My review of the scene in SPB (2 years as an expat)
I have been here over 2 years. I have been to almost all the notable salons.
The good side: The hooring is great in SPB, so far as quantity, ease of access, and safety is concerned. The salons offer good services. There are Russian forums, with reviews and up-to-date profiles. You will find no scams in these places. But for my taste, the girls are mostly average and below average. There are few who are just above. It depends on your standards.
The bad side: If you like beauty, wannabe models, fitness, glamour etc The stuff that gets thrust in your faces in Instagram everyday, then forget it. You not going to find those kind of looks in any 50 euro brothel here.
All the real glamour, and fantasy girls are now in the elite circles; travelling to Dubai, Maldives etc. Times have completely changed. Such beauty comes at an unrealistic price. With the growth of Instagram, it's all got to their heads and all these wannabe models believe they are superstars, with 1000's of followers and endless requests from men. They are obsessed themselves.
Don't waste your time with Tinder and Badoo. These apps are mostly full of scams. There are endless profiles of unrealistically beautiful women, who are looking for the high life. And most of it is bullshit.
If any girls messages you first and asks to meet, or seems easy. A red flag! You will certainly be scammed.
If you can afford to pay 100 dollars per head just for a deposit at a bar, then you can go to clubs like Biggimot, Madagascar, and the other clown places next to it. They are thriving with such girls. But you will pay over 200 dollars on drinks, and probably not even get a kiss on the cheek. Those places are very toxic. The women know what the men want and they play with it.
If you are willing to lower your standards, you might find decent girls. I find much better luck with girls who come from different cities in Russia, not the major ones. They are usually more down to earth.
Summary: go to salons or stay at home.