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Banking
There are two pubs in my town I have to talk about. They are called The Old Bank and Konttori (Finnish, meaning simply Office). They are both built in to old banks, and have kept up the appearance.
Old Bank is, as the name says, an old bank. Built in to a former prestigious bank, the owners have kept as much of the old decor as possible. Hard wood and marble floors, mahogany walls and decorated windows, and luxurious leather seats and couches.
It's a classy place, and it's a bit expensive, but it has one thing that appeals to me. Age limit of 25, which makes sure there are no annoying teens shouting. In fact, there is no shouting. Upstairs has live music on weekends, but the downstairs has only light ambient music, so you can just sit with friends and have a nice conversation over some drinks.
And speaking of drinks, last time I was there the bartender asked me what would I have. I wasn't thinking straight and just said "what ever's on tap". The bartender then coughed, quite politely, and said "we have 27 beers on tap at the moment, would you like the menu". Aside for the 27 beers on tap, they have around 100 beers and 40 whiskeys on the menu.
Adding a bit of humor in to the high class surroundings are several old signs around the place, taken directly from the old bank. For instance, above the bar there are signs such as "Withdraws", "Credit and Loan" and "Banking Advisor". But perhaps the best bit is the sign leading to the toilets. It says "Deposits".
The Konttori is a different fish altogether. Where as The Old Bank has been around since the dawn of time, the Konttori is a new place which opened just six months ago. So their style of decoration is a bit different. There is the marble floors, and some mahogany, but that's where the similarities end. Above the main bar is a big painting of a 50 euro note. The chandelier in the main bar is hanging from a giant 2 euro coin. Tables are numbered not in the usual one-to-what ever, but with bank note serial numbers.
On the surface the pub appears to be quite tamed, though well decorated, but as soon as you walk beyond the main bar area, you are encountered with something that left me speechless. The old vault of the bar, a quite large vault, has been altered in to a private cabinet. The massive vault door is still in place, but the really great feature is that the back wall of the vault has been "blown open", and the jagged edges are encased in wood and glass, making the entrance perfectly safe, but inside the glass there are flickering amber lights, giving the appearance that the wall is still kindling after the explosion (I know concrete doesn't kindle, but the effect is quite amazing).
There are several dining areas around the pub, including thee more cabinets upstairs. Most of the rooms and cabinets have been named after different functions they used to have, such as "Options and Futures" and "Board Room". Haven't eaten anything there yet, but the menu did look promising, and another quaint feature is that some of the dishes are served in old fashion cashier's boxes.
The attention to details in this place is amazing. Sadly, it just doesn't have that air of gravitas that you get at The Old Bank. Having said that, I am going there this Friday to try out something off the menu and have a closer look at their bar.
11:03 - 2008-Jul-1 - post comment
I agree...they both look pretty cool. I haven't been to a pub or bar or anything in ages.
texican - 02:18 - 2008-Jul-2
Those are way cool! I love old places like that...heck I'd even go there just to get a soda since I don't drink.....or use their toilets.
littleMissConfused - 04:24 - 2008-Jul-2
That reminds me, I went to a bar at the weekend called The Bank. Pricy place, but nice.
bebbet - 11:12 - 2008-Jul-2
There is NOTHING like that here. There's a bar in the building that used to be the Post Office, and it still has all the trappings outside, but inside it's just your boring, run-of-the-mill trendy winebar. Crapperoo. I might have to take a holiday in Finland when I get paid just to sample these two palces.
Twist - 11:50 - 2008-Jul-2
What the...? How can Turku have better drinking places than Stockholm? Although perhaps it isn't that surprising. I totally need to visit the Bank! Promise to take me there!
bitzky - 10:08 - 2008-Jul-2
Dude, if you ever cross the pond and come to Turku, it's a promise. Same goes to you, Twistah!
But I have to admit, finding a proper drinking place here is a misery these days. It's usually a toss between a noisy, cramped club with tons of annoying teens, or a filthy corner pub full of winos. On top of Old Bank and Konttori, there really is only two or three places in the entire city I like to go to these days.dantesinferno - 10:24 - 2008-Jul-2
Well same goes for Stockholm. I have one watering hole that I like, the rest is very mainstream and standard. Then again, maybe I just need to go out more.
bitzky - 10:30 - 2008-Jul-2
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Ooooh... I want to go to both. To er, sample the juice. :p
WelshPixie - 11:08 - 2008-Jul-1