Bars with Atmosphere!

Mr Vim · May 28, 2010

You know the sort of bar, I'm talking about.
It is the bar. There are leather chairs. Possibly wood paneling, or leather on the bar and/or walls. There is a cigar room. Good music is heard but not felt because it is not turned up so loud your eardrums have popped. The barman knows you, or is amiable if you are a stranger.

The drinks are good. Very good

Here are some of the bars I'm talking about, they are both in Austin, Tx as I just returned from there on vacation.

The Belmont (literally this place looks circa 1950's.)

The Driskill Bar (leather chairs and a cigar room, class act all around.)

Has anyone else graced these establishments? And these are not the defacto bars, lets here from you all of your favorite nightspots.

Tomasso · May 28, 2010

The Coq d'Or in Chicago opened its doors one day after Congress repealed the Volstead Act.

Mr Vim · May 28, 2010

Good God that's it!
Yowza! I want to take a trip to Chicago even more so.

MikeBravo · May 28, 2010

I went to a bar on the moon once.

The drinks were delicious... but there was no atmosphere

Boom - tish (sorry, it had to be said)

Mr Vim · May 29, 2010

I, uh, wow, I wish I could post laughing better.
That was so bad it was great.

I love those.

There's a great bar in Juneau, Alaska called... well the Alaskan bar. It's the oldest bar in Juneau and by God if it doesn't look like a saloon from the 1800's. Great place.

rkwilker · Jun 4, 2010

We have a cigar bar here in Raleigh Called "Amra's". Very similar to the Chicago bar pictured above. Great place for a drink and a smoke. Lots of dark wood, top shelf bourbon & scotch, and the owners are great. Highly recommended.

Pyroxene · Jun 4, 2010

Mr Vim said:
The Driskill Bar (leather chairs and a cigar room, class act all around.)

I will have to check out the Driskill next week. Thanks for the tip.

Some of the bars that have left a lasting impression on me:

McSorley's Old Ale House - NY, NY - It don't get any more "old world" than this.

Captain Tony's Saloon - Key West, FL - Lots of history here.

Margaritaville - Las Vegas, NV - There's a small little section of the bar area that backs up to the street. When the windows are open and breeze is blowing, it's perfect.

Alfred's Bar - Carnival Conquest - Great place to enjoy a cigar from an un-named island *wink* and meet and socialize with the captain and officers of the ship.

dhermann1 · Jun 4, 2010

New York

As mentioned, there's McSorley's, dating back to about 1853, as I recall. The next oldest place in town is the White Horse Tavern in the West Village, dating to 1880. This is the place made famous by Dylan Thomas, who supposedly gulped down 22 Scotches (in the seat right next to the door) before staggering off into the darknes to drop dead.
Finelli's in SOHO is also popular with a lot of Loungers.
And P.J. Clark's in Midtown is popular with the Madison Avenue set.
The aforementioned are all more like old fashioned bars, rather than cocktail lounges.
I'm particularly fond of the Saloon at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central terminal in New York. The Oyster Bar Restaurant is a destination in itself, and the Saloon is a nice little side trip. I recently discovered the pleasure of a bowl of white chowder washed down with one of their very generous Manhattans.

Tomasso · Jun 4, 2010

dhermann1 said:
The next oldest place in town is the White Horse Tavern in the West Village, dating to 1880.

Don't forget the Landmark Tavern which goes back to 1868.

My favorite old bar in Manhattan is Old Town Bar (1892).

dhermann1 · Jun 4, 2010

Landmark Tavern

Wow! Never heard of it before. I'll have to check it out.
http://www.thelandmarktavern.org/history.php

BinkieBaumont · Jun 6, 2010

"I know its a franchise, but rather stylish, I love the Sour Cherry Beer they serve, I was unable to locate the Sydney Bar, when over their early this year"

http://www.belgianbeer.com.au/ Swan River Colony

http://www.belgian-beer-cafe.com.au/heritage.html Sydney

KY Gentleman · Jun 6, 2010

The Seelbach Hotel in Downtown Louisville was home to F. Scott Fitzgerald in the summer of 1919, in The Great Gatsby he referred to it as The Muhlbach.
The bar there is as classic now as it was then. F. Scott Fitzgerald is known to have enjoyed it immensely.

wildturkey8 · Jun 6, 2010

Try Pete's Tavern at Irving Place and 18th street NYC. It's been there since 1864. www.petestavern.com

Lincsong · Jun 10, 2010

The bar at Original Joe's in San Jose, CA fits your picture.

James71 · Jun 10, 2010

I live in Katoomba, which is a classic art deco period town, so I am spoiled for choice.

Tha Carrington Hotel.
The Clarendon.
The Gearins.
The Carrington Piano Bar.

Given my usual mode of dress, I fit in perfectly in all these places and dont stand out at all. (Katoomba is a place filled with strange people. Im right at home here)

All within walking distance.

1961MJS · Jun 10, 2010

Hi

I haven't been to a decent bar in years, but in the early part of the decade I was through Burbank a few times. I was going to go to this place, but I was by my self so I settled for Bob's Big Boy. I was there on a Friday night, classic car show night.

www.smokehouse1946.com/

It's supposed to be old Hollywood. Anybody from LA been there?

Later

HepKitty · Jun 29, 2010

I so live in the wrong place

we have no classy bars here. Mr Vim dahling are there any in Boise? would like to make a trip there soon

HepKitty · Jun 29, 2010

James71 said:
I live in Katoomba, which is a classic art deco period town, so I am spoiled for choice.

Tha Carrington Hotel.
The Clarendon.
The Gearins.
The Carrington Piano Bar.

Given my usual mode of dress, I fit in perfectly in all these places and dont stand out at all. (Katoomba is a place filled with strange people. Im right at home here)

All within walking distance.

yes you are spoiled!!! so jealous!

Tomasso · Jun 29, 2010

Pyroxene said:
Captain Tony's Saloon - Key West, FL - Lots of history here.

That was the original Sloppy Joe's where Hemingway hung out.

swinggal · Jun 29, 2010

BinkieBaumont said:
"I know its a franchise, but rather stylish, I love the Sour Cherry Beer they serve, I was unable to locate the Sydney Bar, when over their early this year"

http://www.belgianbeer.com.au/ Swan River Colony

http://www.belgian-beer-cafe.com.au/heritage.html Sydney

I like the Belgian too...but only on nights when it's quiet. The Friday crowd is atrocious and full of tossers. The Kreik Beer (Cherry) is one of my favs and my swing dance performance team used to go here every Monday night after our practice session at the Kings Street Arts Centre across the road. They used to also serve freshly baked pretzels there too...but no longer.

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