One club in Astana stands out above all the rest and that place is Chocolate – a club that wouldn’t look out of place in New York, Paris or London. If you go to Astana and you want to go out, look no further – although be warned that if you want to sit down at one of the alluringly comfortable tables you’ll be faced with a hefty minimum drinks spend, so it may be better to prop up the bar instead. In terms of venues playing live music, Astana has a couple of options including Yes Club which plays Russian rock music from the seventies and eighties for a lively crowd of nostalgic locals. There are a number of established pubs and beerhouses in Astana including North Wind, Chelsea, PivoVaroff, Beerhouse and Baden Baden although many of them lack atmosphere and clientele. If atmosphere is what you are after, our favourite bar is Che Guevara, a small bar located just off Imanov Street where you are likely to meet a creative, non-business crowd. If you want to watch that international football match, try Premier League run by a Chelsea-mad owner. Astana is also known for a number of strip clubs, all of which offer crazy menus in addition to the show. Perhaps the smartest is the Gentleman’s Club at Chicago Music Hall on the Karaganda road. For pure entertainment value, Chicago Music Hall is well worth a visit too, that is if you like musicals. It’s not quite Broadway, but the Kazakh and Ukrainian actors and singers belt out a good song.