The Arbat has always been something of a haven for bohemian Muscovites. During the easing of cultural controls under Perestroika, this was one of the first permanent jazz and blues clubs to open its doors. It retains the downmarket, raw nature of those pioneering days, and the bands strike up at 8:30pm—when they strike up at all. Arbat is closed during the summer, and is open only on F and Sa nights during the winter.