By: Heather Seebach
Maybe it makes me a closet hipster, but I LOVE theme bars. The tackier the better! Especially when they are based on films or genres I love. Below I have compiled a list of must-see bars/restaurants if you too love horror and themed joints.
Cambiare (Tokyo)
Cambiare (Tokyo)
This new Italian bar & grill in Tokyo, Japan is based on the classic Suspiria. Check out the red walls, stained-glass windows, and flowery wallpaper right out of Dario Argento's film. I can't tell you if they constantly play Goblin through the loudspeakers but I really hope they do.
The Slaughtered Lamb Pub (NYC)
This Greenwich Village bar is inspired by the little rural pub from An American Werewolf in London, borrowing its name and even its sign. Here you'll find gothic decor, a dungeon, and a life-sized werewolf biting a lady. Just don't ask about the star on the wall...
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The Lovecraft (Portland, Oregon)
Where else but hipster-central Portland could you find a H.P. Lovecraft-themed bar like this? The Lovecraft is a unique dance bar decked out in horror posters, macabre artifacts, tentacled murals, and the Sigil of the Gateway on the ceiling. The bar is host to live music as well as bizarre burlesque and sideshow acts.
Where else but hipster-central Portland could you find a H.P. Lovecraft-themed bar like this? The Lovecraft is a unique dance bar decked out in horror posters, macabre artifacts, tentacled murals, and the Sigil of the Gateway on the ceiling. The bar is host to live music as well as bizarre burlesque and sideshow acts.
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Donny Dirk’s Zombie Den (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Unfortunately, the Winchester Tavern doesn't exist, but zombie fans can find the next closest thing at Donny Dirk's. The bartenders wear white shirts with red ties (you've got red on you), there's a chainsaw in case of zombies, and you can order immunizations shots like this one:
Unfortunately, the Winchester Tavern doesn't exist, but zombie fans can find the next closest thing at Donny Dirk's. The bartenders wear white shirts with red ties (you've got red on you), there's a chainsaw in case of zombies, and you can order immunizations shots like this one:
H.R. Giger Bars (Switzerland)
There are currently two Giger bars in Switzerland. Previous incarnations existed in NYC and Tokyo but have since shut down. These bars are themed after H.R. Giger's biomechanical art style as featured in the Alien franchise. These places are unreal, take a look:
Vampire Cafe (Tokyo, Japan)
For the classier horror fan, check out this elegant Japanese restaurant, where you enjoy French-inspired cuisine with a Gothic twist. The Vampire Cafe is decked out in red velvet decor, black drapes, and plenty of macabre touches (like blood-red drinks garnished with skulls or your meal served up in a cute little coffin).
The Jekyll and Hyde Club (NYC)
The Big Apple's best-known spooky restaurant, The Jekyll and Hyde Club offers an English Gothic theme, costumed actors roaming the restaurant, animatronic props and SFX. The larger location recently re-located closer to Times Square so apparently it's even bigger and spookier now.
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Local Love: The Windup Space (Baltimore)
It's not a horror-themed bar per say, but if you're a Baltimoron like myself, it's worth knowing that The Windup Space's stage is a replica of the Red Room in the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks. It also helps that the bar is host to monthly B-movie screenings courtesy of Mondo Baltimore.
It's not a horror-themed bar per say, but if you're a Baltimoron like myself, it's worth knowing that The Windup Space's stage is a replica of the Red Room in the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks. It also helps that the bar is host to monthly B-movie screenings courtesy of Mondo Baltimore.
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