This is a club that exudes an atmosphere of class and cash. Visitors are met at the door by two cashiers elegantly dressed in long evening gowns, where everyone pays a flat fee of just over €14 for club entry – patrons must be over 21. To get to the action, climb a wide staircase passing under crystal chandeliers and by a glittering sign announcing the casino next door.
We visited Studio 69 not long after midnight on a Saturday when it was really starting to fill up. The first thing every red-blooded male would notice is three sexy podium dancers, one shaking her hips right behind the bar staff shaking their cocktails. They were all dressed in pirate garb to go with the theme of the evening. The club has a theme every Saturday, with previous ideas including a million dollar party and an R ‘n’ B night. Apart from the local DJs, musical entertainment has included some special guests like the popular Russian singer Zanna Friske. But this night the speakers and the video screens were playing an energetic mix of international dance hits like Nelly Furtado and Madonna.
Studio 69 currently has three areas, but after renovation due to finish in the fall, there will also be two more club areas. For now, the main room is mostly a large dance space, encircled by elevated seating and a wide bar. But you’d better be prepared to pay to park your behind in here. Reserving a table for two to six people costs €43, which includes a fruit platter. The usual and exclusive VIP tables for seven to ten cost €360 and €720. For this you get a plush, elevated place to be seen and the fee is credit for the club’s fancy food and beverage menu. For some idea of how far this will go, cocktails like a Mohito, Margarita or Long Island Iced Tea are €13, mixed spirits are around €8 and a bottle of Heineken or Corona beer is close to €6 and €7 respectively.
In consideration of this, there’s little wonder that the club has a reputation for attracting the sons and daughters of Latvia’s growing number of millionaires. We certainly observed a glamorous looking crowd, mostly ethnic Russians in their 20s and 30s with a few older guests.
There are smoother grooves in the chill-out room, where you can sit for free in cushioned lounges and watch hypnotic video graphics above the bar. Or there’s the long Shisha room decorated with really erotic art where you can smoke various flavored water pipes.
