(Credit: Philip Ross)
There’s no velvet rope. No happy hours. No club promoters. No special nights. No special treatment (hear that, Lindsays-in-training?). Six nights a week, there's no cover. Heck—there isn’t even a sign out front to let you know you’re at the right place.
A Cahuenga Corridor staple since 1993, The Room recently reopened after a ten-month renovation as a bigger, better incarnation of its former self. Once located off a sketchy alleyway and the size of most L.A. clubs’ DJ booths, now the front door has been moved up to the front, making the new Room—made famous in the Jon Favreau cult classic "Swingers"—slightly less impossible to find. And just like "Swingers" star Vince Vaughn, The Room is now twice the size it was in the mid-nineties.
Some of the changes may shock and awe many of The Room's old school fans: The back alley entrance, which once lent the space a certain in-the-know charm, has been converted into a breezy smokers’ deck, with comfy bench seating and festune lighting overhead (fear not, movie buffs—the semi-famous entryway from the film is still there for your posin' and quotin' needs, though it's been sealed off). The Room's owners also bought the old bookstore next door (so last century) and converted it into a dance floor and two raised lounge areas, adding much-needed seating to the formerly standing-room-only space.
Club owners and artist Leslie Nix collaborated on the interior, aiming to “keep the soul of the old room, but take it up a few notches,” says manager McCray Miller. McCray also wants to make it clear that The Room is not a club; it’s a bar and lounge.
So what's the difference? One is the price of admission: Thursday night, which features rock n' funk sets by DJ Garth Trinidad and DJ Victor Duplaix, is the only night with a cover ($5 before 11 p.m., $10 after). That means there's no cover on Friday and Saturday nights, making The Room an excellent choice for Hollywood clubbers who'd rather spend their cash on overpriced valet parking than overpriced doors.
If you want to book a private party, call McCray and he’ll hook you up, no matter who you are (or, more importantly in Hollywood, aren’t). And if you manage to score someone’s digits here, just don't forget to wait the requisite six days before dialing them up...
Drinks: You won’t find any fancy-pants, special-of-the-house drinks here: The Room is too busy doing the classics right. The price is right, too: well drinks are $7 each, and a Grey Goose martini will only set you back $12.
Décor: Wood grain, wood grain...and more wood grain. Dozens of candles illuminate the sleek space, if you can tear yourself from the giant mirror long enough to notice. Nifty slats separate the bar from the lounge area, but still allow you to peek inside to scope the beautiful babies.
Music: A healthy mix of funk, soul, R&B, reggae, rock and a few choice rare grooves.
Crowd: Says manager McCray: “We’re attentive to the Hollywood crowd, for people who want to go out with friends and listen to proper music. If you’re going out just to be seen, you should go somewhere else.”
Click here for The Room's address and phone number.
Amir Kenan is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
