Aalto Lounge

Aalto Lounge
Logo
The bar's exterior in 2018
Map
Address3356 Southeast Belmont St.
Portland, Oregon
United States
Coordinates45°30′58.6″N 122°37′47.2″W / 45.516278°N 122.629778°W / 45.516278; -122.629778

Aalto Lounge is a bar in Portland, Oregon. Named after Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto, the bar opened in 2000.

Description

Aalto Lounge is a bar along Belmont Street in the district of the same name within southeast Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood.[1] Willamette Week has said the bar as a "sleek, midcentury modern vibe" with DJs, cocktails, and a secluded backroom.[2] The newspaper's Pete Cottell said the Aalto Lounge has a "sleek, cavernous atmosphere that makes everyone inside look 20 percent sexier".[3] Named after Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto, the interior has mid-century Scandinavian furnishings.[4] Portland Monthly has described the bar as "on the border between dive bar and hipster hangout".[5]

History

Owned by Alex and Kate Wood,[6] the bar opened in 2000.[1][7] Closed for several months during the COVID-19 pandemic, Aalto Lounge had socially distanced service inside and on the patio, as of September–October 2020.[8][9]

Reception

Aalto Lounge was included in Willamette Week's 2016 list of "Portland's Best Patio Bars for Happy Hour".[10] Readers ranked Aalto Lounge second place in the Best Date Bar and Best Happy Hour categories in the newspaper's "Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020".[11] Eater Portland's Alex Frane included the bar in his 2019 overview of the city's "most iconic" cocktails.[12] In 2020, the website's Brooke Jackson-Glidden recommended the bar for bachelorette parties.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Aalto Lounge is a Laid-Back Bar With Cheap Happy Hour Cocktails and Jell-O Shots". Willamette Week. 2018-06-09. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  2. ^ "Aalto Lounge". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  3. ^ Cottell, Pete (2019-02-12). "A Fancy Cocktail Bar on Northeast Fremont? Somehow, Wonderly Makes It Work". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  4. ^ "Aalto Lounge". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  5. ^ "Aalto Lounge". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  6. ^ Frane, Alex (2018-10-31). "The Team Behind Aalto Lounge Will Open a Cocktail Bar on Fremont". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  7. ^ Horton, Jay (2017-05-23). "Design-Happy Aalto Lounge Would Be Cheap at Triple the Price". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  8. ^ Frane, Alex (2017-12-22). "The Happy Hours That Can Still Be Found in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  9. ^ Frane, Alex (2018-03-23). "The Essential Portland Cocktail Bars That Are Still Serving Drinks". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  10. ^ "Portland's Best Patio Bars for Happy Hour". Willamette Week. 2016-10-05. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  11. ^ "BARS + NIGHTLIFE". Willamette Week. 2020-07-21. Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  12. ^ Frane, Alex (2019-09-27). "Portland's Most Iconic Cocktails". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  13. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-01-28). "Where to Throw a Bachelorette Party in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
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