If you have read our post about the various Riga Strip Club scams then you already know to stay out of most of the stripclubs in Riga. Now the US embassy has come out with a blacklist of the clubs which have robbed American tourists in Riga. It is good to use as a guide although the list is not comprehensive.

You can see the updated list here: US Embassy Riga Clubs Blacklist.

Here is the current list as of July, 2009:

Babylon (formerly Roxy Klub) – Kalku 24, Riga; located near the entrance to Old Town on Kalku street.

Royal (formerly Lord’s Pub and Groks Pub) - Kalku 22, Riga; located next door to Babylon (formerly Roxy Klub).

Saxon – Laipu 7, Riga; located near Livu Square in a small street to the right of restaurant Steiku Haoss.

Foxy Lounge – Terbatas 2, Riga; located below the “Fashion Café” in the basement of the Vegas casino at the corner of Terbatas and Merkela streets near the flower market.

Infinity Bars (formerly Bar Fly) – Vagnera 8, Riga; located near Livu Square in a small street to the right of Babylon (formerly Roxy), Royal (formerly Lord’s and Groks) and Puzzle (formerly Pink Panther).

Mary – Audeju 13, Riga; located on the east side of Galleria Center Mall in Old Town.

Pussy Lounge (formerly Doll House and Zig Zag) – Marstalu 12, Riga; located to the right of Reformed Church.

Puzzle (formerly Pink Panther) – Kalku 22, Riga; located next door to Royal (formerly Lord’s Pub and Groks Pub).

Roxbury (formerly Mademoiselle Cigar Club) – Valnu iela, Riga; located in Old Town across from Lounge 8.

Sakura (formerly Nobu Sushi) – Grecinieku 28, Riga; located in Old Town.

Versace – Maza Jaunavu, Riga; located down a dead end street in Old Town.

Zephyr Bar – Audeju, Riga; located near Galleria Center in Old Town.

Cognac Bar – Baznicas 1/3, Riga.

We have also had numerous bad reports about the follwing:

Temple Bar (on Kalku in Old Town next to Royal Pub)

Flames (on Kalku in Old Town)

Monroe (Skarnu 7 in Old Town near Velvets)

Kleopatra (Stabu 15, Riga Centre)

Royal Source (14 Marstalu in Old Town)

Hostel Pub (12 Teātra in Old Town)

As we have stated in previous warnings if you go into any of these clubs you will be robbed. We have had reports of people losing as much as 5,000 EUR!!! If you are not sure about a club do not go in!

Unfortunately some people are still failing to heed the warnings and getting ripped off at strip clubs in Riga. Please check out our Riga Stripclubs Warning page for more information. Our most recent horror story is one gentlemen who was charged 8000 Ls for four bottles of champagne!!!! A few weeks ago it was another group of four Brits who were charged 5000 Euros each on their credit cards!

If you must go into to one of these clubs only bring a small amount of cash and leave your credit and bank cards in your hotel! If you are going out drinking in Riga in general that is probably good advice.

You can also see more information about this problem on the BBC Website here. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT go into strip clubs in Riga unless you are accompanied by someone who can make sure you don’t get ripped off. We recommend a well known nightlife tour agency like our sponsors Nightlife In Riga.

For more specific Riga escorts tips and information we recommend Riga Escorts Net. It features tips, warnings and reviews about specific Riga escort agencies and websites!

Riga has some of the most spectacular women in the world. One of the main draws of Riga is the fact that you can find an escort of extremely high “model” quality at a reasonable price by western standards. Unfortunately the quality can be extremely variable and there are many pitfalls and scams to avoid.

We have learned from first hand experience that randomly calling an escort agency can often result in a grumpy, alcoholic, middle-aged woman with bad hygiene showing up at your hotel room. To make matters worse they will typically demand at least 20 Ls to go away. There are also many websites which have photos and give a number which you can contact the girl directly. Unfortunately these photos are often not real and usually the number is for the girl’s “manager.” Typically they speak little English and making arrangements can be quite difficult as well as somewhat risky. It is quite common for the girls or their managers to change the price after the fact and try to intimidate you into paying more than was agreed.

