Clubs:
St Petersburg:
Metro
Metro has stood the test of time, a rarity in the Russian nightclub business. Mega-sized club spanning three floors, each practically a club within a club. Cheap drinks and reasonable over though seemingly higher every time I visit. The first two floors fill up with the younger crowd, but the third floor is a little older. Warning: Don’t go to Metro if you are offended by 18 – 21 year old girls wearing close to nothing and having a great time. The tennis match factor here is a 10 on a 10 point scale. Chewing gum is not allowed. I'm serious. You will be asked if you have drinks, weapons, or gum as you enter the club. After you reply no, the will search you. If they find gum, they will confiscate it and scowl at you. Don't try hiding it in your underwear, they will find it. I can't make this stuff up. The only thing that sucks is that this used to be a very cheap club to get into and now it's about $10 if you come after midnight.
Konnushenaya Ploshad Bars:
Right in the center of the city, this area is heavily populated with tourists and locals having a good time. The bars here have no front door policy, although a cover charge is expected in many. Most of these places you will find English speaking staff and locals with overall friendliness to foreigners.
Rossi Club ( Ul Zotchego Rossi 1/3)
$$Located very close to Nevskiy Prospect, this place has always been a heaven for tourists. With free champagne for girls on Thursdays and other such events, this place gets full with locals and tourists. The best time to visit is Thursday as weekends are sometimes too busy and lack of ventilation cause the place to be very hot and full of smoke. The place features local bands, pop music, and striptease dances about once every hour.
XXXX Bar (Zvenigorodskaya 9/11)
A very nice and friendly place to get drunk. Free entrance before 11 and 1000 rubles after (for guys). The bad parts are only lack of air conditioning and the fact that it sometimes gets very full. The good part is dancing on the bar, dancing on the tables, many foreign and local tourists. Music here is mostly pop.
Club GOLDEN Dolls
Golden Dolls opened in May, 1998 and became the first erotic club in St. Petersburg. During its existence, the club came through the way from a small establishment with a minimum of services and entertainment to an elite night club with good infrastructure, high service level and the show-programs.
Moscow:
Propaganda
Propaganda is surely one of the best places in Moscow to go for an unpretentious boogie - and what's more there's a party here every night of the week! Thursdays and Saturdays tend to be the biggest nights, when you're most likely to see a guest DJ from around the world spinning the ones and twos. Hit the bar early for some cheaper beverages (before 11:00pm) and then watch as a cosmopolitan crowd of middle-class Russians, expats and tourists filter in. Tables and chairs are moved away to make room for a makeshift dancefloor and then suddenly, in the space of minutes, this laidback bar becomes party central.
Divas club
Divas features three stages with topless and full strip shows running non-stop. The four VIP rooms have an Eastern theme with Oriental, Arabian, an Indian chill-out room and a Thai massage room. A look at the range of possibilities available on the “Crazy Menu” is almost worth the 700 ruble ($28) price of admission in itself, though what’s on offer is not great value. It’s 1600 rubles ($64) for a ten minute private dance or 800 rubles ($32) for a ten minute lap dance. 800 rubles ($32) to touch the breast of a waitress??? Divas is big on the theme parties and there are various specials on weekdays. There is an ATM on the premises.
Night Flight Club
Probably the most renowned gentleman’s club in Moscow. Having opened in 1991 it’s certainly the longest established. This is not your average, ultra-sleazy strip club but more of a refined place. Of course, though, all the same services are on offer here as they are in other establishments. Night Flight is very popular with visiting businessmen and boasts impeccable service due to the Swedish management’s influence. The restaurant actually has a reputation as one of the cities finest and dancers perform on the balcony above the tables. Entry to the club costs 750 rubles or is free if you eat at the restaurant.
Violete Club
Violete features one of the most lush interiors you’ll ever see, with purple obviously being the dominant color. The 500 ruble ($18) entry price is a bargain. There are four halls, the main one with two poles for dancers and another lined with mirrors. Then there are separate rooms for the Japanese/European restaurant and for the bar. Violete also has six VIP rooms and even a karaoke hall. The girls are friendly and don’t try to extort your money as aggressively as at some other clubs. You’d swear that they actually do their job because they really enjoy it. Perhaps the classiest mid-range strip joint you’ll find.