[zanetti]

can't comment on riga specific venues but can offer some general advice

i would avoid the titty bars - lots of tourists get shaken down there by russian mob

don't use ATMs at night

thing to keep in mind is that riga is 50% latvians and 50% russians; latvians are fairly easy going people - russians are not. some russians don't particularly care for foreigners hitting on their girls....be careful

[Peoloom]

(08-21-2010 02:25 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

This thread is really light on Riga bars. Anyone?

I already mentioned the French bar in Riga but another great place that I'm just now remembering is the rooftop bar in the Albert Hotel. Awesome view of the city and good drinks. The best rooftop bar in the Baltics, IMO.

[exe]

G,

I was in Riga for 3 days last month. I was in Tallinn prior and consider Riga a notch or two better. But coming from London & Paris, Riga will be a big dip in nightlife choices. Berlin & Prague were more impressive. Didn't really partake much on the nightlife Riga but if you're set on going, here's some info:

The top clubs are Essential (http://www.essential.lv) and Push (http://www.push.lv). They're usually free to get in until 11pm so people show up 10 minutes til and there's a mad rush to get in. The most happening bar I saw was near the corner of Kalku iela & Valnu iela, right across the Roxy. I forgot the name. There are also outdoor bars on two main squares: one at the corner of Livu Laukums and Kalku iela and the other at the corner of Tirgunu iela and Skunu iela (the Dome square). At these two places there are outdoor restaurants playing lively music and a small bar with cute Latvian girls, where you can people watch. The two malls for daygaming are Galerija in the old town and Origo, just outside the old town on top of the train station.

One thing I recommend to not do is going into the 'strip clubs' as they are total scam joints. Lots of stories of guys getting bills of over 1k for stuff they didn't really order and getting their credit cards charged twice when they had to use it (since they didn't have cash on hand to pay).

E

[thegmanifesto]

Thanks guys.

exe,

Excellent info on Riga. I will definitely avoid the Gentleman's clubs.

Anyone have any more Paris bar info? That would make this thread complete.

[thegmanifesto]

Thoughts on while in Riga checking out Jūrmala, Latvia?

Looks to be about a half hour away on the beach.

Anyone been? Break it down.

[K-man]

(09-12-2010 04:38 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Thoughts on while in Riga checking out Jūrmala, Latvia?

Looks to be about a half hour away on the beach.

Anyone been? Break it down.

I heard from a Latvian couple who stayed at my beach house that Jurmala is a quiet family-type place with bike lanes, etc. Water was 19 degrees in August (when it was 29 down here). So I suppose the beachgoing season would be over by the time you get there.

[exe]

(09-12-2010 04:38 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Thoughts on while in Riga checking out Jūrmala, Latvia?

Looks to be about a half hour away on the beach.

Anyone been? Break it down.

I stayed in Jurmala for a day/night back in mid to late July. That would have been the peak of the season, but was pretty much dead. The beach was mostly families & couples, and the nightlife was meh. But my visit was during a weekday. I could see that it had the possibility of going off, perhaps during a summer weekend or some special event. If the weather is nice when you're Riga, it might make sense to do a daytrip to Jurmala. It's a very nice upscale little beach town. Looking at the houses, one can tell there's some serious old & new money here. Have a nice lunch at the Baltic Beach Hotel, overlooking the ocean, then walk down Jomas iela (which is the main pedestrian walkway with restaurants & shops), then go back to Riga for the nightlife. If you're really interested in spending a night there, I can give you some nightlife options.

[thegmanifesto]

exe,

Yeah. Break it down.

What's the move?

[exe]

Really? Jurmala in the off-season? You're definitely being adventurous now.

Aight, here it is:

There are two main busy/highly trafficked areas in Jurmala: Jomas iela and a certain section of the beach. Jomas iela is to Jurmala as Lincoln Rd is to South Beach. It is a pedestrian street and has shops, restaurants, bars, lounges, etc. Jomas iela and the beach section both run parallel to each other in an east-west direction. The beach section is between the Baltic Beach Hotel on the west end and The Lighthouse Hotel & Restaurant on the east end. This beach section has beach bars and restaurants which are either wooden beach shacks or commercial type tents. One of them has a tropical theme, complete with fake palm trees, tiki torches and a sand volleyball court.

