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Star Lounge

By Amy Bryzgel. 29.09.2008

Star Lounge Bar

Dzirnavu 33, Riga
Phone: +371 67331717
Wokring hours: Mon-Thu 11:00 - 23:00,Fri-Sat 11:00 - 2:00,Sun : - closed,

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  Since it opened a few years ago, Star Lounge is Riga’s other cocktail bar in the clouds. Most prefer Skyline Bar when it comes to elevated alcohol consumption, but I’m definitely partial to Star Lounge. It’s smaller than Skyline and it only has half the view, but it’s got the important half – the one that overlooks Old Town and the Daugava River. It’s a bit more mellow, feels less like a disco, and is definitely more cozy.

Gallery: Star

Star Lounge sits snugly on the 11th floor of the Albert Hotel, smack in the middle of the Riga district known as the Quiet Centre. The location affords a bird’s eye view of some of Riga’s best Art Nouveau architecture. And if you’re daring enough, you can venture out onto the outdoor terrace to watch the sunset.

One of the advantages of Star Lounge is also one of its drawbacks. Like all bars in the city, Star Lounge is absolutely smoke free. It doesn’t, however, provide a smoking area or smoking room, as does the Skyline Bar. Smokers are out of luck when the terrace is closed (which it often is in the evenings) or if they're afraid of heights and are relegated to taking the lift down to the lobby to smoke in front of the hotel.

 The cocktail menu is fairly standard, with over fifty cocktails to choose from. They do offer a few different types of Mojitos, including one made with Riga Black Balsam – a combination which I didn’t find all that appealing, although others may feel differently. They do feature a few “Albert Specials,” of which the only one I found enticing was the “Fancy Rainbow” – Riga Black Balsam, peach juice, grenadine, and sparkling wine. It didn’t look like a rainbow, but it was fresh and very fruity, and a nice night-cap at the end of a long day. Prices here are decent, with most cocktails ranging from 4– 8.5 euros.

 This is a great place to come for an evening chat or for an informal drink on business in the afternoon. The music ranges from smooth jazz to Latino, but is never too loud to be obtrusive. Service can also be a bit slow, but that’s only a problem if you’re in a hurry to leave. And once you sink back into one of Star Lounge’s plush sofas, you won’t be!