Bar/Club Info
2A Basseinaya Street
Tel 492-00-00
Hours: Disco 9pm - last customer
Restaraunt: 10am - last customer
Payment
Visa
Master Card Atmospheres
Club People
Late Night Scene
Specialty-Cocktails
Show
Dancing
Striptease
Sport Bar
Casino
Admission
$10

ARENA Visit Website

The Scene
As far as nightclub venues in Kiev go, Arena which is located in the very center of the city inside the round structure right next to Bessarabski market is the king of clubs. Inside Arena is more architecturally stylish than a watering hole needs to be. Although calling it a watering hole would be like calling Russia a slightly bigger than an average sized country. Arena consists of multiple floors, featuring a Casino, sports bar, sushi restaurant and of course a standard nightclub with a large VIP area.

The large dance floor and sexy dancer girls take a bit of the bite out of the pricey drinks, not that the moneyed clientele seems to mind -- they’re just happy to be inside. Mojitos and martinis are the cocktails of choice, and rich new Russian types and local Ukrainian celebrities are usually well-represented in the see-and-be-seen crowd. That should come as no surprise; provided Arena is partially owned by the famous boxers – Klitchko brothers frequently make an appearance at the first floor sports bar. Follow the stairs in the back of the room and you’ll come to the second-floor casino, continuing up the stairs brings you to a restaurant and the final floor contains the large disco area. There is also surprisingly pleasant balcony that overlooks the upscale middle of the large building in which the club is housed. Girls inside range from expensive Kiev prostitutes to normal girls out on the town, making it sometimes difficult to distinguish the two.

Verdict
Even though Arena has lost some of its prestige since its opening, it is still a recommended visit for any foreigner visiting Kiev for the first time.

 

Bar/Club Info
22 Ribalskaya Street
Tel 501-7979
Hours10pm - 8am
Payment
Visa
Master Card Atmospheres
Restaraunt
Late Night Scene
Specialty-Cocktails
Dancing
Trendy
Admission
$10

Chaykovsky Deluxe

The Scene
Within Chaykovksy art-deco interior is a separate dining room, top-notch sound system, large stage for live performers, elegant atmosphere and lots of R &B. Drinks can be expensive on a relative basis to similar clubs in Kiev, and the door is somewhat selective, so dress to impress or you may not get the chance to taste them. Almost as spicy as its next door neighbor (Decadence House), this Kiev district spot has herded some of the finest cattle in the city. Partygoers are encountered by a breath of fresh air once they step inside this sexy, provocative space. Even though the lighting is dark and gloomy, the club seems to pull off a semi-modern upscale feel. It’s an easy place to sneak off and mingle with the typical spoiled rotten bottle babes and flirt with the boastful & often flaunty large bellied dudes with fat wallets, from countries far and away. Some nights with a strong DJ you will find the real ‘genuine’ crowd, but definitely not anytime on the weekends.

Verdict
Kiev’s Tchaikovsky Deluxe can be a hit or miss depending on the party. Be prepared to pay a hefty cover charge, particularly if there is a headline DJ that night.

 

Bar/Club Info
39-41 Shota Rustaveli St
Tel: 289-0194
Hours 12pm – Last Cust.
Payment
Visa
Master Card
Atmospheres
Trendy
Romantic
People Watching
Great Food
Beautiful People Admission
Cost of Food

CHOCOLATE Visit Website

The Scene
The self proclaimed ‘Pre Party’ place Chocolate or Shokolate if you will is a new addition to Kiev’s party spots and we welcome it. While it is more of an upscale restaurant, Chocolate features an arty yet stylish chic crowd which does not mind spending cash on relaxing in style. The space itself is spacious, the music is soft yet loud enough and the vibe is unbeatable. For many, having a dinner reservation might not be a bad idea. Chocolate features amazing cocktails and the service is absolutely impeccable. The ‘pre party’ label is suitable, as this is one of the better spots to spend your early night out hours since the 111 and subsequently 112 closed down. Located in the center of Kiev, Chocolate is usually a short walk away from most major Hotels or self catered apartments. The crowd is usually beautiful, well behaved and provides a worthy ‘people watching’ entertainment element. Make sure to come with friends, order a Hookah and start your night off right.

Verdict
Kiev needs more nightclubs like Moscow needs more saunas but the pre party atmosphere, great cocktails and food make Chocolate a welcome addition.

 

Bar/Club Info
16 Shota Rustaveli St
Tel 20-649-20
Hours 11am – Last Customer
Payment
All Credit Cards
Atmospheres
Late Night Scene
Specialty Cocktails
Food
Trendy
Romantic
Beautiful People
Face Control
Live Music

Admission
$20 Men / Free Women

Decadence House Visit Website

The Scene
Depending on your tolerance for trust fund sleaze (we of course do not mean Victor Yushenko’s sons famed nights out at this place), slick South American expats, geezed up Russian Oligarchs and husband-hunting lithe young things, you will either flock to Kiev’s Decadence House or run screaming. Defiantly euro-trashy, despite years of evidence to the contrary, Kiev’s Decadence house is unabashedly expensive and remorselessly exclusive, especially for girls.