Both strips are connected by a street called Turiadas iela, forming an H. The daygame move would be to walk up & down these two strips, using Turiadas iela to walk between both, approaching & gaming any decent girl in sight. I would even game the girl at the hotel gift shop, waitresses, or any hired guns in the other shops. If it's a nice sunny day, good lunch places would be the Caviar Club terrace at the BBH or the Lighthouse Restaurant which has tables literally right on the sand. Nightgame would be similar except for the timeframes: 7-10pm on Jomas iela then change up to the beach by walking on Turiadas and work the beach from 10p onwards. I had dinner at a pretty nice indoor/outdoor restaurant at the west end of Jomas but there are nice places all up & down the strip.

If none of this is fruitful, there is a third option, which I prefer to keep on the DL but can PM you if you like.

[Pilgrim37]

Portobello Market in Notting Hill on a Saturday afternoon ...great for cute girls...plenty to talk about for opening...plenty of pubs around..

Try the bar at the top of Harvey Nichols department store in Knightsbridge from Thursday onwards...lots of high end...but some pros too...All fun!

[rudebwoy]

London sucks! Just get your bespoke saville row suits and get the f*ck out of there.

[hunter7]

edit

[bengalltigerr]

Best places to stay in London in no particular order:
1.Paddington
2.Bayswater
3.Kensington
4.Marble Arch
5.Marylebone
I got a few friends in London, so I don't have to stay at hotels. However, I've stayed at Hilton Paddington for 1 night, and it's quite good if you can afford it.

Clubs I'd recommend checking out:
1.Ministry of Sound (Elephant & Castle)
2.Underworld Camden (Camden)
3.Koko (Camden)
4.Fabric (Chancery Lane)

Places to run daygame:
1. Oxford street ( avoid on weekends)
2. Westfield Strattford City
3. London Underground Stations (Bank & Oxford Street)
4. Trafalgar Sq (outside the museum)
5. Regent st

[dk902]

Gman - what do you want on London specifically that you don't have already?

I live in London so shoot away.

I stayed in the Grand Victorian a few weekends ago with a chick. Very nice place, 5 star I believe. Just off London wall and very central local.

You're after day swoops? Lounge bars? I know you're familiar with London but what are you lacking, I'll see if I can assist.

[Moma]

(02-10-2012 03:54 PM)dk902 Wrote:  

Gman - what do you want on London specifically that you don't have already?

I live in London so shoot away.

I stayed in the Grand Victorian a few weekends ago with a chick. Very nice place, 5 star I believe. Just off London wall and very central local.

You're after day swoops? Lounge bars? I know you're familiar with London but what are you lacking, I'll see if I can assist.

I believe he is there primarily to see friends but he is trying to optimize his stay by swooping on some Brit lizards hence the need for the intel.

[thegmanifesto]

(02-10-2012 04:10 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 03:54 PM)dk902 Wrote:  

Gman - what do you want on London specifically that you don't have already?

I live in London so shoot away.

I stayed in the Grand Victorian a few weekends ago with a chick. Very nice place, 5 star I believe. Just off London wall and very central local.

You're after day swoops? Lounge bars? I know you're familiar with London but what are you lacking, I'll see if I can assist.

I believe he is there primarily to see friends but he is trying to optimize his stay by swooping on some Brit lizards hence the need for the intel.

Guys, this post is almost two years old.

[Moma]

(02-10-2012 04:12 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 04:10 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 03:54 PM)dk902 Wrote:  

Gman - what do you want on London specifically that you don't have already?

I live in London so shoot away.

I stayed in the Grand Victorian a few weekends ago with a chick. Very nice place, 5 star I believe. Just off London wall and very central local.

You're after day swoops? Lounge bars? I know you're familiar with London but what are you lacking, I'll see if I can assist.

I believe he is there primarily to see friends but he is trying to optimize his stay by swooping on some Brit lizards hence the need for the intel.

Guys, this post is almost two years old.

So I'm guessing you've already been there and done that?

