At Montauk (Kim Ma, Hanoi), the romantic vibe of the 2000s is in every little detail, gentle but not forced. People come here to rekindle their inspiration, reminisce about the past years, or simply relax in the atmosphere of a glorious past.
The story begins in a small shop.
LP Club was born from the passion for analog music of three founders: Quang, Hang and Tuan. The first store was located at 34 Ha Hoi Street, specializing in selling vinyl records, cassette tapes and CDs imported from abroad in a nostalgic space.
The birth of LP Club seems to quench the thirst for enjoying "slow" music of a part of young people in a hurried society. That is because, the feeling of enjoying music from discs and tapes is an experience that cannot be rushed. Starting from carefully choosing a favorite album, holding the disc in your hand, looking at the attached artwork pages, carefully inserting the disc into the player and enjoying the sound. All of this requires the player to be really slow and focused. That experience is completely different from the type of digital music that most of us are familiar with, where people can control the music with just a quick touch.
Cafe of the 2000s
After LP Club moved to the bustling Kim Ma street, a new sibling was formed: Montauk by LP Club cafe. If LP Club's starting point was music, Montauk was inspired by classic rom-com movies likeLost in Translation, 500 Days of Summeror especiallyEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- the film that shaped every aspect of Montauk.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindtells the story of a young couple: Joel and Clementine.
Although the two tried to erase their memories of each other after breaking up, deep inside they always had a place associated with their old love: Montauk. And since then, Montauk has become the name of this special cafe. The two main colors of blue and orange of the cafe are also inspired by the character Clementine with blue hair and a prominent orange jacket.
Entering Montauk from the crowded Kim Ma street, an airy space bearing the mark of previous decades slowly opens. The bright neon sign "Meet me in Montauk" - a signature line in the movieEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- leading down to a garden space with green trees. Behind the large glass window is a cozy room with a bookshelf, a box TV, a record player, speakers, a radio... The melodious, romantic music that fills the space here is not digital music, but is played directly from vinyl records selected from the LP Club store - located on the second floor of the room.
"Unlike today's technology boom, in the 2000s when there was no social network, to update information people had to listen to music, watch movies, read books, etc. Montauk wants to create a space that recreates that period, when people still had the habit of living slowly: buying a disc, flipping through it, admiring it, sitting pensively enjoying it with a cup of coffee, with a book, then curiously learning about the album they just listened to," shared Mr. Ngoc - the owner of Montauk.
Montauk is not only rich with music publications, but the bookshelves here are also meticulously cared for, filled with familiar classic books of the 8x, 9x generation and many magazines about music and cinema of this period. According to Ngoc's description, this bookshelf is like a "memory warehouse", where people can find the feelings of the old years gone by.
Besides the cultural experiences, the drink menu at Montauk is also an interesting highlight for you to explore. It would be a pity to come here without trying one of the best-sellers: Montauk (creamy coffee), Lost in Translation (peanut butter coffee) or sip a unique cocktail or mocktail. Interestingly, Montauk also serves wine and cocktails all day.
Meeting point of many generations
Recreating a golden age of the past, it was thought that the visitors to Montauk and LP Club would mainly be from the 8x or 9x generation. But in reality, more and more young people from Gen Z are visiting and falling in love with this place. They come to capture moments with the pop culture-style decoration of the shop, enjoy the installations, and happily explore the huge collection of books and CDs here.
Explaining this, Mr. Ngoc shared: "There are periods called 'golden ages' with timeless influence. Disco music, neon lights and science fiction movies of the 80s in the US are an example as they continue to inspire contemporary artists. The culture of the 2000s in Vietnam is similar. Old things become something very special, arousing curiosity in young people."
Not only reviving the echoes of the past, Montauk and LP Club also contribute to the development of modern culture. While LP Club also produces CDs for Vietnamese Indie artists such as Ngọt, Chillies, Vũ..., Montauk regularly dedicates space to organize events for independent artists to launch books and albums. It is here that old values are combined with modern flows, creating a close, open space for everyone.
Meet me in Montauk (Montauk by LP Club)
Address: 174 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Opening hours: 7:30-23:30
Fanpage:Montauk by LP Club
