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The second venture by Fruktopia company, the Stoned Baboon has been evolving from bar to club to art club to diner to book exchange and beyond.

taurant. Oh, and a nightclub – sort of.

Baboon is trying to find its niche in the Kyiv entertainment scene and, in doing so, has started to transform itself from an over-the-top glitzy nightclub – that drew pop stars, models and politicians to the opening night party – into an eclectic community center.

“It’s not a disco club,” said co-owner Patrick Dodd. “We’ll have good music and fun activities; it’s a place for like-minded people to get together and share ideas.”

Stoned Baboon was created by Fruktopia company, which set out to create the antithesis of its upscale sister club, the Fashion Cafe. It was promoted as “a new level of nightclub entertainment.” Perhaps that explains why on a recent Saturday afternoon a group of revelers, who had been partying all night, were still dancing on the brightly colored chairs at 2:45 p.m.

Dodd, who is trying to shake off the nightclub image, was dismayed.

“I don’t want to be a part of that scene,” said Dodd, who would like to see the club become more of a cool place to hang out, every night of the week. “When it was positioned as a nightclub, it was only busy Friday and Saturday nights,” he said.

The management changed course because the last thing they felt Kyiv needed was another nightclub.

“There are a bunch of discos, but there aren’t any community centers where people can hang out and read a book and have a good cup of coffee, and in the evening, have dinner and drink beer.”

The walls of the club’s main room are covered in cork with several large rope spider webs. Bright blue-and-orange painted pillars give the place a funky feel. The ceiling is plastered with pages from the New York Times, and the bookshelf attached to one of the walls is slowly filling up with used books. The books were collected by the Kyiv Post International Book and Movie Exchange, which kicked off its book drive Nov. 18. Patrons can bring in used books and exchange them for certificates, which can be redeemed for food, drinks, or new or used books. A bestseller in good condition can be worth up to Hr 20 and movies can be exchanged for a Hr 5 handling fee.

The new books, provided by Dinternal bookstore, can be purchased in the reading room, which contains two large bookshelves. Selections range from children’s stories to classics. The reading room follows the cork theme but is more subdued, with a fish tank built into the bookshelf holding a lone sturgeon. Both the tank and the lonely fish were leftover from the club’s previous incarnation as a pool hall.

“It’s all basically coming together right now, we’re trying to position it as a community center for English-speaking people,” said Dodd, emphasizing that it is anyone who speaks English, not just the typical ex-pat.

The menu reflects the club’s bar beginnings – heavy on the alcohol. There is a variety of mixed cocktails, and beer is available in pitchers, a first for Kyiv. A 2-liter jug of Taller costs Hr 25 and for those with more expensive tastes, a pitcher of Austrian Gosser rings in at Hr 80. The food menu is somewhat sparse, but the chicken burrito (Hr 19.95) and the quesadilla with rice and beans (Hr 29.95) are what you would expect them to be although the portions could be a bit bigger.

The Grog Mint Baboon (Hr 15.50) is definitely worth a try. At first it tastes slightly like cough syrup, but the mixture of hot mint tea and rum has an interesting aftertaste and relaxing effect. There is a wide selection of fresh fruit juices, starting at Hr 10 and some inventive fresh fruit smoothies for Hr 15.50.

If you decide to head out to the club for coffee and a dessert, stay away from the chocolate cheesecake (Hr 9.95), which was a disappointment. The club plans to install a community bulletin board, where patrons can pin up announcements. Eventually, the Baboon will have comfy couches, televisions, VCRs, computers and Internet so patrons can pop in a movie, check e-mail or just sit back and chill. Live music and specialty parties are also in the works.

STONED BABOON

39 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho.

Tel: 224-1503.

Hours: 10 a.m. till last customer.