101 replies to this topic

[ScottCLT]

I don't think there is a thread for new bars in Charlotte, so I'll just start one.

A couple places coming soon are...

The Alley Cat, which will be a rock and roll themed bar where Have a Nice Day and The Hut used to be located, is coming this spring. There's a large outside bar with a small stage, and from what I have heard, there will be a large stage inside. Also, inside there will be The Penguin Grill, serving all the tasty, greasy food from the Penguin.

The Pub at Gateway is a new place coming to Gateway Village this spring at 710 West Trade Street (the old location of 710 lounge -- hopefully a little bigger than the old spot). The slogan is "Eats, Ales, Spirits." They will have live music on certain nights, lots of LCD TVs, granite bar, stained concrete floors, and dark wood on everything else.

Tilt on Trade just opened up a couple nights ago in the old spot of Liquid Lounge. I went there last night and was pleasantly surprised. Good music (mainly drinking songs and 80s-90s rock was playing), really cool lighting fixtures, stiff drinks, and a decent crowd. It's along the same lines as Brick and Barrel, but bigger. It seems like this will be a lively spot. The back area is still there from liquid with the retractable roof for nice nights. This is one of the coolest places to be...a courtyard surrounded by high-rises. I just hope the back area stays a chill spot and doesn't become another dancefloor like it did at Liquid.

[The Escapists]

ScottCLT, on Mar 31 2007, 07:33 PM, said:

I don't think there is a thread for new bars in Charlotte, so I'll just start one.

A couple places coming soon are...

The Alley Cat, which will be a rock and roll themed bar where Have a Nice Day and The Hut used to be located, is coming this spring. There's a large outside bar with a small stage, and from what I have heard, there will be a large stage inside. Also, inside there will be The Penguin Grill, serving all the tasty, greasy food from the Penguin.

The Pub at Gateway is a new place coming to Gateway Village this spring at 710 West Trade Street (the old location of 710 lounge -- hopefully a little bigger than the old spot). The slogan is "Eats, Ales, Spirits." They will have live music on certain nights, lots of LCD TVs, granite bar, stained concrete floors, and dark wood on everything else.

Tilt on Trade just opened up a couple nights ago in the old spot of Liquid Lounge. I went there last night and was pleasantly surprised. Good music (mainly drinking songs and 80s-90s rock was playing), really cool lighting fixtures, stiff drinks, and a decent crowd. It's along the same lines as Brick and Barrel, but bigger. It seems like this will be a lively spot. The back area is still there from liquid with the retractable roof for nice nights. This is one of the coolest places to be...a courtyard surrounded by high-rises. I just hope the back area stays a chill spot and doesn't become another dancefloor like it did at Liquid.

The Alley Cat will have it's grand opening on Friday April 27.

[ScottCLT]

I went to the Alley Cat's pre-opening thing last night. Very cool spot! My girlfriend told me that the layout was very similar to the way Have a Nice Day was before, but it has been years since I went there so I didn't remember it at all. There were a ton of cool metal and wood sculptures dangling from the ceiling, coming out of the walls, etc. This place has a very cool feel to it inside -- lots of wood and stone (mostly fake stone, but...). They definitely found some decorating talent.

My only complaint was the entrance in the Alley. Most people who see that sign would probably rather pass this place up without even taking a look inside. The sign just reminded me of something you see on top of a mini-mart.

[The Escapists]

The inside of Alley Cat is deceptively large in comparison to the outside courtyard. It seemed like a Hard Rock Cafe once we were sitting, eating, watching a band etc. I wish it was more intimate, but it's good that it's there. And if two local guys can opperate a venue on the same scale as Hard Rock Cafe's, I am glad that it's homegrown.

[ScottCLT]

I hit up the new Gateway Pub last week, which took the spot of 710 Lounge on Trade beside Town. 710 was lame, but they have converted it into a pretty cool spot. It is very small, but features a good menu, decent (but not great) beer selection, and it's a smoke-free bar. There's great patio seating outside. If you hated 710 (like me), don't be discouraged...the layout is the same, but the service, the staff, the food, and atmosphere is a big improvement from the previous tenant. I think they will do well.

[moving uptown]

ScottCLT, on May 15 2007, 11:08 PM, said:

I hit up the new Gateway Pub last week, which took the spot of 710 Lounge on Trade beside Town. 710 was lame, but they have converted it into a pretty cool spot. It is very small, but features a good menu, decent (but not great) beer selection, and it's a smoke-free bar. There's great patio seating outside. If you hated 710 (like me), don't be discouraged...the layout is the same, but the service, the staff, the food, and atmosphere is a big improvement from the previous tenant. I think they will do well.

smoke free eh - ill have to check it out this weekend

[ScottCLT]

I went out to Blues, Brews, and BBQ today and had a blast. Many of the BBQers were giving away free samples and sandwiches. They didn't last more than 5 minutes before they were gone.

