The city of St. Petersburg is one of Russia's main entertainment centers. The music scene is diverse and colourful: the majority of most well-known Russian rock bands have originated from here. Movie theatres equipped with advanced sound reproduction systems demonstrate the latest Western films. The city also has a great diversity of high-quality restaurants, bars and night clubs. The prices are very affordable in comparison to those in any other large European city, including Moscow. We provide your with a full list of St.Petersburg's night clubs, casinos, bars and more.
Bars, taverns and pubs
Bierstube—For beers and expensive German sausages. Monday-Saturday noon-1 am, Sunday 5 pm-1 am. Nevskij Palace Hotel, Nevsky Prospekt 57. Phone 275-2001.
John Bull Pub—Looks like it was plucked from a yuppie suburb in London and dropped onto Nevsky Prospekt. Daily noon-midnight. Nevsky Prospekt 79. Phone 164-9877.
Lobby Bar—A beautiful place with stained-glass windows and a long wooden bar. Offers beer, peanuts and stylish cocktails. Daily 11 am-1 am. Grand Hotel Europe, Mikhailovskaya Ulitsa 1/7. Phone 329-6664.
Mollie's Irish Bar—Wide variety of beers on tap, including Guinness. The menu has your standard pub fare. Daily 11 am-3 am. Rubinshteina Ulitsa 36. Phone 319-9768.
Shamrock Bar—A good place to visit after an evening performance at the Mariinsky. Performers frequently pop in after the show. Extensive selection of beer on tap. If you go with someone else, sit close—the place is anything but quiet. Live music many nights. Daily noon-2 am. Dekabristov Ulitsa 27. Phone 219-4625.
The Tribunal—An expat favorite located in the old Senate building, across the street from the Bronze Horseman statue. Sometimes hosts Russian rock 'n' roll bands. Daily noon-6 am. No cover. Dekabristov Ploshchad 1. Phone 311-1690.
Dance clubs/nightclubs
MOLOKO
A very popular underground rock club hosts regular performances by such bands as TequilaJazz (a famous St. Petersburg alternative group - on the photo), Markscheider Kunst and others. Casual, relaxed atmosphere. Takes up to 100 people. Beer ($0.9), juice ($0.5) and chips in the bar. No design, no pretensions.
Address: Perekupnoi pereulok, #12 Location: metro Ploshad Alexandra Nevskogo or Ploshchad Vosstanya. Near St.Petersburg Int'l hostel. Directions: metro Ploshchad vosstania, on the corner of Perekupnoi pereulok and Khersonskaya Ul Opened: wednesday-sunday from 7 p.m. to 0.00. Entrance 60 roubles ($2). Phone: (812) 274-9467. Internet: http://moloko.piter.net/
FISHFABRIQUE
A part of "Pushkinskaya, 10" cultural center. From the 1994 FishFabrique (also called ìFishkaî by St.Peterburgers) has been one of the most popular clubs in St. Petersburg and one of the best. It was the first club with alternative music. Since that time almost every St.Petersburg band has played here. Fishfabrique is a favorite place for local alternative musicians and cult artists. Design of the club, that was made by well known group of Russian artists “Rechniki” and “ACHE”, is also worth seeing. Table hockey, cheap bar.
Music: alternative, ska (nofx!), punk, jazz, all spb bands and guests (“Cleaning women” from Finland and more). Live concerts start at 9 pm from tuesday to saturday. Entrance is about 50 roubles ($1.75 US).
Sundays: movies from “Festival of Festivals” collection (St.Pete independent cinema event). Monday - just fun, free entrance.
Address: Ligovsky prospect, #53 or Pushkinskaya ul., #10. Location: Just next to Moskovski railway station or Oktyabrskaya hotel. Directions:ìPloshad vosstanyaî metro station next to Moskovski vokzal - railway station.Phone: (812) 164-4857. Internet: http://www.fishfabrique.spb.ru/
MONEY HONEY
Rock'n'roll and country music club. Popular with students and cowboys.
Address: Apraksin dvor, #13. Location: metro Gostini Dvor. Directions: walk from the metro Gostiny Dvor and walk down Sadovaya street. The 3rd street on the left is Apraksin pereulok. Phone: (812) 310-0549. Internet: http://www.moneyhoney.org/
PLAZA
A fancy big dancleclub club, often hosts performances by russian pop stars. Tuesdays - MUZ TV parties (the famous Russian music channel), Wednesdays - "Red Devil parties", Thursdays - fashion shows, Fridays and Saturdays - discoteques.
What's On in March 2003: 1 - The First Erotic Salon in St. Petersburg (special guest - Nomi pornstar) ||| 22 - Pro Party - DJ Rudyk ||| 29 - Alkazar (Sweden)
Address: Vasilievski island, Makarova embankment, #2. Contacts: (812) 323-90-90, 323-90-80, 323-90-78. Web: www.plazaclub.ru. Directions: walk over Dvortsovy bridge from Hermitage to Vasilievski island and walk straight ahead along Neva river embankment, the club is near Birzhevoi bridge; Open hours: 23.00-6.00.