You also need to especially wary of the nice girls who approach you on the street asking you if you want some “company” as typically this type of come-on will result in you getting scammed out of some money, or in some cases, an unfortunate meeting with her manager who will demand a very large “donation.”

The best way to avoid these problems is to find a reputable agency with English speaking staff. The good agencies will not only provide you with a quality escort but they will also make sure you are not overcharged and get what you pay for. While finding a good agency can be difficult, if you are able to find one you will likely be able to find one of those “dream girls” that make Riga famous worldwide. The best way to find a good agency is to get a referral from another client or to contact a local tour agency. If you have had a good experience with an agency or girl please post in the comments section and let everyone know. If you have had a bad experience let us know as well!

Unfortunately most strip clubs in Riga are set up to squeeze the most money out of you in the shortest period of time. They will try to lure you in with the promise of a free drink but once you are inside you will find yourself quickly set upon by a few pretty girls who will chat you up and try to get you to order for them as many drinks as possible. Be very careful as these drinks for the girls can sometimes cost as much as 30 to 50 Ls each!!! Typically after about 1 hour you will have spent 300 Lats and not have received even so much as one lap dance for you trouble!

Especially avoid the “Private Rooms”! It is very typical for the girls to try to talk you into a private room for a “special show.” Most often you will get nothing “special” but it is quite common for the girl to set an open bottle of champagne on the table as part of the “party”. Only later do you find out that you are being charged as much as 2000 Ls for the bottle!!!! This is very common scam unfortunately. If you refuse to pay the club will call the police who will force you to pay. Do not expect the police to help you in Riga! They quite often have a mutually beneficial “arrangement” with the strip clubs and they will be happy to beat you up to get you to pay the 2000 Ls bill!!!

We have first hand accounts of this kind of thing happening in many clubs. Particularly avoid the strip clubs in Old Town Riga!!! These are the most notorious for these kinds of scams. If you enter one of these clubs you will be robbed!

In general it is best to avoid the strip clubs altogether unless you have someone with connections at the club to assure that you do not get the “tourists” treatment. For these kinds of events or Stag parties it is best to book a party through a legitimate tour operator who can make sure you don’t get robbed.

See our most recent update for the latest info about specific clubs that are ripping off tourists in Riga.

The currency used in Latvia is the Lat. I can be written as Lats, LVL or Ls. The currency comes in coins of 1 Santims (about 1.4 Euro Cents), 2 Santimi, 5 Santimi, 10 Santimi, 20 Santimi, 50 Santimi, 1 Lat and 2 Lats (about 3 Euro). Paper currency denominations go from 5 Lats, 10 Lats, 50 Lats, 100 Lats and up.

Hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and shops in Riga will usually not accept any currency besides Lats so you will need to exchange your Euros, Pounds, Dollars, etc. Always exchange your currency at an established bank like Parex Banka, Hansabanka, Nordea Bank, etc.! Do NOT use the small currency exchange booths (valūtas maiņa) which are all over town!!! The rates given at the small currency exchange windows are usually very bad. The rates they post on their signs are usually the rates they will sell the listed currency for……. not what they will buy it for! Be very careful about this as this is one of the easiest ways to lose a large amount of money in Riga! Make sure you have exchanged all your Euros, Pounds, Dollars, etc. into Lats before you go out for the evening as you are likely to get a VERY bad exchange rate when you try to change money at 2AM after a few drinks!

Never exchange money with someone you meet off the street! That is a good way to get robbed or end up with some very low value currency like Russian Rubles or Estonian Kroons. Also if you try to exchange in a bar or nightclub you are likely to get a terrible exchange rate as well. Make sure you exchange all of your currency at established banks!