Friday, February 13, 2009

neighborhood recommendation #4: bar.

how do i describe the one bar where i've always felt at home? i've spent afternoons there reading magazines (they have a great selection) and drinking coffee (which is awful and is usually exchanged for a beer sooner rather than later...) and finally realized at 2am that i never left but that i've met several friends who have popped by during the evening and enjoyed some frantic conversations with them.

my friend maire was once told by a friend of his that erottaja is a place where "everybody who's anybody" go to. dunno about that, but the place is frequented by musicians, graphic designers, fashion people and other such creatures who enjoy a dive with great music and a laid back atmosphere. as with most small bars, it seems everyone knows each other (or at least recognizes the faces), but the random passer by may find it equally cosy.

service is mostly really cold (unless you're a close friend of whoever happens to be working), but the staff have been known to smile occasionally. no fancy cocktails should be requested, but they do provide a slightly dried out celery stick for your instant bloody mary -- and it all adds to the charm of the place.

a certain je ne sais pas surrounds the bar, and for years it's been my drinking hole of choice. either you love it or ya don't, but it won't leave you cold.



***
edit: after this was written the bar changed ownership and things went downhill from there. last weekend i walked by and realized that it has been turned into a karaoke joint. thus, not recommended anymore.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazingly, everybody who's anybody do not come up with the fact that I'm somebody (*).

Nice place though, as been there, what, twice...

(*=Homorocker)

Anonymous said...

Mä olen, ulkopaikkakuntalainen kun olen, käynyt Erottajassa vain muutamia kertoja, mutta tykännyt siitä kyllä. Musta siellä on aika vahvasti sellainen sisäpiiritunnelma - mikä usein on ulkopuolisten (kuten siis mä tässä tapauksessa olen!) mielestä ärsyttävää ja tylsää. Vaan ei mun! Musta on aina kiinnostavaa vierailla paikoissa, jotka on ilmiselvästi tärkeitä ja rakkaita isolle joukolle ihmisiä. Niissä paikoissa on sitä jotain - mikään ei ole tylsempää kuin perustusinapaikat, joihin kukaan ei tosissaan identifioidu ja jossa ei oo oikeaa kanta-asiakaskuntaa.

Anonymous said...

jeessii, mulle ei o vieläkää auennu et ketä ne on ne "somebodyt" ku siel käy koska mul ne on kaikki vaan tuttui naamoi erottajalt. anyway, sun kuvas jollain on vittu maailman hienoin ankkuripaita.. pliide, kerro kuka se on ja msit viel pliide, stalkkaa se ja selvitä mist mä saan noin hienon ankkuripaidan. ja anna, sun ankkurikoru on kans ihan sairaan hieno.

stellagee said...

hr, rh: you said it. "don'cha know who i think i am, huh?"

anna: tuo sisäpiiritunnelma varmaan pitää paikkansa, mutta taitaa olla monien pienten baarien ongelma. mulle myös tuottaa vaikeuksia viihtyä paikoissa, joissa ei ole selvää kantajengiä, vaikka en itse siihen porukkaan kuuluisikaan...

maire, mä kaipaan sua sinne päätypöytään höpisemään muotilehtien taakse... ja ankkuripaitavastaus tulossa.

Anonymous said...

kiitos kaikest. mullaki välil (usein) ikävä toljottaa manskuu ja stokkaa ja arvostelemaa ihmisii. yhyy yhyy-- mujt ankkuripaidan mä tarviin.

Sugar Kane said...

Erottaja is one of the things I miss most now that I don't live in Helsinki! Bars on Tampere are too seedy, or "pub-y", it's not that easy to go from afternoon coffee to spontaneous boozing in one place! (Most of the other Helsinki things I miss are other supposedly "trendy" or "snobby" bars and hang-outs, and of course my friends who frequent them!) I don't know why I feel so at home in places with icy service and somehow exclusive atmosphere.

My ex boyfriend used to work behind the bar, and everyone (who is or is not anyone) was just toooo eager to be his bff. Even I was sometimes greeted with a smile by other members of the staff and the "in-crowd"! And if memory serves, might have enjoyed some after-closing time parties.... Good times!

stellagee said...

sugar kane: i can totally imagine that the employees are high on regular visitors' lists of best wanna-be friends... ha ha.