Or the hipsterest. However you like to call it. Let’s face it, alternative lounges are infinitely more interesting than your regular Irish pub that turns into a top 40 meat platter after 23h. Hipsterism is supposedly passé already but its legacy has stayed. Here are my top picks.

Red Carpet Lounge

Leiden

This lounge is a vaporware dream. Several old TVs stacked on top of each other play the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers trailer in discordia. The walls are covered in old VHS cassettes. You order a movie themed craft beer and sit down on furniture that remind you of your elementary school classmate’s home. There’s an old landline sitting on the coffee table. The aesthetic is all there.

King Kong Triple Caramel: €4

5/5

Tolhuistuin (Cocktails and Dreams)

Amsterdam

Classy House on vinyl, palm trees, and a rich people ski loft aesthetic are the three core essentials of this place. It is very important to also note that they make an insanely good old fashioned with a twist. You sit on cozy, earthy furniture on platforms and watch artists on cocaine vibe to the music on their seats.

Old fashioned: €8,50

5/5

Suicide Club

Rotterdam

So this one doubles as a club but they also have a smooth loungy atmosphere in the early evening, plus a roof terrace! The best part is definitely the view, although the music and the cocktails are solid as well.

Yu shu tri mii: €9,50ish(?)

5/5

Conclusion

They’re all 5/5. This was a top selection. I’m going to post a similar review about clubs and microbreweries in the future!