::: Moscow Blog :::

(Updated Jan 07 2009)

Its not easy to define the top 10 bars and there will be a lot of changes here. I am evaluating the bars by atmosphere, audience, drink prices and of course girls…

1. Looch (Ray) Best Lounge in Moscow!
There was a pretty big vacuum ever since Suzy Wong had closed, but its owners recently opened Looch, their new lounge. Looch looks a bit like Suzy Wong, but the place has a totally different layout. Its long and has much more room now. Apparently it can host up to 450 guests. The bar is impressive. Its probably the longest in Moscow, but the shelf’s behind are even more impressive (filled with a wide selection of liquor bottles). Looch also has a fireplace, but unfortunately its not allowed to work it (yet). They serve the cocktails and food you know from Suzy Wong. Moscow’s best and oldest Downbeat DJs Old Dog Nikolaev and Komotsky spin alongside with our LF resident Gatek and the new Da Vybz female duo. Suzy Wong, aehm excuse me, Looch continues to have one of the best music selections in Moscow. EVER!
Watch out for Labelfucker’s weekly Sunday brunches at Looch. Starting in Mid January!

2. Dennis Simachev’s Bar
This is the new weekday hangout of Moscow’s rich and famous, although the designer Dennis Simachev is trying to associate himself with subcultures and especially hip hop. The bar is very small and that’s why there its always packed and hard to get into (apart from a strict face control). I like the wild mix of the interior with some Manga elements and other cool stuff, like a jet seat. Music is House to Funk to Hip Hop and the partly (very) gayish crowd is friendly. Good (creative) mix of people and not the typical posh Russian fat VIP with his bunnies. Again, best weekday hangout. Come early for dinner and stay for the party. Simachevs is not as crowded as it used to be, especially during weekdays, but its still one of the better places to hang out during the week. I have recently had a blast on Sunday night with Ben Mono and don’t even remember how I got home. Don’t ask how my next working day went :(

3. Wall Street Bar
Moscow’s Expat community was waiting for something like the famous 30/7 or Tundra bars, which were almost simultaneously closed 2 years ago. Its amazing that it took 2 years until someone filled that hole and the makers of WSB didn’t even do that on purpose. Still its a fragile setup so far. Drinks are slightly overpriced and the music tends to be too commercial. WSB is currently one of the better bars and pre-party places. Lets have a look and see how it will develop. There is a mild face control, but unless you are not shitfaced or totally don’t fit their investment banker theme, they’ll let you in. Hey, we are in a crises and someone has to pay the bills. Watch out for 1400 Rub Kir Royals.

4. Sorry Babushka
Yeah, we had a good time. No need to say more. Just go and check Sorry Babushka yourself. Don’t let the expensive car lineup in front scare you away. There is a very light face control (if any). The cars belong to visitors of the Prado Cafe just above the bar/club. An American friend just got it right: Sorry Babushka is what Real Mc Coy used to be. Well, go and check yourself. Cheap drinks, a nice environment, good people. The music could be better, but where in Moscow I wouldn’t complain about it ;-)

5. O2 Lounge (Ritz Carlton)
Most of you know that I am not a big fan of posh places and I like to hang out in a more cool and friendly environment. Nevertheless I can’t ignore the O2 Lounge on the roof of the newly built Ritz Carlton on Tverskaya. Its just a nearly perfect summer hangout (only the pool is missing), but it comes with a fairly high price. A beer is $7 and cocktails (even none alcoholic) cost about $25-30, which I consider a premium. Still, the roof of this hotel offers a great view over Moscow in all directions and you can let your mind flow from one of the comfortable couches (since the walls are out of glass). You can also watch some of the high class guests on the neighbor tables, so its a great place for people watch. The luxury lounge with its good downbeat music is probably also a place to impress your date, if you are willing to invest enough money. Check Chillax on every other Monday.

6. The Real McCoy
RMC is a classic among Moscow’s bars. Its one of the few places where you can go alone and easily make friends in a heartbeat. They have excellent food for OK prices. Live music nights and Thu-Sat the place is packed and sweaty after midnight. Most amazingly there are plenty of easy going girls, but you won’t find a single whore there. The crowd is a mix of (mostly) Expats and young Russians. Real Mc Coy is famous for its huge Mojitos and Long Island Ice Teas, as well as the uni-sex toilet, where you can often see boys and girls sharing a cabin together. I wonder what they do there?

Note: RMC has lost a lot of its energy. A recent visit on Thursday was rather disappointing. Heard it was sold to new owners and many things have changed. I’ll give it another try before I down rate it. Maybe it was just a bad night.

7. Swissotel City Space Bar & Lounge
Not the cheapest bar in town and if you make as much $ as I make, don’t even think about ordering food. Still, this bar has the best view and atmosphere from all above Moscow places. It can easily compete (and win) with Red Bar, Sky Lounge, Sky Bar and the alike. Check this place for a sunset cocktail with your date. Its really nice.

8. Tema
The famous Exile magazine compares this place to what Boarhouse used to be, before it was invaded by hundreds of hobby prostitutes. I would compare it to Real Mc Coy and its a good alternative, if you are at Propaganda, Krisis or elsewhere around the corner. Nice people, easy to make new friends and easy to get in touch with local, mostly sub-urban, girls.

9. Kitaisky Lyotchik
“Chinese Pilot” is a student and alternative people hangout. They have good food and drinks for a very good price. Its easy to make friends. If you are a foreigner, you may be forced to drink a a few vodkas with the people from your neighbor table. Very often they have live concerts (rock, ska, punk, jazz). In the summer they have a small, but cozy backyard, where you can sit outside. Not posh, not stylish, just friendly and cozy.

10. Petrovic
The bar scene is thinning out this summer. So an old establishment finally makes it into the top 10. Petrovic is part restaurant, part club. Its not easy to get in during weekends. You should reserve a table for dinner and then just stay until the club action takes off, around midnight. This place is just right, if you are looking for some 30 plus year old cougars. The women/men ration is just right and most likely you won’t regret a visit. Its an easy going place and easy to make friends. Unfortunately they play a lot of Russian pop-music, but the place is still not as bad as “Paris Live” or “Tunnel”.

Readers Choice
Just in case you don’t agree with my opinion, you can vote for your own favorite bar and see a list generated by users. Missing a bar on the poll? Shoot me an email.

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Swan Lake (Lebedinoye Ozer)
This is my new favorite summer hangout. It belongs to Solyanka. Swan Lake is on the Park Kulturi area, but you can access it from outside, if you take the road from Leninsky Prospect just after the hospital. Tell the guard you want to go to “Lebedinoye Ozer” and he’ll let you drive inside.

Swan Lake offers a variety of drinks and food, they have waterpipes and at daytime you can hang out and catch some sun near the (small) pool. Its a friendly place with a cool style and good music in the evenings. Just what you’d want for a hot summer evening.

Lebedinoye Ozero: 9/11 Ul. Krymsky Val (by the back gate of Gorky Park), 782-5813, noon-6 a.m., M. Shabolovskaya.

Want to know about the Moscow Top 10 Clubs?
http://www.moscow-blog.com/moscow-top-10-clubs/

Simachevs on a Friday night:

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