"Bars and nightclubs"

The TOP 10 (in alphabetical order)

Caribbean Club – 4 Kominternaya, 288 1290
The only Latin disco in Kiev, Caribbean lacks in size but makes up for it in many other ways. Skilled salsa dancers make regular appearances and set an example for the rest to follow. Wednesday’s ladies night is the raciest and most risqué party in the city. Cover typically UAH 60 for men, UAH 40 for ladies.

Decadence – 16 Shota Rustaveli, 206 4920
The truly elite Decadence restaurant-nightclub has a stylish, pseudo-Art Deco interior, decent drinks (if you don’t pay attention to prices) but music that’s typically hit or miss. Wanna dance? Make elbow room for yourself on the miniscule dance floor. Cover charge is a whopping UAH 200 if you want a table, otherwise guys after 11pm pay UAH 150, but ladies always get in free.

Faberge – 22 Rybalska, 501 7979
A club claiming to be very exclusive with strict face control, also if it is not as strict as it once was, due to Chajkovsky DeLuxe. Nevertheless, dress up if you want to get in for sure. They serve a large variety of drinks and a few snacks. Cover charge is typically UAH 70 for men, UAH 50 for women.

PaTiPa – 10 Muzeyny Lane, 253 0150
A fashionable nightclub with showers for the go go dancers visible from the dance floor – just in case there wasn’t enough to check out as far as club patrons go. Music includes Hip-Hop Night on Thursdays, salsa music early Friday evenings from 7pm and regular DJ parties late Friday and Saturday. Strict face control on Saturdays. Dress accordingly. Cover charge is UAH 80-100, but that’s often not enough to get in as the place often fills up by midnight.

Privilege – 2 Parkovaya Doroga, 451 6790
The only open-air nightclub not in Hydropark, Privilege has gone through many changes in format and name, so don’t be surprised if your taxi driver knows it better as the Green Theater (“Zelanaya Teatra”) than as Privilege. The focus is on House music, with lots of foreign DJ guests in the summer. Great place to party til the dawn when the weather allows. Cover charge averages UAH 80. Summer only!

Shooters – 22 Moskovskaya St., 254 2024
One of the most laid-back clubs in the city and a massive flirt factor to rival the legendary but now-defunct 111. The bouncers might be complete goons (and not terribly intelligent), but the club makes up for it with cheap drinks, good food upstairs, a hookah bar downstairs and parties every night of the week. Best of all, it’s open non-stop. Cover charge rarely exceeds UAH 50.

Tchaikovsky DeLuxe – 9 Rybalskaya, 501 7979
EA fairly new club aimed at the young and hip club crowd, opened by the owners of Dance Studio and Faberge. The interior gives the appearance of being exclusive, though the prices are not – and the range of guests belies the focus on a younger crowd. The DJ plays on a platform above the main bar, giving the bar a rather funky look.

Tsar Project – 1v Grushevskogo, 279 0000
This new and amazingly upscale entertainment center is situated in the heart of the capital, just off Europeyskaya Sq., near Water Resource Info Center, the Philharmonic and the grandiose looking Puppet Theater. Check out the ornate interior decor with icons and huge blinking lamps instead of strobe lights.

THE Pre-Party Hot Spot

Chocolade – 39/41 Shota Rustaveli, 289 0194
Part cafe, bar and restaurant, Chocolade is best known in town as the top pre-party restaurant. Mingle with lots of young, stylish and beautiful people while dining on food that rarely exceeds UAH 50 in price. Drinks are reasonably priced, the chairs and booths very comfy, the bathroom is unisex, DJs spin nice tracks to get everyone hopping by 11pm and there’s even a breakfast menu in case you finish clubbing by 8am and hope to grab an early bite to eat. Service could be better.

THE After-Party Hot Spot

Ganesha – 11a Artyoma, 272 3813
This strictly after-hours club might be small but maintains a very cozy atmosphere for those looking to continue the party well into the morning after an already long night out. Food (and booze) is available to those who need it. Cover averages UAH 50 for men and women.

Other Clubs to Consider

Cinema Club – 1a Entuziastov, 555 5854
Can’t stand the house, techno and typical rhythms associated with downtown clubs? This is one club that regularly plays jungle, break beat, drum ‘n’ bass and other hard-core electronic. Be warned, though: it’s also far from the city center, located on the Left Bank near the Hotel Slavutych. The crowd is decidedly under 23.

Dance Studio (former Dance & Groove) – 2a Bessarabskaya Sq., 239 7382
This is the downtown club for the really, really young. Located in the Bessarabian Market building (enter on the side facing Khreschatyk), the club is rather gothic due to the preponderance of so much black, but the big dance floor, long bar, posh upstairs and lots of cocktails will help anyone forget they might feel out of place here.

Del Mar – 11 Kostyolnaya, 278 0463
This cafe, bar and club offers cheap drinks, nice hookah smoking and features up-and-coming DJs.

Disco Radio Hall (former Moda Bar) – Pier #6 , Naberezhno-Khreschatytskaya, 428 7388
Once the hottest club in the city, the old Moda Bar (now Disco Radio) has fallen on hard times. The club plays from a radio music format, which won’t help it attract a crowd of anyone but the older pick-up crowd, but that’s what club owners want. Face control is aimed at people over 25. Each day of the week is devoted to a different, popular Ukrainian radio station.

Forsage – 51a Garmatnaya, 230 3535
The massive Forsage nightclub on the National Aviation University campus fills 1,800 square meters with dance, house and other types of electronica music. But be warned: it’s really, really far from the center and not easy to get to. Or back from.

Greenwich Club – 49b Degtyarivskaya, 459 6253
Hard-to-find Greenwich prides itself as a Bristish style nightclub with its modern design, two bars, large dance floor and space for up to 600 clubbers. Entrance and drinks are cheap. The clientele are mostly students.

River Palace – Naberezhne Shosse, Dnipro metro station, 490 6695
The capital’s longest-serving and biggest floating casino, River Palace has an exclusive VIP room, gaming halls, a cozy nightclub with lively entertainment, including infrequent concerts. There’s even a sports bar with live music.

Saxon – 4 Trutenkaya, 230 3536
Saxon is the furthest out of any club in our abbreviated list but has a tempting schedule of surprisingly good DJ parties every night of the week. The crowd draws from the large neighborhood community, so for those who’ve worked their way through the regular downtown crowds, Saxon offers a breath of fresh air for singles.

Sound Planet – 18/24 Dmitrivskaya, 486 0300
This three-level nightclub boasts the best (read: most deafening) sound system in the city and often hosts solid DJ talent from across Europe and North America. The lounge downstairs is our pick of the three levels (at least you can hear yourself think), with the overly dark top floor our least favorite.