(Credit: Stephanie Howard)
Open since Cinco de Mayo, the new hetero incarnation of the space has retained most of its iCandy charm, with few significant modifications beyond reupholstered furniture and a darker, more intimate lighting scheme (“The basic design was pretty good,” admits co-owner Noah Silverman).
Inside, it’s "A Clockwork Orange" meets "The Flintstones:" retro-chic, sunken, circular lounges—in burnt orange, of course—and gaudy shag carpeting mesh seamlessly with natural elements like stone pebble floors, a wood grain façade and a striking backlit bar made from natural onyx. The design elements continue to the men’s room, where floor-to-ceiling mirrors make the urinals peep-friendly (bonus!), and two wildly popular outdoor patios: a front patio for smoking and flirting with WeHo passersby, and an intimate backyard patio for smoking, drinking and making-out.
So what’s the deal with the new name? Though ‘iCandy’ was of-the-moment in the iPod-crazy early 2000s (ah, such simpler times), 'Seven' is a little more ambiguous; it’s a reference to the first number in the address—7927 Santa Monica Boulevard—but the name also alludes to the seven wonders of the world, the seven deadly sins and the seven dwarves. (Okay, maybe not the dwarves.)
For now, Seven’s toughest velvet rope is Fashion Industry Saturday Nights. Other weekly nights include ‘80s Wednesdays and indie rock Thursdays.
Drinks: Along with a decent selection of bottled beer, high end liquor and, of course, Red Bull, Seven whips up some seriously delish specialty drinks made with 100% Napa Valley fruit puree, Grey Goose vodka and Sprite.
Crowd: Unlike iCandy, the crowd at Seven is “99% straight” according to co-owner Silverman. Now, does that mean that each patron is 99% straight?
Décor: Three flatscreen TVs project anything from impressionist paintings to modern video art, and there are candles everywhere—Seven goes through over a hundred candles a night.
Food: No grubbage yet, but Seven has plans to add a tapas menu in the next couple months, as well as a ‘seven-centric’ appetizer menu, which will feature seven appetizers for $7.
Click here for Seven's address, phone numbers and website.
Amir Kenan is contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