So don your Prada and remember there's usually a healthy cover, typically $20 for men (free for women – but very exclusive). Although one may confused a night at Decadence house with a ‘model party’ please do not get confused, this is just a regular Thursday night at this place. The door people try hard to keep ‘easy women’ away, but a few slip in so don’t get overly excited if you get a smile from the other side of the dance floor by some blond beauty. Otherwise, Decadence house features excellent food, great bar service, nice booths and fantastic music.

Verdict
Convenient downtown location, great food and music make this a perfect spot for any evening in Kiev both in summer and winter time.

 

Bar/Club Info
134 Frunze St
Tel 468-4068
Hours Frid / Sat 8pm - Last Customer
Payment
Visa
Master Card
Atmospheres
Late Night Scene
Dancing
Live Shows
Famous DJ
Casino

Admission
$8

Freedom Visit Website

The Scene
Meet Kiev’s former A-List darling. Inside this concert hall / casino / restaurant / night club, you’ll feel like you’re in a pimped out den. Dark red lights accented by diamond necklaces fill the space with a glittery comfort. With a monster dance floor, stage area and mirrors on the ceiling, Freedom decor is both decadent and gaudy at the same time. The bartenders are surprisingly FAST and friendly, so no need to worry if you aren’t lucky enough to secure a table reservation. Having a table also allows one to order hookahs with a rather large selection of sweet tobacco.

Make sure to check their weekly events as they typically host a concert or two through the week. Freedom brings in Russian pop heavyweights, ranging from Basko to Yosif Kobzon. The club also is available for private events and corporate functions so visit their website to make sure your night there is not a bust. The clientele inside consists of everything Kiev has to offer with a wide array of horny students, hipsters, dance lovers, house music enthusiasts and older men who love young women – making it a typical Kiev establishment.

Verdict
Kiev’s Freedom can be a great place if you are looking to catch a Russian concert or a show, otherwise can be a fun time if you are looking for a one stop shop for all of your entertainment needs.

 

Bar/Club Info
20 Artema St
Tel 48-20-001
Hours 9pm – Last Cust.
Payment
Visa
Master Card
Atmospheres
Late Night Scene
Specialty Cocktails
Dancing
VIP
Beautiful People
Admission
$10

KAIF Visit Website

The Scene
Kiev needs more hotspots like Kaif. Even though the clientele appears funky to some, we can’t get enough of this fairly small yet original club. Some of the ‘bad’ elements usually found on the Kiev’s nightlife circuit are surprisingly absent at Kaif, yet the music is some of the best. DJ resident as of this writing was DJ Kon, spinning some of the best Euro house Kiev has to offer. Bottle Service is available and Kaif is overall not a cheap place. Instead of the typical tacky in your face décor that so many Kiev nightclubs use, Kaif uses subtle, amber lighting to accent the understated retro looked, and it works. A little smaller than tennis court, Kaif has room for dancing with an official dance floor, with VIP sofas dotting the walls. Some of Kiev’s golden youth loves calling this place its home on Fridays and Saturdays. Just to be safe, come dressed with a flavor to assure the goons at the door don’t give you a hard time. Once you’re inside, be prepared to put on your disco shoes and dance the night away!

Verdict
Kiev truly needs more clubs like Kaif. Good service and clientele assure a great time for anyone who loves electronic music.

 

Bar/Club Info
12/27 Dekabristov St
Tel 563-6533
Restaurant
Hours: 11am – 8pm
Club
8pm – last customer
Payment:
Cash Only
Atmospheres
Late Night Scene
Specialty Cocktails
Students
Billiards
Dancing
Live Music
Shows
Strip Club
Bowling
Admission
$4

Maximum Visit Website

The Scene
Welcome to one of Kiev’s mega entertainment complexes. Maximum is a veteran in Kiev, having operated for a number of years with much success, largely due to their loyal client base of students and young professionals, drawing consistent crowds with its wide array of activity offers. One can visit a Disco, Bowl, see a Striptease, play some billiards, gamble the night away, or just enjoy a fine meal by the fireplace. With all of these activities readily available in one building, why wouldn’t this place be so popular? The disco is a standard bar, dance floor and laser lights with the only caveat being occasional strip shows and various theme parties.

The strip club is not the best by Kiev's standards but is easily accessed through a wide door from the regular disco floor. If you get tired of dancing you can easily slip away for a nice striptease from a pretty Kiev studentka. . The casino is a standard middle of the road gamble offering a wide variety of table and machine games. Billiards room is large, and offers mostly Russian style tables with one American sized table as of last visit. The restaurant offers reasonable prices but closes early, therefore depriving you the satisfaction of getting a meal at 5am before heading home. Maximum draws different crowds on different nights, yet well known for catering to the under-served student scene. Few of Kiev’s universities in the nearby proximity make it convenient.

