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The Lounge
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Fri-Sat. 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
10 reviews for The Lounge
Went here for a friend's birthday a couple of weeks ago, I had never been here and am always sort of wary of downtown nightlife. We have a friend who is "that guy" and knows everybody in the entertainment business (and used to DJ here) and managed to get us in VIP. We had the secret entrance and secret handstamp and had the corner VIP couches, which was great because unlike the rest of the VIPers, nobody walked through our area. The waitstaff were very attentive with bottle service and kept the juice mixers full, which was great. I really enjoyed having our own little area, it was nice to leave all of my junk there and go wander around.
The DJ from the main room (I cant remember his name, but he is African, I think -- he had an accent, certainly) was friends with some folks in our group and came up to chat with us a few times. He was super sweet and very friendly. I like the euro-feel of the main room, and I thought the drummer was a really cool touch to the techno music.
I would give this place five stars, except that although it was really busy, there was nobody dancing! Our group of people were usually the only ones on the dance floor in either the white room (with the pillows) or the dark room (with the AWESOME gothic cathedral looking murals). The DJ in the dark (and much smaller) room was request-friendly, which was nice, and played a really wide variety of songs, including "bust a move," thankyouverymuch.
The clientele seemed more mid 20's to early 30's, and dressed a bit more classy than most clubs downtown. They also seemed more laidback than the 21 year old Suzy sorority girl that rolls down 1st ave. I didn't meet any shady people there and didn't get hit on much, which was sort of nice.
There's no better place to celebrate a man's 35th birthday, and so I joined my cousin and his friends here to toast to this important milestone. I don't have much to add to these other reviews. First, I'd like to give the place credit for lasting in downtown Minneapolis amidst all the changes and emergence of new nightclubs. The last time I set foot in the Lounge was seven years ago, and a lot more rooms were open than last night. I was surprised to see just one room and a few sets of couches. The party I was with constituted 95 percent of the guests when I arrived at 9 pm. You can't beat the $3.00 martini special. When looking at the menu, these ordinarily go for $11.00 a pop. My first order was the Lounge Margarita. It has a lime-like flavor. For the next hour, I chatted with the guests and about 9:55 pm, a few of us went back for another round. While all our watches and cell phones said "9:55", the bar staff insisted that the special was over, and that the martini's and margarita's were back at regular price. About 3 of us left the bar empty handed.
The night had a couple interesting twists and turns. About 10:30 pm, Corey Brewer of the Minnesota Timberwolves walked in.
http://en.wikipedia.or...
None of the 40 or so guests recognized him and he walked in alone. Nobody even glanced for a second look. How could you miss a 6-9 millionaire sporting the latest look from GQ? He had a leather coat, scarf, and huge diamond earrings. I watched him spend about 15 minutes standing in a corner alone playing on his cell phone until a group of 4-5 friends surrounded him. As I was leaving around 10:45, more people started arriving, including a man whom I despised. I won't go into details but he's disliked enough to warrant a Facebook block. He and his female companion stood next to the couch where I was sitting and started dancing. If I got up, he'd see me. I turned my face away and held a couch pillow at head level to maintain my cover. When he got out of sight, I needed a respirator to explain what I experienced in those short minutes. I never go out and the night I do go out, my enemy has to appear in the same club!! And who in the world pays cover and starts dancing next to the cash register? The dance floor was wide open and the music was hopping. It was a celebration of Diwali night.
All I can say is - WOW! The Lounge has once again re-invented itself. I hadn't been for years, and had heard mixed reviews about it for the past few years, but I didn't expect what I saw. The entire techno room is remodeled, the dancefloor is huge, the bartenders and vip girls are wicked hot and the music was amesome. Like I said, I hadn't been for about three or four years, but it's nice to see that it's still the hip place to hang out. Drinks are spendy, but they do a drink special on Friday for $5 drinks from 9 to 11 - vodka I think - and Saturday they have $3 martinis from 9 to10 - just ask the bartenders, - guys you'll be glad you did. Anytime I can get a martini for $3 I'm goin' there. I've been back three times in the last month and they've always had that drink specials.
I would recommend this place to anyone who gets it and likes to have a good time and likes dancing and good music - the drink specials are what keep me going back early - but the cool staff and the chill environ can't be found anywhere else downtown.
This used to be THE place to be on weekends, but... about 4 years ago it changed ownership/management and it's gone downhill. The music was the main attraction here; they used to play some very good techno, but now.... it's mindless house mixed with hip-hop.
