Dharma Lounge in the Camden area of South End, offers a unique alternative to the traditional nightlife experience - "Nightlife enlightened," to be exact.
Brightly colored, cushioned cabana beds set the perfect scene to zen out under large paper cranes that hang from the ceiling. The vibe at the lounge is very much Asian fusion with a touch a punk. Japanese graffiti art and strips of bamboo decorate the clay orange walls and create a mellow tone.
Behind the bar, a giant gold Buddha sports headphones. The soft light from tea light candles bounced off his round belly and an orange glow came from the bar below.
There are only a few bamboo-topped, two-person tables in the spacious lounge, which gives the bar an open air, chic L.A. vibe. The open space also caters to free power yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at noon. Participants are asked to bring a mat, towel, water and donation for the instructor.
While the urban/Asian theme is different from the bars I have visited so far, the people in the lounge are equally as trendy as the venue. The crowd is also ethnically diverse, a nice change from the after-work business bar crowd in uptown.
Most of the hipster girls were dressed in high-waisted, faded earth-colored skirts and gold bangles, while the guys were a mix of Pete Wentz and Carey Hart. Most sported sleeveless jean shirts, fedoras, tattoo sleeves and had gauged ears with carved wooden earrings.
To keep the artsy vibe going the night I visited, the bar played a variety of music. From heavy metal to African tribal music to Drake, the lounge's playlist hit a bit of everything.
I guess because the bar is super trendy I expected the drinks to be a bit on the pricey side, but drinks at Dharma were right on track with others in the area. A whiskey sour cost $4 and was made perfectly - not too strong, with enough sour mix to make you pucker.
Dharma Lounge
1440 South Tryon St., Suite 105
Charlotte, N.C., 28203
704-334-8336
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
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22 comments:
I hate to do this to you, but you totally missed the true vibe of Dharma. It's not a "bar", it's a Lounge in a very loose sense of the word. From wed-sat it's pretty much a full-blown night club, with the music leaning heavily on the House/Electronic side of things. I suggest visiting this Saturday when Justin Martin visits, or next Saturday when House Music legend Green Velvet is in town. Then you'll truly see what Dharma is about
0 comments? C'mon folks let's liven up this Friday a little bit. Let's get some negative comments followed by Brittany and her friends defending her/the blog. I need something to get me through this day.
Is this a good place for a group of black men to go and meet white women?
Agreed. Dharma isn't even a bar!
Your description of the clientele sounds more like this place is a convention for mall record store managers.
This series had so much potential, but 95% of the places she visited are so cliche.....and dont even get me started about the crowd/clientele of said "bars".
She obviously can't go to every bar on Saturday when she is doing 30 bars in 30 days. She is reporting what she sees and I think she is spot on with the crowd and the vibe. She never said it was mostly a bar and if that's your favorite place then I can understand you having a strong opinion, but she is just reporting.
2nd
She grabbed the feel of that particular day and it's not called "30 Saturday's in 30 nights" She reported on exactly what she saw. Love the blog!
I will give you one. 21 reviews. 14 uptown (Southend is uptown. Southend of what? Southend of Uptown.), 3 NoDa, 4 UNCC. Pitiful job of covering the city. Also, about 15 of them are the same type of bar.
Another horrible write up and missed the total Vibe of Dharma. I thought we turned a corner after the Jackalopes review, guess not. Poor girl is lost.
It's a cool place but I felt a little out of place the one time I went. I didn't have at least half my body covered in ink and 10 or more pieces of jewelry in my face. They definitely have a unique crowd and a cool vibe. Music was good and drinks were cheaper than most places. May go back at some point.
One Question, how do you know what the "chic L.A. vibe" is?
I could not agree more with Ray. Whether you review it or not, do yourself a solid and check Dharma out on one of those weekends.
What a delightfull article, so very well written. Sounds like a charming place to visit.
@Anonymous 7:32 - Why thank you Brittany. It's nice to see you're writing a reply to your lame blog.
"Your comment has been saved and will be visible after blog owner approval."
Yeah, censorship at its finest!
Dharma on a Thurday is exactly as she described it. She didn't say she was there on a Saturday. Similary, a bar with Thursday karaoke is not the same as it is on a Saturday. Give the girl a break!
Anon 3:27: really? You are keeping track? Do you have a list of neighborhoods on your desk that you check off every day, because I see your running count of bars in each neighborhood every time I see this blog. I agree Montford drive needs a visit, and maybe a visit to the Rusty Rudder, but you seem a bit obsessive! Most bars in Charlotte are in the central neighborhoods and the University area. I'm sorry the bar at Applebee's on highway 74 in Monroe didn't make the cut,
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Good to know there's a place for the hipsters in the city to get a good drink.
your 30 days up yet?? THis is horrible.
Great idea, horrible writing. And what's with the fashion report? Were you too intimidated by all the ink to get close enough to actually talk to anyone there? The write up told me as much as the picture does. Plus a drink price. Sad.
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