Drinking & Dancing

Shandra

Issue 2 December 2003 - January 2004

	Alexander Antonov
	club: Shandra

It seems that seduction oozes from the walls of the club. The dimly lit entrance leads past a small bar into a low-vaulted dining room with chairs and couches so comfortable that getting up and moving on through the corridor to the dance floor, where a DJ spins lounge and garage records nightly, might prove a bit too difficult. All the same, it is well worth the effort, since the walk will yield many finds — seven differently painted chill-out rooms fitted out with low tables, arm chairs and couches, elements of Eastern decor such as hookahs (450 rubles a session) and fake flowers stuck on the walls. One of the chill-out rooms boasts a striptease pole. But the culmination is a private sauna ($100 an hour) complete with a dunking pool and a futon of sorts.

The menu features Indian, Japanese and fusion dishes, served in all rooms by pretty young waitresses, dressed in embroidered burgundy kaftans and matching trousers. The owners are aiming to make Shandra a pre- and after-party venue for the well-heeled clubbers aged 20-plus. But equally moneyed business people will also find the club and its restaurant a relaxing and interesting venue. Expect to pay $50 for a meal, wine not included.