Wednesdays at Crown Bar

In a town crowded with beautiful people, beyond-exclusive new hot spots (some even claim you need a personal invite to show up) and tried-and-true—but perhaps staid—faves, comes a fun, fresh new gem, Crown Bar. On Wednesdays when premier Hollywood promotion team The Alliance defines the scene, it’s pretty darn tough to step foot past the velvet rope. They say no guys—even Ian Ziering was turned away! Stylish stiletto-clad starlets (and up-and-coming wannabes), industry bigwigs and major celebs brush past a crowd of 25 guys toting cameras and a few more guys who don’t yet realize they won’t be sidling up to the generously-sized octagonal bar. We’d say no sweat, you’re not missing much, but then we’d be lying. The surprisingly diverse crowd is fun, upbeat and chill all at the same time. The music hits a pretty high note. Samantha Ronson and Joel Madden recently shared turntable duty, accompanied of course by Lindsay and Nicole. But better yet, there’s plenty of unreserved barstool and lounge seating in the chandelier- and mirror-adorned space for all levels of the H’wood hierarchy. And did we mention the large crowd of cute bartenders? After only a couple weeks, the crown jewel of the Winston’s/Dime trifecta is making a splash for all the right party people. It’s the opposite of Goa, less pretentious than Villa and a good fit for a Teddy’s devotee. And besides, we love the variety. Where else would Dave Navarro (and busty entourage), Emile Hirsh (in sweatshirt and jeans) and LiLo all carouse together?

—Kathryn Romeyn

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