But that's not the reason I'm posting -- Beside the stretch of tents and RVs with grills outside, at 9th and tryon, there's a new bar that just happened to catch our eye. Though I recall hearing of it before in another thread, the Rustic Martini is now open! And it is quite something! They had some bad luck tonight -- the toilet broke, they ran out of all the beer that they had, and they ran out of gin. But, I have to say that the huge crowd at BB&B was probably the cause of that. I wouldn't expect that on a regular night.

Anyway, on to the bar itself -- it's frickin' gorgeous!!! They have an underlit bar with the best leather barstools you have ever sat in (seriously...they are incredibly comfortable). Also, a big 50" plasma TV above the bar. If you don't want to sit at the bar, hang out in one of the many plush couches or check out either the front or back patios. I wrote this place off when I first heard of it a while back and never thought of it again until today, but I am glad that BB&B brought me to it today. Good find.

[UrbanFuture]

Anyone been to Petra's in Plaza Midwood yet?  Its around the corner from the Penguin, labels itself a piano and cabaret bar.  Sounded interesting but I haven't gotten the chance to check it out yet.

[CLTNative]

I stopped by Petra's last night. I, personally, love the place. The interior is very cozy, but small and intimate. There are small cocktail tables and a nice size bar all facing the piano. There are a few chandelliers and mosaic mirror wall behind the bar. Two of the cocktail servers sang a few songs, and did a great job. This place is truly different than anything in the hood so far. If you pay for the $10 membership, you get in free for a year. Thats not a bad deal since I live right down the street. Definitely something to check out if you are in the mood for singing. Also, there is a big projector screen and they were playing Drop Dead Gorgeous. This place is very gay friendly (there was a lot of "Family" in there last night) but as the night progressed, the crowd became more mixed.

[Charlotte_native]

Went to the opening of Home last night -- in the old spot where Menage and Belle's used to be.  Each level is going to be a different business, theme, and feel.  Basement level was open last night -- acid jazz / house music club, really great cool vibe.  Dark, lots of lounge and lay back seating, small cozy dance floor.  Other levels aren't done yet.

Middle level will be a French/Morracan restaurant open from 6am till 2am weekdays and till 4am weekends.  It has a HUGE patio off the back.

Upper level will be a club -- huge dance floor, huge outside terrace (great views looking straight up the sides of Avenue).

Nice thing about this set up -- unlike Menage they can open only the sections that make sence on any given night without having the whole place open and looking empty (i.e. Sunday or Monday nights might just have the restaurant open, etc).

[ScottCLT]

I went to Home tonight -- actually, the particular spot the party was at is not called "home"...it's called "Liv". There are three spaces in this place, whose entirety is called "Home." There will be "Feast" and "Play" as well, which along with "Liv" make up the super-club/bar/restaurant "Home."

First thought when walking in..."Are we in Charlotte???" This place is unlike anything we've ever seen in this town. It reminded me of going into an uber-exlusive bar in NYC. It's not flashy, loud, or club-like. Just chill. Plenty of spots to sit, a beautiful bar, and the perfect music to set the mood. Brick walls lit with dim candles sparsely placed, gorgeous chandeliers above the bar (also dimly lit), and posh, modern furniture. The drinks were strong. I don't know if that's a just-for-tonight thing or not, but seriously -- they were STRONG!

I went outside, and though the first floor patio is very small, you could see the soon-to-come 2nd and 3rd floor patios, which are quite large. If you've been to M5, think the same concept on the patio, except the scenery is skyscrapers instead of a corner Walgreen's and traffic on Sharon Rd.

I don't know if I could have expected anything better. This is something that Charlotte really needed. I'm blown away, and I've only seen 1/3 of the place.

I do have to give Charlotte_Native props on my experience tonight -- if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have gotten in. I stopped by the door and asked about the place to the bouncers and they said it was a private party -- we were denied entry. So, I was just small-talking with the bouncer about when they would be open for real, what it would be like, etc. and mentioned what I had read on urbanplanet.org. Immediately, the guy went to grab his manager, who promptly let us in upon mention of the website. Who would have ever though being a part of this forum would get you into a private party at a nightclub? Thanks for the heads up, Charlotte_Native.