[hunter7]

edit

[thegmanifesto]

(02-10-2012 04:25 PM)hunter7 Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 04:21 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 04:12 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 04:10 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 03:54 PM)dk902 Wrote:  

Gman - what do you want on London specifically that you don't have already?

I live in London so shoot away.

I stayed in the Grand Victorian a few weekends ago with a chick. Very nice place, 5 star I believe. Just off London wall and very central local.

You're after day swoops? Lounge bars? I know you're familiar with London but what are you lacking, I'll see if I can assist.

I believe he is there primarily to see friends but he is trying to optimize his stay by swooping on some Brit lizards hence the need for the intel.

Guys, this post is almost two years old.

So I'm guessing you've already been there and done that?

We want INFORMATION

Didn't end up going to Paris. I think there was a strike when I was going to go, so I just bagged it.

Riga, I wrote like 50 pages or so.

London, I didn't go out to bars or clubs. Met a girl on King's road during my first day there and hit up restaurants at night.

I have notes somewhere in my crib on the restaurants there but I never posted them.

Do you want restaurant recommendations for Chelsea?

Went to Savile Row a bunch too.

There are a ton of guys that live in London that could give you information on that city.

[hunter7]

edit

[Moma]

(02-10-2012 04:29 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Didn't end up going to Paris. I think there was a strike when I was going to go, so I just bagged it.

Riga, I wrote like 50 pages or so.

London, I didn't go out to bars or clubs. Met a girl on King's road during my first day there and hit up restaurants at night.

I have notes somewhere in my crib on the restaurants there but I never posted them.

Do you want restaurant recommendations for Chelsea?

Went to Savile Row a bunch too.

There are a ton of guys that live in London that could give you information on that city.

Yea but we want to hear info about London through the eyes of a certified G not some other guys.

A guy living in London with an oyster pass and a British accent is going to have a different experience than a guy customed down, smoking grits, cash to burn, sporting a West Coast American accent.

I think I mentioned that American guys do well in Toronto. The same goes for London (in my observation). A few cats that would come over from America to London converted normally difficult lizards into easy gangbangs. Hence their account of the same city will be different.

Same way, I go to America, spit some wack shyt that will get a local a glassful of red wine in his shirt, will get me pounding out some unfortunate by dusk. The foreign swag, fam, bust out a London datasheet!

[thegmanifesto]

(02-10-2012 04:37 PM)Moma Wrote:  

(02-10-2012 04:29 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Didn't end up going to Paris. I think there was a strike when I was going to go, so I just bagged it.

Riga, I wrote like 50 pages or so.

London, I didn't go out to bars or clubs. Met a girl on King's road during my first day there and hit up restaurants at night.

I have notes somewhere in my crib on the restaurants there but I never posted them.

Do you want restaurant recommendations for Chelsea?

Went to Savile Row a bunch too.

There are a ton of guys that live in London that could give you information on that city.

Yea but we want to hear info about London through the eyes of a certified G not some other guys.

A guy living in London with an oyster pass and a British accent is going to have a different experience than a guy customed down, smoking grits, cash to burn, sporting a West Coast American accent.

I think I mentioned that American guys do well in Toronto. The same goes for London (in my observation). A few cats that would come over from America to London converted normally difficult lizards into easy gangbangs. Hence their account of the same city will be different.

Same way, I go to America, spit some wack shyt that will get a local a glassful of red wine in his shirt, will get me pounding out some unfortunate by dusk. The foreign swag, fam, bust out a London datasheet!

Ha.

Yeah, I don't know what to tell you guys.

I obviously am not "withholding" information.

I didn't go to any bars or clubs to pick up girls.

Went to restaurants, and museums. Solo and with a girl.

Worked out in Hydes Park and Regents park a bunch. Did some tourist sh*t.

Went to that Nottinghill market.

Smoked some grits.

[el mechanico]

(02-10-2012 03:54 PM)dk902 Wrote:  

Gman - what do you want on London specifically that you don't have already?

I live in London so shoot away.

I stayed in the Grand Victorian a few weekends ago with a chick. Very nice place, 5 star I believe. Just off London wall and very central local.

You're after day swoops? Lounge bars? I know you're familiar with London but what are you lacking, I'll see if I can assist.

Shit talking Americans that rep that US do well with the ladies there?