Berlin Bar
This bar was founded by German expat and DJ Chris Helmbrecht. The interior is the creation of award-winning Berlin designer Thilo Ferdinand Reich, known for his work at bars Saint Jean and The Coven. The menu includes Berlin specials like currywurst and other German favorites — meatballs with potato salad and herring rolls.
14 Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, Bldg. 6.Metro Mayakovskaya.
facebook.com/from.berlin.to.moscow
Denis Simachev Shop & Bar
Founded by designer Denis Simachevin the 2000s, this club quickly became a traditional hangout for Moscow’s fashionable sets. The kitschy interior features mirrors, chandeliers and wash basins in the middle of the dancefloor. The music is consistently good and so are the cocktails. Simachev also offers some delicious bar snacks. It’s crowded on the weekends, so dress smart to pass face control.
12 Stoleshnikov Pereulok, Bldg. 2.Metro Lubyanka.
facebook.com/dsbar
Dissident
Dissident is a Moscow version of an underground techno club, hidden in a basement in one of the courtyards along the boulevard ring. Inside isexposed brick and old furniture. Drinks are expensive, but if you are looking for somewhere to dance into the wee hours, Dissident is just the place.
25 Chistoprudny Bulvar.Metro Chistiye Prudy, Turgenevskaya.
facebook.com/Dissident25
Gazgolder
Gazgolder is located in a recently renovated historical gasholder tank at the former Arma factory, next to the Kursky train station. The club and restaurant belong to Russia’s top rapper, Basta. There are plenty of rap and hip-hop concerts, as well as techno parties that sometimes go on for three nights in a row.
5 Nizhny Susalny Pereulok, Bldg. 6.Metro Kurskaya.
gazgolderclub.ru
Ketch Up
Ketch Up is an outpost of a popular St. Petersburg burger chain on weekdays, but it turns into a bar with dancing on weekends. Try any of the 13 burger varieties and combine it with cocktails like the Penicillin or New York Sour. You’ll find listings for upcoming parties on their Facebook page.
6/3 Ulitsa Kuznetsky Most, Bldg. 3.Metro Kuznetsky Most.
facebook.com/ketchupmoscow
Model T
Model T is a bit of a dive and underground bar, but it is also a music lover’s dream with great live performances. It offers everything from death metal to experimental folk to avant-garde jazz.
8 1st Yamskaya Ulitsa.Metro Dmitrovskaya, Dostoevskaya
facebook.com/modelt.musicbar
Powerhouse
This bar/club located in a 19th-century mansion is mostly famous for its funk and hip-hop nights, as well as live indie and jazz-band performances. The food is good and there’s a whisky-tasting bar forconnoisseurs. Another draw is its enormous courtyard, which sometimes hosts early evening parties.
7/4 Goncharnaya Ulitsa.Metro Taganskaya.
facebook.com/powerhousemoscow
Propaganda
It seems that Propaganda — or “propka” as cool Muscovites call it affectionately — has been around forever. It first opened its doors in the 1990s and is still packed every weekend. Go there during the afternoon when the kitchen is still open — the food is quite decent. The most popular and crowded parties are the traditional DJ Sanchez’ Thursdays and gay Sundays.
7 Bolshoi Zlatoustinsky Pereulok.Metro Lubyanka.
propagandamoscow.com
Strelka Bar
Dance parties, concerts, lectures, movies, Strelka is the place to be. You’re bound to bump into an editor of an edgy publication sharing a drink with a bunch of clean-cut Moscow hipsters, while expats dance to a Woodkid set. The food is worth trying, but you’ll probably enjoy it more when there are no DJs or huge crowds. The view of the Moscow River and the biggest church in Moscow is spectacular, and you’ll enjoy it even more sitting on the open terrace in the summertime.
14 Bersenevskaya Naberezhnaya, Bldg. 5. Metro Polyanka, Kropotkinskaya.
strelka.com
Noor Electro
One of Moscow’s most popular bars, Noor Electro is located in the same building as the avant-garde Electrotheatre. The bar was redecorated, expanded and renamed Electo Noor a couple of years ago in honor of the theater next door. The cocktails are legendary, and there’s always a party on the weekend. If the autumn weather permits, there’s a great courtyard, wheret here are live performances from time to time.
20/12 Ulitsa Tverskaya, Bldg. 1. Metro Mayakovskaya.
noorbar.com
Time Out Rooftop Bar
This 12th floor bar boasts views from two sides — one over Tverskaya and Bretskaya streets, and the other towards the Satire Theater and the Garden Ring. Its extensive cocktail list is divided into “times”— from breakfast time to sundown time, you can enjoy a refreshing(or reviving) cocktail while looking out over one of the best views of Moscow. Open from midday every day, Time Out Rooftop Bar catches the sunshine and the atmosphere of the city, and on the weekend, the space lights up with music acts and dancing through the night.
5 BolshayaSadovaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya.
timeout-bar
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