Web-site: www.dalicafe.spb.ru (in Russian)
Address: 11 Spasskii per. (metro Sennaya pl./Sadovaya)
Phone: +7 (812) 572-62-03
Notes: This is the only gay cafe in St. Petersburg opened during the day time.
Gay Night Clubs
Web-site: www.bunkerspb.ru
Address: 90 Fontanka river emb.
Phone: +7 (812) 329-93-48
Tsentralnaya Stancia (Central Station)
Address: 1/28 ulitsa Lomonosova (Metro Nevskiy Prospect).
Phone: +7 (812) 312-3600.
Notes: I rate this as the best gay spot now.
The music, the show, an inexpensive bar and lots of attractive people.Misha and I went there with our guests after visiting the Yussupov Palace we desperately needed coffee and I wanted to talk dirty...well at least about the adventures of the gay prince Felix Yussupov, with every glorious, gory detail.
I thought it would be good to check this place out during the evening when it’s a cafe. The waiters were friendly, the coffee’s good and I got a nice dessert, sweets for the sweet?
About the club. The club was opened in Jan 2006. 3 levels, quite big, in interior of club "Pyramid". Remodelling is not finished yet, but okay, we do clubbing not to see nice interiors. Lots of ugly dressed but good looking dancers. The crowd was mostly boys in trendy gear, none of whom I knew, which proved later to be a bonus. Also girls, mostly fag-hags.
I had a couple (five, not more) drinks at the bar and chatted with the cute barman. In the bar they have a stage for ‘go-go’ dancers who were so near to me I couldn’t resist touching one of them.
After putting some rubles in his tiny tango underpants, (someone has to do the dirty Jobs!) he suddenly forgot about everyone else at the bar and became my exclusive dancer, showing me all his secrets!
I returned to the club on a Sunday with Misha and it was less crowded than Tuesday, which seemed strange to me but that’s Russian logic for you. ‘My’ barman, (oh how pompous can I get!), forgot about the waiting line and served me first...the power of tips!
Just one word of warning, try not to bump into any lesbians if you are a gay man ...it’s a long (and funny) story I’ll save for later...’Tits from Hell!’
Address: 181 Obvodny canal embankment (Metro Baltiyskaya, in the building of the House of Culture).
Phone: +7 (812) 114-50-56, after 21.00 (9 pm).
Opening time: 23.00-6.00 (11 pm-6 am) Friday-Sunday. Drag Show begins at 2.30 am.
Web site: www.cabarespb.ru
Entrance fee: Men: 100-200 Rubles ($4-$8). Women: 500 Rubles ($20).
Notes: Don't wait too long to visit Cabaret, the best(?) gay place in town. The club is located in the former Soviet Palace of Culture near Baltic railway station. Cozy and relaxed atmosphere. Inexpencieve bar, karaoke, large dancefloor, darkroom. Fridays and Saturdays are overcrowded.
After midnight a colorful transvestite show starts, but before and after the performing drag queens you can dance, dance, dance. We did not enter the dark room, but we know from stories that it can be pretty thrilling there.
Saunas and Baths
158 B
Address: 158 b Ligovskiy prospekt (Metro Ligovskiy prospekt)
Opening time: 22.00-6.00 (10 pm-6 am) Mon-Sun
Tel.: +7 (812) 971-8543
Notes: night club Metro in nearby, so young clubbers drop in.
YAMSKIYE BATHS
Address: 9 Dostoyevskogo ulitsa (Metro Vladmirskaya or Dostoyevskaya)
Opening time: 9.00-21.00 (9 am-9 pm) Wed-Sun
Notes: These are public baths visited mostly by straight men. Go to the shower stalls on the third floor. Not a gay place. On Wednesday (after 5 pm) is different: dark room, cruising is possible. Steam bath, sauna, shower, cold and warm pools, TV. Mostly cruisy on Wed, Fri, Sat 18-21h (6 pm-9 pm).
Getting There: Take a commuter train from Finlandsky railway station in the direction of Zelenogorsk or from Metro Udelnaya to the station Kurort. Alternatively, take a shuttle bus from Metro Chernaya Rechka to the station Kurort. Then go to the right until you see a small river, cross it and go to the summer cafe. Gay beach is located next to the nude beach. Map >>
Notes: People begin coming to the beach mid-May and keep going there until August. Up to 100 visitors on week-ends.
Translation and Notes by Andrey V.