CYNIC
A new club-bar with casual atmosphere, sometimes hosts performances by St. Petersburg rock and alternative groups.
Moderately prices drinks and meals.
Address: Goncharnaya Ul., #4. Location: in front of Moskovski railway station, next to Nevski Prospekt street. Directions: walk out of Moskovski railway station and take a right turn. Open hours: weekdays 11.00-3.00, weekends 11.00-7.00.
FAKULTET (Faculty).
Designed to be the official club of the St. Petersburg state university with portraits of professors, and a small library in the bar. Good sound. Funk, ska, raggey, Djs (eurodance).
Address: Dobrolubova prospekt, #6 (metro Sportivnaya, 1 minute walk from Peter and Paul Fortress) Opened:wed-sun 18.00-6.00, concerts start at 22.00. Entrance: $2-3 (concerts)
Jazz & blues
JIMMY HENDRIX
Some Peterburgers say it's a good place to listen to live jazz, blues and rock concerts. It's located in the basement of an old building, quite small inside, but cozy.
Drinks are for around $1, meals for $2-5.
Address: Liteiny prospect, #33. Location: 2 minutes to Puppet Theater Hostel, 10 minutes to Nevski prospekt. Directions: Walk up Liteiny prospekt from Nevski prospekt, the club will be on the right, after Nekrasova street; Phone: (812) 279-8813. Concerts start at 20.00. Cover: daytime - free, concerts - $2. Internet: http://www.nightcity.spb.ru/
JFC JAZZ CLUB
Often hosts jazz concerts by Russian and foreign musicians of various styles: from classic to avant-garde and improvisation.
Popular among people who like jazz, foreigners and expats.
Address: Shpalernaya Ul., #33. Location next to Liteiny bridge, Neva river, International Hostel Holiday. Directions: metro Ploshchad Lenina, walk over Liteiny bridge over Neva river to the direction of Nevski prospekt and make a left turn on the second street after the bridge. Walk around 3-5 minutes and on your right in a courtyard there'll be the club Phone: (812) 272-9850. Starts: 19.00. Cover: 50-100 roubles ($0.8-3.5).
Dance & djs
GRIBOEDOV
Located in a bomb shelter this club calls itself “trendy” (or "modny"). The only trendy thing is the bomb shelter itself. Chillout area is not bad with its neon lights, carpets and photos by lomographists (many different small photos-pics of life).
The other areas don’t look like it’s the best St.Petersburg club. Low ceilings, dark walls, dimmed light. I guess Griboedov is popular for its parties. Non-alternative bands plus djs, sometimes with foreign musicians (the last were “Gentle People” - easy listening).Wednesday is a disco night. Sunday – “Sunday lounge” with acid jazz, jazzy hip-hop, funk. There's a computer with the internet (almost always busy), and pin-ball machine. Outside they have a bicycle parking. Anyway this is a famous place both for Russians and foreigners.
Opened daily, entrance: 5 p.m.-6 a.m. 60-80 roubles ($2-3). Free entrance between 5 p.m and 8 p.m.
Address: Voronezhskaya Ul., #2A (in a bombshelter); Location: close to Vetebski railway station. Directions: metro Ligovsky Prospekt, cross Ligovski prospekt (street) turn left, walk along the street and then make another left. Phone: (812) 164-4355. Opened: daily 17.00-6.00. Cover: 50-80 roubles ($2.5)
MAMA
This club was opened after the end of the famous rave club ìtunnelî by the same people. So, this is supposed to be the best club in St.Petersburg for rave parties and electronic music.
Mama is set at an old building, a kind of warehouse in trendy district of Petrogradskaya side. Designed like a standard European place: wooden floors, brick walls, tubes under the ceiling. Two floors, computer lounge, dance zone. Good sound, two extremely cheap bars (as almost everywhere in Piter).
All kinds of electronic music (house, techno, trip-hop, drum’n’bass, electro, acid jazz), the best spb djs plus interesting foreign guests (Funki Porchini , dj Food (Ninja Tune Records), Dmitry from Paris and others).
The only disadvantage - no food and no place to sit and relax, nevertheless high spirited young people dance all night long and chill on the roof. Many teenagers.
Address: Malaya Monetnaya Ul, (near Gorkovskaya metro station). Directions: walk out of Gorkovskaya metro and cross the big Kamenoostrovski prospekt. Then walk a bit further and turn right behind the large conference-hall white building. Walk along B. Posadskaya street and make the first left turn. As you walk straight ahead you'll see graffiti on your right and then - an old house with no signs, except "Center for Youth" - this is "Mama". I hope these directions will help, because we spent 30 minutes looking for it the first time. Phone: (812) 232-3137.
