve food. These generally have a happy hour with two-for-one drink specials. There is no shortage of exotic entertainment and Western men do tend to attract young Russian women. Some bars can be quite violent - it is best to ask for local advice on which ones to avoid.

Moscow has a number of 24-hour bars and 'night restaurants', which are often open until 0500 or 0600. These combine dining, drinking and entertainment under one roof. Otherwise, bars tend to stay open until 0000 or 0100, or until 0500 or 0600. Cover charges vary: some places actually offer free drinks for a limited time, while others charge a cover of US$20-30 (or more). Live music is played all over the city, but quality acts are not always easy to come by. Many of the bars and clubs are located in the larger hotels or the immediate vicinity. Because of the rocky economy, bars and clubs tend to close down and open up fairly frequently. The eXile offers an up-to-date, if somewhat rude, guide.

Bars: The John Bull Pub, Kutuzovsky proyezd 4, has decent music and stays open until 0300 at the weekend. The Irish pubs: Rosie O'Grady's, Znamenka ulitsa 9/12, and Sally O'Brien's, Polyanka 1, are both popular spots. Homesick Canadians head for the Moosehead Canadian Bar, Bolshaya Polyanka ulitsa 54, where buffalo wings and other bar food keeps the punters happy, and beers cost US$4-6, daily 1200-0500. Chesterfield's, Zemlyanoi Val 26, has the longest bar in Russia (apparently) and draws a mixed expatriate and Russian crowd. For those who enjoy a cigar and cognac, The Embassy Club, Bryusov pereulok 8/10, provides an appropriately swanky environment.

Casinos: There are dozens of casinos in Moscow. Some of the more elegant are attached to the five-star hotels. The 24-hour Casino Metropol, located in the hotel of the same name at Teatralny proezd 1/4, is a classic casino with blackjack, roulette and poker. The minimum stake is US$25. For lower stakes, the Olympic Casino Club aboard the Valery Brusov, Krymskaya naberezhnaya is open 1900-0600 and offers roulette, blackjack and poker. Another alternative is the Casino Moskva in the Leningradskaya Hotel, Kalanchevskaya ulitsa 21/40.

Clubs: Propaganda, Bolshoi Zlatoustinksy pereulok 7, is one of the city's best dance clubs and plays non-techno tunes (occasionally acid jazz). Techno ravers head for Khaos, Timirgazevskaya ulitsa 17. Brand, Smolensky Ploschad, has a more upmarket feel with a disco and bars. The big-name international DJs who appear at Club XIII, Myanitskaya ulitsa from time to time, attract foreigners and young Russians with pockets full of cash. Titanik, inside the Young Pioneers Stadium, Leningradsky prospekt 31, is a well-known techno club with a decent, but expensive, chill-out area (the cover charge is US$30). Clubs catering to a gay crowd are becoming increasingly established in Moscow. The most popular of these is Central Station, Bolshaya Tatarskaya Ulitsa that could almost compete with any western gay club. Homophobia is still very much in evidence in Moscow so it is advisable to avoid going to any of them alone.

Live music: Many of the bars and clubs have live music - usually rock, but occasionally country, reggae or folk - for a couple of hours in the evening (generally 2200-0000/0100). For jazz and blues, the Arbat Blues Club, Aksakov pereulok 11, is considered one of the best spots in Moscow. The Jazz Art Club, Begovaya ulitsa 5, offers what the name suggests for a US$7 entry fee. Bunker, Tverskaya 12, and Tabula Rasa, Berezhkovskaya naberezhnaya 28, both feature live bands; cover charge depends on the night and who is playing. The Voodoo Lounge, Sredny Tishinsky pereulok 5/7, is a fairly recent arrival and has rock and Latin music.



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