Some bars, it turns out, have split personalities. In the evening they are a place to relax with a drink and chat with friends. But a few transform in the day, taking on new atmospheres and giving entirely different impressions.
We speak, of course, of lunch spots. Many bars cultivate an atmosphere in which regular customers drop in at regular times — but some such establishments roll out a brighter, more accessible image to attract new clientele when it's time for lunch. In contrast to most restaurants, which tend to be crowed and noisy around noon, bars offer a quiet, relaxing space.
The Imperial Hotel's Old Imperial Bar, for example, offers a variety of midday delicacies. While it first opened its doors in 1970, its history reaches back quite a bit further. It was built using materials from the original (and now disassembled) Old Imperial Hotel, designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The bar features a mural made from the original Oya stone employed by Wright as well as the old hotel's terra-cotta walls. Wright's designs are also reproduced in the layout of tables, chairs, lighting and more.