The interior is about the only thing that remains constant from the old days; many goth-like rooms, with multiple DJs, bars, and a decent crowd. The Lounge has a lot more potential though... would be nice if the people running it realized it.
It was the first place we checked out downtown when we visited from Kansas City. We were told to check it out. Since we got there early we didn't manage to really take in the "experience" of the DJ and people. I will say however that the decor was very classy and there were couches everywhere. The lighting was warm and simple.
The place was very small. I'm not sure how people would manage to get around in there. Its a square room with couches. I'm not sure if the couches are VIP or "pay only". If so then there would be no where to sit except at one of the 2 tables outside.
It looks like a place to be seen and the the people that work there were confident enough in there business to be a little "snooty" from the door guys to the female bartender.
The drinks were very pricey. I'd suggest hanging out there if you want to dress nice and stand in one place while holding a martini, but listen to really good music.
This place has been around for a long time, which isn't real common in the warehouse dist. With that said, I am going to take a moment to discuss what I like, and don't like about the Lounge.
Well, I like that it has 3 rooms, all with a different style of music, different types of people, and different attitudes.
So you walk in and the main room has a techno-ish type thing going on. This room seems to hold the people who are confused about which room they want to be in. It's like a mash up of both rooms. The music makes me feel like I could have a seizure, so I try to stay out of it.
The far back room has Latin/salsa type music. Kinda cool. The only thing I do not like, is it looks like an old Gothic church, and I almost feel like I am sinning when I am standing back there slamming down a drink!
The front room is a Hip Hop/R&B musically themed area. I like this area because it is brighter than the rest of the place and has big comfy couches to sit on. People watching is fantastic! All the pathetic guys trying to act all suave...it's too funny. I would say that for the most part, the men that come hang out in here are a little older than your average club goer. They appear to be around 35-50. A little creepy when you are being ogled by a guy old enough to be your dad!
I give the place 3 stars because first, they've been around a long time, and it can be fun for a change when you haven't been there for awhile. I don't give it more than 3 stars because of the hefty cover charge and the steep drink prices.
The Lounge was my first "clubbing" experience ever. Let me say, if Prince has his own booth, you know that the place is something special. It's an extremely diverse locale. I went there on a Wednesday night when they were having "International Night." They played everything from Bhangra to Salsa to Arabic Pop, and for a Wednesday there was actually a pretty good-sized group. Apparently they have Go-Go dancers at other times during the week, but I have not been able to witness that.
They have a couple different rooms, one which is called the "cathedral" and you'll know why because it is absolutely gorgeous. The main room right through the front door has kind of a laid back atmosphere with couches that are good for relaxing and conversing over a cocktail.
Dress is pretty chic. Don't come here in your ripped jeans and t-shirt.
Story Time: When my friends and I went there, we ended up being about two hours early, because the website had incorrect information. When we came back at the correct time, the owner of the club actually came to talk to us and offer both of my friends and I free drinks. This gesture alone won big points with me.
This place was really cool once and always seemed to be reinventing itself for the worse.
When it opened initially it was a posh lounge with cool people and refined drinks. This was right went having drinks out of martini glasses was suddenly cool again.
Later on when I was out of town more, I would come back to see that they had one of the lamest DJs I have ever heard in my life. They would basically just spin cds and bounce their head with the crazy experimental eurotrash beat. Weird. They had an oxygen bar that time as well which did nothing for me at all.
Even later I came down here to try to reexperience some of the fun of days gone by only to see that it had become a hiphop club of hookers and johns. No really. Real ones, not the normal clubbers pretending to be.
Lets all have a moment of silence for the club that was.
The Lounge is a staple to the Minneapolis nightclub scene. It has managed to stay relatively successful for almost 2 decades while other clubs in the area seem to fade in and out rather quickly - could be due to the fact that it offers an array of music (electronica in the main room, hip hop in the side room, and salsa and/or special DJ's in the back room) appealing to various night life enthusiasts. Friday and Saturday nights this club is generally filled with a good looking international crowd of twenty and thirty-somethings drinking Grey Goose tonics.
if you want to get molested by nasty men-go here. went to hear a friend of a friend who is a dj. will stick to seeing them play at nomad on wed nights- the actual space is pretty cool, lots of pillow comfy seating in the back room, good space for dancing and ive only been here one time now so it could be different on different nights, but it was full of dodgy guys trying to grab ass. and dodgy guys who apparently dont understand blatant rejection. watch out.