Madame Royale

Madame Royale's principal owners are, from left, Gianni Capaldi, Ian Shepp and Brad Hoss. "We wanted to do something classy," says Capaldi. (Credit: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times )

“We’re not a nightclub but a lounge,” insists Ian Shepp, one of the principal owners of Madame Royale, about the latest arrival on Hollywood’s relentlessly competitive night life scene. “A nightclub is a place with moving lights, LED and all of that. There are lounges that try to be a club, and we’re definitely not that.”

Tucked away on a strip of Yucca Street just off Cahuenga between a check-cashing business and a laundry, Madame Royale is what can be called genuinely old school. A collaboration between Shepp and L.A. club stalwarts Gianni Capaldi and Brad Hoss (along with celebrity investor Ryan Cabrera), the space is an intimate bar-lounge inspired by 1920s French culture, most notably the Moulin Rouge.

“The interior designer, Marie Monsod [Shepp’s wife], and I traveled throughout Europe on our honeymoon,” says Shepp. “We knew that we were going to do a space when we got back, so we soaked in as much inspiration as we could. Our favorite feel was the Moulin Rouge in Paris, so we kind of modeled it after that, with a bit of an Art Deco twist.”

“We wanted to do something classy and take it to a completely different level,” raves Capaldi. “That’s how we came up with Madame Royale. When you walk inside, we want it to be like walking into a back-street spot along the Champs-Élysées in Paris.”

On a recent Tuesday night (and only the lounge’s second night open to the public), Madame Royale attracted a young, sexy and refreshingly laid-back crowd of Hollywood party people. The striking interior is heavy, with marble tops, dark wood and antique light fixtures creating a warm, inviting setting. The DJ is set up at a 19th century chest of drawers on a small elevated stage that also doubles as a VIP area of sorts with tables and a couch.

“It’s not a huge venue, so it gives the feeling that when you’re in there, you’ve done well to be in there,” says Capaldi, who years ago opened this same spot as the Red Buddha Lounge and currently owns the Sherman Oaks Irish pub Off Kilt. “We keep it very exclusive. We’re playing with a lot of different drink cocktails with absinthe and different fusions of flavors. We want to offer an extra dimension, so it’s just not the usual night out in L.A.”

While the main room was packed with bodies moving to dance music, an even more social scene was buzzing in the lounge’s fantastic back patio. Replete with couches, a fireplace and full bar, the patio also boasts a wrought-iron balcony with hanging jasmine that creates the feeling of a New Orleans house party.

“I’ve been in this business for 15 years and opened multiple clubs, but this is my first baby,” admits Shepp of Madame Royale. “I got my start at the Viper Room. Johnny Depp brought me in there and let me clean the floors, and I fell in love with the business.”

While exclusivity and celebrity sightings are a part of the lounge’s appeal (Lance Bass, Cheryl Burke, Evan Ross and Shane West have all been spotted, while “Twilight” actress Ashley Greene has already been there twice), both Capaldi and Shepp insist that Madame Royale is in tune with the current economic climate.

“We have lower drink prices than anywhere in our area,” boasts Shepp. “I’m trying to bring things back to where it was before places started price-gouging the consumer. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

“We’re aiming for repeat business, so we take care of our clientele,” echoes Capaldi. “Hopefully, they’ll keep coming back for more.”