Hippos, Fish Factories, Chinese Pilots and other secrets of St. Petersburg nightlife
Sep 24, 2010
(Above, Chinese Pilot; a spin-off of a grungy Moscow student bar)
Russian-language reviews of nightlife in St. Petersburg provide tantalizing glimpses of a world almost entirely hidden from tourists...of, for example, "the fashion of minimal techno and rowdy parties in teahouses on Nevsky." Sounds fun but such things are hard to find, especially because the city is woefully underserved by English-language listings. The following are some bars and clubs we know and like. As usual with things Russian, not everyplace has a website and many won't answer the phone. Arm yourself with optimism and an address and off you go.
Begamot
A cafe during the day and glamtrash bar at night. From the restaurant group that does Mari Vanna in NYC, London and Moscow, as well as many other cool, nouveau-tasteful places in St. Petersburg.
12 Sadovaya St, +7 812 925 40 o0
Che
This might be the best-known bar-club in St Petersburg, so it attracts a lot of tourists. The reputation for good food and a posh clientele is a little (totally) exaggerated, but the coolness of the owners and the live music and jazz program keeps the place relevant for Russians, too.
3 Poltavskaya St, +7 812 277 7600
Chinese Pilot
A St. Petersburg venture from the owners of a dive bar by the same name (Kitaiski Lotchik, in Russian) in Moscow. The Moscow version, way back in the day, was opened by one of the managers of the original Krisis Zhanre and is still going strong as a music venue, cheap restaurant and late-night drinking venue with a dirty-student-ish clientele. St. Petersburg branch is cut from the same cloth.
7 Pestelya, +7 812 273 74 87
Druzhba ("Friendship")
Tiny and very cool DJ bar with chilled-out music and backgammon that recently appeared in a cellar under an art gallery. Also serves crispy waffles with sweetened condensed milk (a delicious Soviet Era treat).
39 Ligovsky Prospekt
Efir (Ether)
A big, splashy new venture by many pedigreed Petersburg nightlife folks. Techno music. A kitchen concept (cheap Chinese-inspired) that's hopefully is better than it sounds. Translation of Afisha review here.
56 Malay Prospect (Petrograd direction)
Et Cetera
Nice design, affiliated with an experimental theater and has interesting cultural events.
Translation of Afisha review here.
9 Belinkskovo; +7 904 551 00 25
The first bar-club in the city, famously located in a squat and to this day a mix of students, local intelligentsia come for the concerts and exhibitions, and tourists. Divey with cheap food.
53 Ligovsky Prospect
Club Griboeydov
Another very old, casual, underground club and music venue.
2a Voronedzhskaya; +7 812 764 43 55
Papaprotif
Russia's violence and homophobia makes any openly gay person or venture an act of resistance. It's thrilling and nerve-wracking to see one, especially one with a great name like this. Papa Protif could be roughly translated into 'father is against it' or more provocatively, 'against daddy'.
22-24 Fontanka Embankment, in the courtyard; +7 812 275 05 20
