On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Lounges, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southeast Portland, BelmontMon-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 2:30 a.m.
Loading...
Aalto Lounge is just plain Sexy.
The dark lighting and nice music, mixed with the leather furniture just does it for me. I love a place that understands Happy Hour. Happy Hour isn't that happy if you have to rush from work and pound drinks for that half an hour till 6. They have happy hour from 5-9 with both drink and food deals, perfection - the happiest of hours.
This isn't a place I'd go for a rowdy evening, it's much more low key. For meeting up with a friend, bringing a lap top and kicking it solo, or going on a date it's top notch without spending excessively.
One of the biggest regrets of my life is not frequenting this lounge when I lived in the Belmont/Sunnyside neighborhood a few years ago.
I went once, had a forgettable drink, and didn't feel cool enough to be there, nor was I bar-goer at the time. Last year I returned and started crushing on the back patio, herby meatball sub, seating choices and cocktails.
But I guess the pull wasn't strong enough, because It's a Beautiful Pizza and Side Street won me over cool drinks during the past year. Last night I returned, and it was just as comfortable/cool as I remember - though literally only the front room was cool, the dimly lit back room was too warm on a late summer day. Service was top notch until we got our check, then it dawdled.
The food was good, not great. I found my beloved meatball sub dry, but I did throw off the onions which lost some sauce. It's one of the messiest foods I eat, and in an environment where you
cannot
be
seen
being messy, so that's fun.
Despite the slightly disappointing sandwich, which I really think was just having an off day, I was captivated by my drink order - the aalto margarita. serrano infused vodka and nearly real tasting juice? coarse salt? well, hello. Can I change my history and introduce these into my life earlier?
Good, easy, no hassle dive bar in the hood to get some drink on and some good conversation. Not a place you'd go if you like your bars injected with any sign of life, though. I mean it's chill. Maybe a little too chill, but not for me. I'm cool as a cucumber.
I would have given this place three stars, but then I found out they have an outdoor seating area in the back where I happily delved into my bad drinking habits of smoking and ordering more drinks, and smoking some more.
This is a chill place. Perfect spot to grab a drink with a friend if you don't give a hoot if anyone else is there or not.
I haven't been back to this place (for drinks) since they remodeled. I popped my head in and walked around for a bit to see how they switched things around, and I'm not sure if I like it. As far as everything else... it gets loud in there. They have a deejay sometimes which is nice. There's also coffee right next door which is useful and awesome. Aalto's mixed drinks are okay. Nothing special and they aren't that cheap if I remember correctly. They don't have anything I really like on tap there. When it's busy, it's tough to find anywhere to sit and the bar gets crowded very quickly. I'd say check it out once. They have couches in the back (unless they got rid of them). Like I said, it's an okay place to go once in a while.
According to Wikipedia, the French 75 is so named because the combination of gin and champagne "was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm howitzer artillery piece, also called a "75 Cocktail", or "Soixante Quinze" in French."
[insert obligatory Chloë wine of "gimme gimme gimme gimme" here]
...and it is for this lovely cocktail, in a very well-made form, I find myself frequenting this dirty, small, crampy establishment. S'okay, though, because what it lacks in ambiance, seating, and well-bathed humans, it makes up for in cocktails named for French cannons.
After reading previous reviews I wasn't sure what to expect:
A. "heaps of hipsters" (James M. says hipsterdom is over anyway: http://www.adbusters.o...)
B. "strong drinks" (duh, you had me at "drink.")
C. "sketch service" (it's a bar... every place has a rough night.)
D. "scandinavian aesthetic" (I think my affection for gravlax has been previously noted.)
E. "stinky furniture" (ew.)
This place was alright. The seating area in front was ideal for a small group, and I like the decor, (save the bright light shining in from the coffee shop next door... that kinda sucks.) The drinks were okay, but inconsistent. I ordered an aquavito (aquavit with lots of lime and a few other things) and a mojito, which seemed unbearably girly for a cocktail bar, but whatever. Plus side, neither was particularly sweet. A friend ordered a bourbon ginger however, and it was weirdly sparkly... soda water? seriously?
Service was great though, and an all-around enjoyable time. Will try again soon.
Somehow I had heard that if Ikea was a bar, it would be Aalto. At the time it made sense, but having been to Aalto i have to admit, i don't own anything by Ikea, and I have no idea what that person was talking about.
Aalto's okay. There's a cool couch-y spot up front near the windows so if you're into watching probably irritating Belmont types you've got that. The bartender chute is way at the other end of the bar, so you should expect to get off your butt. Apparently the hipsters were meditating on President's Day somewhere else, so we got some pretty decent service.
