Bishkek nightlife Q&A

[steven]

I am just going through some outdated info on the Bishkek city guide and I decided to move the info to the forum. Clubs and bars open and close with great frequency, so if you have a good recommendation, please post it here!

Here is what I used to have (taken, I believe, from the pages of the old Bishkek Spektator). This is likely to be severely out of date, but it might present a starting point. As I said, your recommendations are welcome.

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[*]Fire and Ice - (cnr Chui - Erkindik) Eternally popular disco spinning hits.

[*]Retro Metro - (cnr Mira - Novaya Ulitsa) Bright, happy, 80’s kitsch bar, the DJ spins his records from inside the front of a VW camper van. One of the most popular places for post-2am partying.

[*]Promzona - (16, Cholponatinskaya st.) One safe fallback is Promzona on the eastern edge of the city – live music (though the band hasn’t changed its tunes for over a year), enough security to be safe, neatly-lined tables and an always-crowded bar, a clientele that pours forth on the dance floor to dance to those ever-same songs with ever-undying enthusiasm. However, the music is the same each time (Nickelback).

[*]Sweet 60s - (Molodaya Gvardia and Kievskaya; near cinema Oktyabr) Live music everyday, with jazz evenings on Wednesday and Sunday.

[*]12 Bar (Razakova Str. 32) - Pricey drinks, chique decor, posh guests and a great panorama view over Bishkek. Strict dress code. Best place to go if you are looking to get lucky, apparently.

[*]Black Rabbit I & II (3rd floor of Kosmopark in Microraion 7), Free entry. There's another Black Rabbit on Kievskaya that's more of a restaurant. Touting a by-line of ‘discount bar’, it’s definitely the place to go if you’re interested in throwing back a few cheap promotional drinks in a clean venue, while listening to Russian and American pop remixed.

[*]Bar Kvartira (corner of Frunze and Shopokov). Located across from Victory Square in the basement of the Circus complex, Bar Kvartira is done up like a 'typical' Russian apartment. Drinks are mid-range in price for Bishkek but the food is a little on the expensive side. Dance floor opens around 21:00, and goes all night if the party can keep up. Bar games on Fridays and Saturdays. It's always full.

[*]Mayak (55 Razzakova St) $$ Free entry - As Bishkek’s oldest gay club, Mayak is a local underground institution. Given traditional Kyrgyz society’s approach to homosexuality it comes as little surprise that Mayak, as Bishek’s primary out and proud venue, rarely gets crowded. That being said, it serves as a great location to meet locals if you’re new in town.

Brooklyn Dance Bar & Karaoke (East side of the Philharmonic Hall) $$ Free entry - The Brooklyn basement is split between a cosy karaoke bar and an equally small bar. Fantastic if you’re looking for that underground packed-club scene, definitely not advisable for the claustrophobic. Playing hip-hop and pop, the self-styled ‘Old School RnB’ club is a welcomed change to the usual Bishkek techno clubs. With stripper poles lining the bar and a young team of staff, Brooklyn has an incredible vibe. Happy Hour Mon-Wed, 8-11pm.