Must-see nightlife in Kazakhstan

  • Chukotka

    Almaty

    Good rock bands from around 9pm and DJs spinning house, soul, hip hop and disco after midnight make sure the dance floor is never still at this ever-hip…

  • Sova Espresso Bar

    Almaty

    The brainchild of award-winning baristas from Moscow, Sova not only serves some of the city's best lattes, espressos and frappuccinos, but it also goes…

  • Espresso Bar

    Nur-Sultan (Astana)

    Latte art has made it to Kazakhstan! This friendly cafe has won many fans with what is, arguably, Nur-Sultan's best coffee. Ample breakfasts and snacks…

  • Sova Espresso Bar

    Kazakhstan

    This branch of the Almaty cafe, founded by award-winning baristas from Moscow, brings a slice of latte art to the wilds of Ust-Kamenogorsk. Best coffee in…

  • Shtab

    Almaty

    A quaint little beer bar opposite Hotel Ambassador, with a dozen indoor and outdoor tables, not much in the way of ambience, but an excellent choice of…

  • Shakespeare Pub

    Almaty

    Almaty's premier expat drinking hole is a large pub-like space always with a lively atmosphere (especially Friday and Saturday nights), a big drinks…

  • Pivnitsa

    Nur-Sultan (Astana)

    This dark Czech cellar-bar – stone walls, wooden booths and long wood tables – is a convivial place for mugs of the unfiltered house beer, Kelly (800T for…

  • Chocolate Room

    Nur-Sultan (Astana)

    Once past the face control (look your very best) you’ll have a wild time dancing to hip hop, dance and '80s DJs with Nur-Sultan's beautiful 20-somethings…

  • Soho Almaty Club

    Almaty

    Expats and locals pack Soho for tankards of beer, international food and crowded dancing to the good resident rock/jazz/blues band from 10pm. It’s got a…

  • Bowler Coffee Roasters

    Almaty

    Thimble-sized coffee shop with three tiny tables, an extensive collection of teas and coffees kept in smart wooden drawers and a barista who really knows…

  • Barley

    Nur-Sultan (Astana)

    This glass-and-brick club and restaurant complex is a place to see and be seen; the food is hit-and-miss, but the two own brews – a Belgian-style wheat…

  • Provino

    Nur-Sultan (Astana)

    Cute little wine bar with 10 or so international wines by the glass and many more by the bottle, including a number of Kazakh vintages. There's a full…

  • Pivnitsa

    Almaty

    No ‘pub’ decor, no expat prices, no loud music – this beer bar is a place where you can just sit and chat over a variety of local and foreign brews, and…

  • Guns & Roses

    Kazakhstan

    The best of Aktau's handful of British-style pubs, Guns & Roses serves generous burgers, steaks and pizzas, shows sport on TV and hosts a live rock/jazz…

  • Mad Murphy's

    Almaty

    Catering to a happy melange of expats and locals, Murphy's has a plethora of beers and lagers on tap, football on the telly, fish and chips on the menu…

  • Stalker

    Almaty

    Dark, wood-panelled, unassuming bar that serves a good selection of local and imported beers to a mixed expat and local crowd that likes to avoid the…

  • Vzletnaya

    Almaty

    The latest club du jour caters to Almaty's young and beautiful crowd, as well as serious techno and trance enthusiasts. Quality local DJs get rave reviews…

  • Lido

    Kazakhstan

    Lido's two open-air decks are packed for summer-night drinks and there's an assortment of grilled dishes to go with your beer.

  • Esperanza

    Almaty

    With two nightclubs and four restaurants, cafes and bars all in one building, Turkish-owned ‘Esperanza City’ attracts a wide-ranging crowd. One club plays…

  • Kofeman

    Kazakhstan

    Semey’s fashionable coffee lounge, with proper latte art, an ambitious menu that overreaches itself by trying to provide American and Mexican breakfasts,…

  • Studio 69

    Almaty

    The nearest thing to a typical gay bar in the West, Studio 69 primarily welcomes gay men and has a fairly relaxed atmosphere and a not specially good drag…

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