One problem, the restrooms are single occupancy and marked "XX" and "XX/XY". WTF? I've been drinking, I hafta pee and now I need to remember fucking high school biology? Weak. But, they are single occupancy, so just go ahead.
Damn that Wes Anderson for putting big beards and long hair wrapped in awful sporty headbands into the fashion stratosphere.
All these hairhoppers in Champion stretchies make me want to hide at home and host wine and cheese Tupperware parties.
Aalto is too cool for school baby and I'm glad I graduated. The service is loathsome and the far end of the bar is a Bermuda triangle for drunk people. Several fell off their stools (no doubt due to some unearthly magnetic pull) and my friend had to pick a couple girls up off the floor.
Have you seen the floor? Once my dear, is certainly enough.
I hate this place. It's a dump.
I friend and I went in here for a drink on a Monday night (albeit an "off" night). We sat at the bar and waited for a good 15 minutes before being graced with the presence of the pre-pubescent-looking bartender to ask us what we wanted. We ordered our drinks (gin and tonic and Makers on the rocks) and about 5 minutes later got them. This may be all fine and well, except the place had maybe 5 other patrons. It was a joke.
After we finished our drinks, no one asked if we wanted another round. I had to get up out of my uncomfortable, torn and shitty bar stool and ask the "boytender" if he would have time in his busy schedule to give us our tab. He reluctantly obliged.
After paying, we left faster than you could say "Never again."
The place is too small, shabby, and has nasty furniture. I have nothing against used furniture, but please, please keep it looking CLEAN.
Wait, they serve food here?
I'll be damned. You'd think after at least a half-dozen visits, I'd know the basics. I don't.
What I do know is that the decor is lovely, the booze is flowing, boys never lock the unisex bathroom door, the people upstairs might knock over a glass of water on the landing and drizzle it down your way when you're sitting outside, and the clientele is sometimes startlingly attractive.
And Maker's Mark makes everything better. Always, without exception.
Completely forgot to mention the killer deals at happy hour... the white bean dip can stave off hunger for a party of three easily, the drinks are cheap and here's the great part: it runs until 9 pm!!
Hmm, I'm giving the Aalto lounge four stars... the drinks are strong, the bartenders are always… Read more »
Fortifying ourselves prior to the middle school picnic, Mr. Big & I popped in here for a quick drink & snack. It hit the spot! The lounge is dark (which reminded me that i need my eyes checked again...sigh...when did the printing on menus get so small?!), filled with mid-century furniture. The soundtrack (tonight, anyway) was great! I had forgotten just how swell Steeley Dan was/is. Anyway, no special drinks were ordered, so I have no idea about the bartender's capabilities. S. had a beer which was cold, frosty, & local. I had a good glass of rose. We snacked on some Chex Party Mix which still reigns as the ultimate bar food, as far as I'm concerned. Tasty, salty, spicy...everything one needs when PMS is just around the corner...
We shared a Croque Monsieur (which they dub, "Mr. Crusty") & not only did it have ham & Gruyere inside, but some delicious prosciutto, too! Pork, pork, porky, pork, pork! The side salad was very fresh, green, & dressing was swell.
I consider this to be a great place in my neighborhood & will be making a pit stop again, soon!
This has become my new favorite place to get a drink and hang out with my peeps. The drinks are reasonable and stiff. I'm a fan of the eclectic decor and they play a good mix of music at a nice volume. It's very dimly lit, but for me that's a definite plus. I look much better in dim lighting.
There's a pretty good crowd every time I'm there, even on weekdays. The crowd always seems pretty attractive as well, but again, that's probably an illusion created by the dim lighting.
What really sets this place apart for me is the service. They're very attentive. I rarely have to actually get up to get a drink. As soon as I finish one, someone's always there to take the glass and ask if I'd like another. Oh, and you know how those little cocktail napkins under your glass get all wet and mushy? I swear to you, the bartender actually replaced mine with a new one when she noticed this.
This place is pretty OK. It's very loungey. The seats are comfy and I liked the atmosphere I guess, but for whatever reason, I'm not feeling drawn back. Maybe it was cause my drink sucked.
This place is pretty cool! It was really dark inside, but I liked the vintage decor and art on the walls. We opted to sit out on the patio, which was small but had sweet patio furniture and bamboo. Very peaceful on a Tuesday in the early evening.
The bartender was super friendly, and didn't seem to resent all the questions we were asking her about the drinks we ordered. They have happy hour everyday from 5-7 which consists mostly of sandwiches and paninis. Pretty good stuff! I also ordered a salad off the regular menu that had this delicious creamy balsamic vinaigrette, blue cheese, apples, and almonds. I would DEFINITELY order that again.
The drinks were tasty and strong. They also have a great selection of reasonably priced French wine. I had a dry rose for $6/glass that was darn good!