[Skyline49er]

This place sounds like it is going to be happening when they get all three levels open up...I still can't believe that the French/Morracan restaurant will be open 'til 4 am on weekends, that is just awesome

[dubone]

This is probably a good place to reference the CBJ article about the entertainment tenants at Epicentre opening in January.  
http://charlotte.biz...ewscolumn3.html

- Howl at the Moon (a chain of dueling piano bars)
- Black Fin (Irish pub)
- Whiskey River (Dale Jr's new country-rock bar)

There will be others, but those are the ones noted in the article as nightlife places.

Apparently Whiskey River opens first, in about 3 months.

[uptownliving]

I went to Hom or Liv or whatever it is on Saturday night and had a great time. The drinks indeed were strong and it was nice to see a familiar bar tender from Tutto Mundo there. Something that was repeated over and over again by my friends was "Tonic is back"...even though Hom is like Tonic on Steroids it had that same chill California feel to it that has been dearly missed by many in Charlotte ever since Tonic closed down. We had such a good time that we ended up being some of the last people to leave the place. I got a chance to speak with Wendy who is one of the Co-Owners and she was telling me that the 3rd Floor should be open in about a week and the restarant level sometime in November. She told me in her british accent that the sound system on the 3rd floor will "knock your socks off"...Looking forward to it.

[infobuff]

I am so glad to hear that Hom was a success this weekend.  I was not able to make it but knew it would be nice.  The owners sent out various internationally themed postcards with hints of the upcoming opening, which was a nice touch.  It's very exhilarating to have the former Tonic family back.

[fulcrumsf]

Does anybody know if Hom has a dress code? One of the things I liked most about Tonic is that I never had a problem wearing Tennis shoes, a t-shirt and jeans. That is one of my biggest pet peeves about a lot of these Charlotte night clubs is their obsession with dress codes. When I lived in San Francisco, their where many night clubs with way better music/scenery/interiors than for the most part what I have scene in Charlotte, yet dress code was hardly ever a factor. I guess San Francisco may be a more liberal city, but I have experienced the same thing in cities like Vancouver,Chicago, Toronto and Sydney. I'm sure all of those cities have some clubs with dress codes, but it never seemed to be a problem like I have experienced with most Charlotte clubs trying to be quote "Exclusive", and appeal to the cool crowd. I guess in larger cities coolness is based on the vibe you bring and not so much the clothes you put on. Anyway I've always frowned upon night clubs that require a dress code. I never remember Tonic having one, or at if they did they never enforced it upon me which made me feel welcome. That is another thing I like about Tutto Mondo's is that I have never been told I couldn't come in for wearing tennis shoes. Don't these club owners know that it's way more comfortably to wear tennis shoes while dancing? I mean I'm all for dressing up and looking nice, but that should be your choice to do so.

[mshook]

I'm fine without a dress code as long as their is a high cover charge.  I think it has to be one or the other...otherwise you'll get a lot of riff-raff or punks looking to get drunk and fight.

[ricky_davis_fan_21]

mshook, on Oct 22 2007, 01:32 PM, said:

I'm fine without a dress code as long as their is a high cover charge.  I think it has to be one or the other...otherwise you'll get a lot of riff-raff or punks looking to get drunk and fight.

How lovely, well u are probably in the vast minority who enjoys high cover charges. Honestly I don't think most people have to deal with "riff raff", as you have chosen to coin it,  often when going to bar settings. Please don't advocate high covers because I think $10 is too much to pay to get into a bar already, and the $25-50 I paid on new years was obscene. I simply avoid crush, and bar charlotte, and I am usually quite happy with my night. I think you can join the rest of us little people and go about ur life worry-free of punks, and have a good time.


And to UL, where the hell was I, haha, anyways I am excited to "have tonic back" can't wait to go. How was the atmosphere and drink prices overall?

Edited by nibletodell, 22 October 2007 - 01:57 PM.

[cinco]

^ yeah, i don't get the dress code, high cover, riff raff comment??  98% of the bars i go to require no dress code or cover... and i can't tell you the last time i even saw a fight.  however, if there is one - i would attribute it more to the alcohol.  dress codes reek of pretension, imo.

[mshook]

Whoa...whoa.  I'm not saying I'm special by any means...But I don't like spending $10 - $12 on a drink and still worry about violenceor not being able to turn around.  As a raging alcoholic I've seen plenty of "clubs" go down due to lack of dress code.  A dress code OR cover charge(membership here) allows the door man to determine the crowd's personality and the bar's atmosphere.

I said dress code OR Cover charge.  I prefer bars most days anyhow.   However, I'm siked about this place.