FASHION CAFE NEO
A new dance club/cafe located in the middle of Baltiisky shopping center on Vasilievsky Island. Maybe the location is bad. Maybe ìNeoî cafe is too fashionable, too glittering, too much silver and sparkling lights. It is also a very expensive place for Piter -- entrance 100 - 200 roubles ($4-8), beer - 40 roubles ($1.5).
But what makes this place good is that it has picked up the British council program of brining UK djs in Russia. Mike Hallway, Elliot Eastwick (Manchester), dj Dominic Capello (Glasgow), Max Reinhardt and others. There's mostly good house music playing.
Fashion pizza is tasty also.
Address: Vasilievsky island, Bolshoy prospekt, #68. Directions: walk out of Vasileostrovskaya metro station and walk in the direction of Bolshoi Prospekt - a big avenue. Then turn right and walk along the prospekt through 10 to 25th "lines" - streets, the Baltiski trade center and the cafe will be on your left.
Gay clubs
GRESHNIKI ('Sinners') CLUB
This gay club is styled as an old mansion and takes four floors. The motto of the club is "We're all sinners, We're all equal". There are many different halls in the club: a dance floor with mirrors, a chill out room, a balcony, a restaurant, a video-internet bar with free internet access, and a 'dark room'. Young naked men dance all night on the stage.
When you come in the club, you'll be given a card where it'll be written what you drank and ate and then you'll need to pay as you leave. If you lose the card, you'll be charged 3000 R ($100), so be careful.
Address: St. Petersburg, Griboedov Channel, #28/1. Contacts: phone (812) 318-4291, email: greshniki@gay.ru internet: http://www.greshniki.gay.ru Directions: metro Nevski Prospekt
PUSHKA Club
The newest gay club in St. Petersburg. It is located in a basement. There's a bar, a large dancefloor, a stage, where dj's booth styled as a cage is located. Music is mostly house.
The second part of the club is quite calm, there's a chillout, a video bar with weekly live performances.
Address: St. Petersburg, Bolshaya Pushkarskaya ul., #50, Contacts: email pushka_club@mail.ru internet: www.pushkaclub.com Directions: metro Petrogradskaya
Cultural center
Cultural center “Pushkinskaya 10”
Home to well known society ìfree cultureî, contemporary artists, musicians, independent theaters, writers and others. It's existed since 1990, continuing and developing the activity of non-conformists of 70-s and 80-s. The members are independent representatives of St. Petersburg contemporary art.
"Pushkinskaya, 10" is a pleasant, cosy place in the centrum (just next to Moscovski railway station). The walls in the yard and inside the building are covered with graffiti, posters, flyers, schedules of concerts, so that you’ll find the right way there without any problems.
Here's what you can find behind the doors of Pushkinskaya, 10:
• The museum of non-conformist art –– collection of non-conformist art, sometimes hosts debates about the art scene.
• Pushkinskaya observatory –– hosts art debates, gives young artists the opportunity to exhibit
• The Gallery of Experimental Sound (GEZ-21)
• The Factory of Found Clothing / The Shop of Traveling Things
• Navicula Artis gallery –– exhibitions of Russian and foreign contemporary artists, art debates, lectures.
• Art-Poligon –– the experimental exhibition space
• The St.Petersburg Archive and Library of Independent Art
• John Lennon's Temple
• Baza –– the shop where they sell vinyl, cds with dance, alternative and experimental music.
• FOTOImage –– collection of contemporary photography is said to be the only one in St.Petersburg, opened to the public.
• Russian Poesy Fund –– founded in 1993 with the initiative of Iosef Brodsky. Charity evening, poet readings, contemporary art exhibitions.
• FishFabrique Club –– From the 1994 FishFabrique (also called ìFishkaî by St.Petersburgers) has been one of the most popular clubs in St. Petersburg and one of the best. It was the first club with alternative music. Since that time almost every St.Petersburg band has played here. Fishfabrique is a favorite place for local alternative musicians and cult artists. Design of the club, that was made by well known group of artists ìRechnikiî and ìACHEî is also worth seeing. Table hockey, cheap bar.
Music: alternative, ska (nofx!), punk, jazz, all spb bands and guests (ìCleaning womenî from Finland and more). Live concerts start at 9 pm from tuesday to saturday. Entrance is about 50 roubles ($1.75 US).
Sundays: movies from ìFestival of Festivalsî collection (St.Pete independent cinema event). Monday - just fun, free entrance.
Address: Ligovsky prospect, #53 or Pushkinskaya ul., #10. Location: Just next to Moskovski railway station or Oktyabrskaya hotel. Directions: ìPloshad vosstanyaî metro station or Moskovski vokzal (railway station where the trains from Moscow and Novgorod arrive) , walk down Ligovski prospekt, so that Moskovski railway station is on the left. The entrance to the club will be on the right side of the street, or on the crossroads of Ligovski and Pushkinskaya), the entrance is from Ligovski prospekt side. Internet: http://www.pushkinskaja-10.spb.ru/