Overall, a thumbs up! I'm not particularly gushy about the place, but I'll definitely go back when I'm in the neighborhood!
This isn't my favorite SE bar, I found the Aalto to be one of the smokiest bars I have ever been to. It was really crowded when I came here and you could literally see the smoke lingering in the air. The drinks were small and expensive, it was nearly $20 for 2 PBRs and 2 Makers (with tip).
I would like to come back here on a Monday though, so I can check out the movie night, I think it is pretty cool idea and may necessitate a revision of my review.
Attentive service, great cheap tasty food that doesn't taste cheap- in fact, I used to make a habit out of the happy hour sandwiches as a yummy and filling dinner.
The drinks are great and I never have to bug anyone about a second (or third) drink. There is always a seat. There is internet access. And Yanni and crew are sweet and great at what they do. It's pretty, too.
My favourite bar in all of Portland.
I first started consistently coming here since it was the best bar within walking distance. I was unhappy with this at first since I felt like I was merely tolerating the Aalto, almost like when you're having a summer fling out of convenience as opposed to a burning, passionate love.
Through time, the Aalto has really grown on me. It's usually my place to sit alone and unwind after a long work week and it serves that purpose well. They have a decent selection of beers on tap, a good wine list for a place that doesn't advertise itself as a wine bar and also a good amount of spirits. The DJ is always a nice touch and most nights I've been here, there is indeed someone spinning. If that's not so much your thing, there's a secondary room that you can hang out in.
There's usually a decent sized crowd on weeknights and Sundays but Fridays and Saturdays can be sort of a madhouse here. However, even when the Aalto's at its busiest and most crowded, the wait at the bar for drinks is not bad and neither is the clientele.
In my opinion, by far the best bar on Belmont.
I've come to really like Aalto for a variety of reasons.
One is because I like the Belmont are, it reminds me of a San Francisco-ish type neighborhood (without the stabby bums and yuppie douchebags). Two is because they serve great drinks and have friendly staff. Three because their food is good. Fourth because they have a back smoking area.
It has good ambiance, it's comfortable and you can generally find a place to sit. It's not overdone nor underdone.
The best part about it is the awesome velvet painting of the nekkid lady with the glorious rack in the smoking area. I want to touch her nipples.
You may run into a problem when searching for decent, appetizing food after ten or eleven in Portland. You could go to the Montage, but not if you're looking for something on the lighter side. You could go the 24 Hour Hotcake House, but it's not for the faint of heart.
The other night when my stomach was grumbling after closing hours of most eateries during the middle of the week, a friend suggested Aalto Lounge. Despite being a bar, they're smoking room is quarantined to the back, so you can eat smoke-free. Their menu is good--stocked with a tasty vegetarian sandwich that has goat cheese, tomatoes, and basil. Their olive tapanade with crostini is good too, and they even have crme brulee to top it off.
Let me tell ya, if you haven't been to the Aalto Lounge yet, then you should at least check it out. It's the only place that I know that is pretty busy on a Monday! The decor is nicely lite and the paintings from local artists scatter the walls. The drinks are very well prepared and the music is always entertaining.
Every Monday night, at 8pm sharp, is Movie Night! In a large room behind the bar is a large screen showing a movie of the week. It ranges from Art Flicks to Blockbusters to the Strange.
You could sit back and enjoy a flick while eating a nice hot sandwich and a cool beer. Or go futher back and you'll reach the outside lounge where you could chill out for some fresh air or a good smoke.
All in all, Aalto is pretty cool.
this is a great date place. for good dates or bad ones. if its a good date, its good cause its a bit dark so your zit on your chin wont show and youll have to lean in to hear him cause the music can get a bit loud. if its a bad date just lean back cause the music will drown out whatever said date is saying.
it is also a great go with your single girlfriend place, not solely cause there will be hot guys here, but there is a bartender there who is simply a god. not much visible charisma, but hot to look at. it can get a little too cool for school in this place, and i feel like the game of "who knows the coolest most independent fashion label or new indie local band" could be played at any moment by anyone there. there are a lot of what my friends and i would call the purple tights girls (skinny vegetarian girls with cute haircuts and pixie faces who do yoga bi-daily) and guys who simply are called the elvis costellos for looks reasons.
the back room has comfy chairs and on a nice day, the outside back area is pretty good. great wine selection and the bar staff are really helpful finding you the wine youll like.
The Aalto Lounge has the unfortunate distinction of being my fall back "first date" bar back when I was a swinging single gal about town. This means that I endured many, many hours of strained conversation and tepid laughter with a a variety of tattooed slackers at the Aalto's mod bar or out back at the straight-forward cement patio. That's because the Aalto is a good place to come on a first date: It has a stylish interior, mood lighting and civillized cocktails. It's also fairly mellow during happy hour and serves tasty yet simple sandwiches. If your date turns out to be lame (and don't they always!) just pick up and head across the street to the Belmont Inn. That place will promptly put the kibosh on any and all thoughts they may be having of seduction.
