Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
JAZZ & BLUES
Jazz Philharmonic Hall
For more traditional shows, head to St. Petersburg's jazz
shrine, whose large hall offers balconies and a nostalgic atmosphere. Performances are
consistently excellent, with classically trained performers. Shows start at 7pm daily.
Check out the Museum of Petersburg Jazz on the second floor.
27 Zagorodniy Prospekt.
&
812/764-8565.
www.jazz-hall.spb.ru. Tickets 600-800 rubles. Metro: Vladimirskaya.
JFC
Elegant yet relaxed, this venue features Russian and foreign musicians and is a
favorite among expats and Russian jazz connoisseurs.
33 Shpalernaya Ulitsa.
&
812/272-9850.
www.jfc.sp.ru. Cover 200-250 rubles. Metro: Chernyshevskaya.
Jimi Hendrix Blues Club
This basement bar inhabits a building that Russians know
better as the house of poet Sergei Yesenin. It's the best place in town to hear blues, both
authentic (by visiting U.S. performers) and with a Russian twist. Despite the exposed
brick walls and torn posters, the place would have been too classy for Hendrix, but the
atmosphere is pretty laid-back, the food is good, and the prices are reasonable.
33 Liteiny
Prospekt.
&
812/579-8813.
Cover 150 rubles. Shows at 7:30pm. Metro: Chernyshevskaya.
Red Fox Jazz Club
Live jazz 7 nights a week, tasty food and tempting drinks—this
is an excellent place to wind down after a busy day of sightseeing. Check out their web-
site for listings of their broad selection of bands, from Cuban to New Orleansean to
homegrown Russian rhythms.
50 Mayakovskaya.
&
812/275-4214.
www.rfjc.ru. Cover 40
rubles. Metro: Chernyshevskaya.
289
16
FOLK & ALTERNATIVE
Cynic
(Tsynik) This fun and funky venue stayed hip even after expanding to a
three-room space with room enough to dance (unlike its minuscule original locale).
Students, expats, and anyone with steam to blow appreciate its spontaneous shows by
underground bands and its cheap beer and food. It's famous for its
grenki,
garlic toast,
but you get used to the smell fast. Open Sunday through Thursday from noon to 3am;
Friday and Saturday from noon to 6am.
4 Antonenko Pereulok.
&
812/312-8779.
Metro:
Sennaya Ploshchad.
Fishfabrique
Part of the Pushkinskaya 10 art complex (p. 258), this is the hippest
and most creative place for alternative bands, though perhaps the smallest. It's called
“Fishka” by locals. Check out the gallery of experimental sound and other wonders in
this countercultural cavern of performance and gallery spaces. Open daily from 3pm to
6am; concerts usually take place Thursday through Saturday.
10 Pushkinskaya Ulitsa.
&
812/764-5351.
Cover 50-250 rubles for concerts. Metro: Ploshchad Vosstaniya.
NIGHTCLUBS & CABARET
Unfortunately, most nightclubs in St. Petersburg have become synonymous with bordel-
los, and the stage shows are little more than strip acts. The nightclubs in the more
expensive hotels are somewhat cleaner, though they tend to be stale and not worth the
high drink prices. The bars and dance clubs are a better way to feel the city's nighttime
pulse. One exception, perhaps the only cabaret in town, is the
Chaplin Club,
which puts
on pantomime shows, comedy shows, or jazz performances at 7:30pm every night for
about 65 rubles. The shows are in Russian but visually enjoyable, and the atmosphere is
relaxed and arty with a vaudevillian feel. During the day, children's parties are staged and