Verdict
Maximum one stop shop approach has been a success for many years and you can still get lots of mileage out of this place if you come on the right night.

 

Bar/Club Info
10 Muzeini Prospect
Tel 253-0150
Disco
8pm – last customer
Payment:
Visa
Master Card Atmospheres
Late Night
Models
Specialty Cocktails
Romantic
Beautiful People
Dancing
DJ
Shows
Admission
Varies

Patipa Visit Website

The Scene
Kiev’s Patipa is truly 21st-century club with all the sleek trimmings you've come to expect. The designers who put together some of Western Europe’s best clubs, have joined forces in Kiev to take us deep into the vibe of their creative vision. Patipa mantra seems be "drink and dance 'til you drop," as evidenced by the presence of an expansive bar and a mega dance floor. Patipa is probably Kiev’s most original club. For true connoisseurs of House in Kiev, Patipa is a dream realized. It combines all the benefits of a mega-club, such top-notch DJs and a killer sound system, but without the meatheads and drunken sluts.

The club features a number of separate areas, such as a ‘Chill out’ area, banquet hall, café in the event you are craving a small snack, and a totally secluded rooms upstairs which are big enough to handle up to 20 of your closest friends. The cool thing about them is they are equipped with a phone which puts you in touch with bar/restaurant if you get thirsty/hungry and provides a live feed of the dance floor on a plasma screen TV, to assure you do not miss a beat. The rooms are also equipped with climate control, just in case something causes you to get hot and bothered. Patipa is amongst the favorite clubs of Kiev’s elite youth and it should be on the list of places for you to visit if you truly want to relax and have a great time with your friends.

Verdict
One of the best and innovate nightclubs Kiev has to offer, from every perspective.

 

Bar/Club Info
Road Along Dnepro, Metro Dnepr
Tel 490-6695
Hours 9pm – 6am
Payment
Cash Only
Atmospheres
Late Night Scene
Specialty Cocktails
Restaraunt
Casino
Live Music
Touristy
Admission
$10

River Palace Visit Website

The Scene
Do you like girls? Do you like a wide variety of girls? Do you want to make sure you go home with one of them at the end of the night no matter what you look like? If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then River Palace is for you! For many expats, River Palace is one of the biggest reasons of what keeps them in Kiev. Located along the river in a nonfunctional boat, River Palace is basically a floating brothel. Not to say that non professional girls occasionally visit, it’s just that your odds of running into them at River Palace are about the same as winning a lottery. What can we say that hasn’t been said... even on slow nights your jaw will be dragging along the floor due to the sheer quantity of available babes. Prices have gotten relatively cheaper, when compared with inflation elsewhere. So packed with awesome babes who want to get to know you (because you’re so damn interesting), excellent service and genuine class.

There is no single better way to spend your hard earned money than at River Palace, should you choose to if you do not want to risk going home alone after dropping a few bills on bottle service in Arena trying to court some provincial student. If you have only one night in Kiev, make sure this place is on your list – not because you will walk away with a Kiev prostitute but simply because such a place does not exist in most countries. Women so hot that you just want to keep them locked up in a padded chest in your basement. No shame in showing your face, the staff is surprisingly attentive and polite. If nothing else, come for the shock value, stay for a drink and enjoy a hookah pipe. Small dance floor allows men old enough to be grandfathers to dance with young, cute lil’ things. THE favored place for married men on business trips to visit—many have given this place "two hastily removed wedding rings up!" Oh yeah, there is also a small casino.

Verdict
Girls start at least $300 these days, but can be agreeable at $200 if you did well in your critical negotiations course in university days. If you bump into your boss, just say that you’ve come for the music.

 

Bar/Club Info
22 Moskovskaya St
Tel 254-2024
Hours 9pm – Last.
Payment
Cash Only
Atmospheres
Late Night Scene
Specialty Cocktails
Expats
Meat Market
Live Shows
Romantic
Admission
$5

Shooters Visit Website

The Scene
From its state-of-the-art space in the center of Kiev, Shooters provides a music program specializing in various genres of music. Kiev’s Shooters is a great place to relax with friends, and becomes a meat market for Kiev after work happy hour scene. It is a haven for mature individuals seeking intelligent nightlife with neither the hassles of large clubs nor the elitism of upscale lounges with too many VIP rooms. Once you are in Shooters, there will be no more ropes, checkpoints, or rules. Security's goal is to compliment the experience, not to hinder it and they are barely visible here. Shooters has set a new level in Kiev nightlife by going back to basics: great DJs on the planet, fast and entertaining bar service, nice decor, and a fine sound system. The crowd consists primarily of Kiev’s young professionals, and Shooter is one of expats favorite places. One may choose to come here with the intention of meeting someone, relaxing with friends, smoke a water pipe or just get loaded given the reasonable prices for liquor.

Verdict
Shooters is a breath of fresh air in Kiev’s dense nightlife scene, offering a laid back casual nightlife experience with good crowds and well priced drinks.