Just opened: V Lounge

Black and white and blue-lit all over (Credit: Cole Godvin)

When it comes to dance clubs, Santa Monica is like the Mojave Dessert in the middle of a drought: dry. That should change with the opening of V Lounge, a swanky club that merges Vegas aesthetics with a Westside vibe.

The crowd is the complete inverse of what you'd see in Hollywood. The guys here are more "come-as-you-are" rather than perfectly made-up with their muscles, highlights and trendy polo shirt du jour.  And the girls? You’d think they’d be Boho chic given that it’s the Westside, but instead they’re coiffed to the max (hello hairspray!) and rocking skintight dresses.

The main attraction, of course, is the large, blue-lit dance floor, which the DJ keeps packed by playing the type of Top 40 you hear on KIIS FM—if you don't like Justin Timberlake, you might be in trouble. But that's not the only exciting thing about V Lounge. Former "Top Chef" contender Brian Hill is the mastermind behind the tapas menu. At the opening party, he served salmon topped with an original peach barbeque sauce as well as a Greek salad that he made unique with an original pineapple vinaigrette. Both were delightful accompaniments to bar's signature St. Germaine Pineapple Cosmo.

For the voyeur who'd rather bypass cutting up a rug, there are seats arranged amphitheater-style around the dance floor; for the socialite, there are large white-lit seating areas sectioned off by silver beads; and for the romantics, there are red-lit nooks—wink, wink. There's also a stage where up-and-coming bands like Until June (think Coldplay meets Maroon 5) will headline.

Now that hits the V spot.

Click here for V Lounge's address and phone number.

Alexandra Le Tellier is Bars & Clubs editor for Metromix Los Angeles.

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