In the midst of a gleaming evening Lund square lies a neon-lit sign indicating a bar just in front of the large silhouette of the Lund Cathedral. An evening site for most, Herkules Bar is a go-to place for many Lundians of all ages interested in a night-out.
Though the main lights are dimmed, candles and ceiling lights leaves the feeling that it’s almost daytime again, even though night has already fallen. Classic rock music plays in the background as beers and food is being served.
Herkules bar as we see it today, opened after the closing of a shoe store of the same name in 2001. “When the store closed, the owners of the neighboring Restaurang Stortorget decided to buy up the place. They also decided to keep the name because it sounded so unique,” explains Lana Persson, night manager of the Wednesday club.
According to Persson, the three owners Thomas Persson, Kenneth Ovesson, and Anders Stark opened Restaurang Stortorget twenty years ago. Originally the restaurant had a bar on the lower level which was then removed and became Herkules Bar.
The restaurant’s kitchen serves 
the bar as well with a selection of food. The bartender recommends blue mussels and cava, a wine from the Mediterranean shores of Spain. Visitor Gustav Jansen, who comes to the bar very often with friends suggests trying the signature burger of both the bar and restaurant. “I would say that I come here some two or three times a month,” says Jansen who likes the place because of its diverse audience and its good food. “It’s simply a nice place with a mixed group of people.”
“A special feature to the food served”, explains Lana Persson, “is that our food is always prepared from start to finish and we don’t order food like other food chains do. The beef in the burger is ground from meat we order locally. They cook, they cut, and they bake the chips all in the kitchen.”
But the main attraction for students is the club night “Kompisklubben” which they have in the bar downstairs from the entrance. Night manager Persson says she tries to keep a varied audience with both young and old. “But on Wednesday nights, 
we mostly get the students.”
To the dismay of students with small pockets, the home-grown style of food preparation comes at a sky-high price. Herkules’ seafood starters are often in the 70-80kr range, let alone the main course, which would probably be off the charts for student visitors.
Also, not all visitors may fancy the home-grown style of cooking, with whole bread and baked fries still coated with the potato skins. But to enjoy a fancy atmosphere and a quiet place to have a beer or a drink, Herkules Bar is the place to go.
