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

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

Description edit

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

  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.

External links edit