The Aalto is hip hip hip, and one of the epicenters of SE nightlife for the 20 and 30s crowd. The narrow space opens up to another stark room in the back which has a few couches and tables,.or keep going out the backdoor to the patio. In the summer the patio is awesome, and a great place to hang out for hours.
The food is a little hit or miss, with good sandwiches (croque on a massive baguette is a good bet) but the salads are a little off.
The Aalto is a good spot to meet friends and hang out. It can get pretty busy, but if you don't mind standing around it's tons of fun.
I love this place from a decoration stand point; the stuffed deer with the baseball cap, the local art work, the mis-matched chairs. But the food just never comes up to snuff, at least for this vegetarian. I wish there were more reasons for me to visit . . .
I ended a night of heavy drinking here.
I found myself in the smoking room in the back, sloppilu slurping down a makers mark and ginger ale going on and on and on about bad past relationships. My friends, rest assured, looked like they wanted to kill me. It was late. Everyone had hit the point of drunk where they were more sleepy then drunk.
I love the Aalto.
Upscale food and wine for a bar
You wouldn't imagine a neighborhood bar to offer more than a dozen good wines by the glass and some tasty bruschetta to boot, but Aalto Lounge does and more.
The decor alone is unique with a retro look out of the 60s, which seems to fit in with the Belmont neighborhood. I stopped in on a fluke and ended up staying for hours. I was in the mood for wine and was thrilled with the diverse choices. The drinks seemed on the high side for a bar, but the food was very reasonably priced and inventive. In par with my red wine, I ordered the bruschetta, which tasted so fresh.
Tip: Order their caesar salad for only $3 during happy hour. It rivals Oba's for my favortie for HH.
Nice, chill atmosphere with DJs and good martinis. As mentioned, the non-smoking side is a little small for my liking. I'm used to New York, where smoking has been banned indoors so it was a little off-putting. I would have liked this place much better if the non-smoking section -- which is much cooler-looking -- were bigger.
A very tasteful bar with well made drinks. I had a couple of martini's, and while delicious, are definitely conducive to getting you wasted faster than a squarepusher song. As much as people like to peg places like this as hipster, I found the people here on a saturday night quite warm and social. Currently living in Seattle where people glare at you and make being anti-social and clicky the norm, I actually felt quite welcome here. Next time I'll definitely try the food.
Aalto is on the small side in the non smoking section but it's worth it, it has a great vibe and I've had a great time whenever I've been there.
Friday night, very crowded, beautiful people, friendly people, covered patio area, strong drinks, reasonable prices. Luckily, the bars we visited were all walking distance from my friend's house. That is such a nice thing about this district. You can get stinkin' drunk and not worry about driving home. Anyway, the bar was cool. The drinks were good and the company was better. It seemed like the place to be. There was art on the walls that didn't give me any good feelings but I liked that they support local artists.
If you ride a fixed gear, think you are an artists or a writer, only shop at Buffalo and Red Light, have a rat tail haircut and your jeans are tighter than your girlfriends, this is the bar for you. This is the Ultimate Hipster bar in Portland. If you are reading this and think to yourself "I go to Aalto, and I'm not a hipster", sorry but you are a Hipster. $2 PBR's is the only thing this place has going for it.
Good atmosphere and great covered patio for lounging with friends and meeting people. Bartenders are a little too full of attitude and the drinks are weak for the price.
i miss jake and smoking in the back room but this place is still poppin' and i can almost always run into someone i know. good to see it's still around
The Aalto Lounge was my neighborhood bar when I lived in Portland. It remains to this day, my favorite bar. Like many bars in Portland, they have an extensive beer and wine list, a really good bar menu (i.e. not everything is deep fried), and really friendly staff. What makes the Aalto stand out from its peers is that it has this effortlessly cool atmosphere. The bar is furnished with mismatched (but well-collected) midcentury modern furniture, and it's walls are decorated with monthly (?) art shows. What makes the Aalto my favorite bar in the whole world is that there is a visible dearth of obnoxious weekend warrior/bridge and tunnel people...they're all across the street at the Belmont Inn.
"Social Hour" Tues.-Sat.…
Neighborhood: Old Town
Coffee Happy Hour Mon - Sat
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Mt. Tabor
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Clinton
Category: Bars
my spots within walking reach when i lived in…
Bars I've tried, bars I love, and bars I tried to…
Places where I need more than just a, "Please can…
Seriously, I'm broke and work part time from home.…
And here's a list of places I've done these…
(aka version: Portland Bars and General Nightlifey…
