Moscow’s nightlife offers an endless supply of high- and low-end dance clubs for those of you who like to bust a move. However, still blossoming, is the quieter end on Moscow’s club spectrum – the chillout club. Where do you go if you just want to eat a little something, sip a nice cocktail and chat up your friends? More importantly, where do you go when you don’t want to spend an amount necessary to purchase a small island?
The answer: Kult.
Kult’s been around for a few years now and offers one of the best chillout clubbing experiences in Moscow. Located a walk from metro Kitai-Gorod on Yauzskaya Ul. (across from the Stalin building on Kotolnicheskaya Nab.), the location isn’t ideal if the weather is unfavorable. However, in the case that it is raining, I suggest you take the metro to Novokuznetskaya and then take any tram two stops north, where you’ll be a minute’s walk from the entrance.
Although Kult is laidback and the prices are reasonable, this establishment wishes to maintain a certain clientele, meaning, they have face control. Showing up in large groups of people without a reservation is not recommended, and almost guaranteed to hamper your entrance. But if you come with a couple friends and dress nicely (e.g. There’s a lot of black worn here), you will probably not have a problem.
After you descend the stairs you’ll have a choice to either stay in the dimly lit main room or turn left and explore the other rooms. The main room offers a variety of seating options, including elevated booths, which are usually the most popular, small tables and a bar. Kult’s DJs, who spin an excellent mix of hip-hop, jazz, tribal and R&B, spin near the bar in the front, which makes talking in the main room difficult at times.
The other rooms are brighter, less smoky and less noisy, making conversation ideal. If you go all the way to the end room, where the club sometimes shows films (sometimes even in their native languages), you’ll find plusher chairs and good lighting. This room is best if you’re coming just to eat.
Speaking of the menu, Kult offers an array of foods from Borshch to Chinese noodle dishes, all at reasonable prices. Kult’s real specialties as far as I’m concerned are their drinks. They boast a cocktail menu that takes a good 15 minutes to peruse. Drinks run at an average of 150 rubles. My personal recommendations are the Pogo Stick and the Samurai. I’ve heard that the Mojitos and the non-alcoholic cocktails are good as well. A night of eating and drinking here cost me only 400 rubles, and I left feeling tipsy and full. •