Maria W.
Yelp
I lived in eastern Europe for a while and I've been coming to Archimedes since 2015 or 2016 whenever I want to get my banya fix. I also go to Korean bathhouses, but this is the only place I can get the true Russian banya, which is more humid than a sauna, and has the option of using a venik treatment (birch or oak branches) to exfoliate. I went last week for the first time since the pandemic and it's still a great experience. I found the facility to be clean and in good shape, and the employees to be very friendly. Oddly, there seems to be less of a Russian community presence and more young folks than the last time I visited, which may be due to the time of day. I did the venik platsa treatment with Bemoni, who did a fantastic job! (I had never had a professional body worker do the venik treatment before, and it's quite different than just having a friend or family member help.) If you choose that spa treatment, definitely allow yourself some time to warm up for a few banya cycles, as it does get HOT, but you will feel very relaxed after you complete the full cycle of hot, cool, warm water/relaxation.
A few comments:
- If you're not comfortable in a mixed gender, clothing-optional space, then this may not be for you. You are welcome to cover up with a swimsuit (I often do if it's busy there), but many do not. I will say, everyone, including the men, were pretty respectful.
- As a queer person, I followed the recent news coverage about the single-gender nights. My take is that this place is trying their best to be inclusive, but they are learning. While the current solution is not perfect, they are trying to balance the way they serve the LGBT community and folks within the specific immigrant communities they were founded to serve. I've always felt extremely comfortable there as a visibly queer person, and that the staff have always treated me well.
- The food is decent, but not as exciting as it used to be and there aren't a ton of vegetarian options.