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.

(July 2009 Update: We have had some recent negative reports from the Jockey Club and Sin City that the quality of dancers has gotten very bad. Unfortunately at this time we have to say that no strip club in Riga lives up to Western standards in terms of quality and price.)

If you have read our post Riga Strip Club Warnings then you know about the many pitfalls you need to avoid with strip clubs in Riga. Unfortunately given the situation, there are only two strip clubs we can recommend where you will not get ripped off: Sin City which is located on Dzirnavu 87/89 in the Centre and the Jockey Club which is located on Elizabetes 49 next to the Reval Hotel Latvia. Both of these clubs are expensive but all prices are posted in the menu and there are no unexpected charges (of course like everywhere in Riga, drinks purchased for entertainers are much more expensive so check the menu carefully!).

The best way to visit either one of these clubs is too arrange for VIP access with a nightlife tour operator. For more information check out our sponsors Nightlife In Riga. Before you consider visiting any of the other strip clubs in Riga please see our Riga Strip Clubs Warning page first!

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.