Posts

Best Clubstaurants (Restaurant + Club Combos) in LA

/in /by

What, exactly, is a clubstaurant? It’s the kind of place you go to not necessarily for the food, but more for the late night debauchery that accompanies it. Often with the aid of a live DJ and bountiful bar, clubstaurants are a destination in themselves, which means you’re likely to stay long after you meal has concluded. There are even some free clubs that you can get in by signing up for the guest list, or if you’d prefer a day club, you can check out the top LA pool parties. But without further ado, here are the best places in LA to both start and end your night, presented from north to south.

1 Beauty & Essex

There are few restaurants that encapsulate glitz and glam more than Beauty & Essex, the stunning restaurant in Hollywood’s new Dream Hotel complex. The gigantic 10,000 square foot space replicates the whimsy of the pawn shop façade in the Lower East Side flagship, with some of the same hits like grilled cheese and tomato soup dumplings that are easy snacks to nibble on while libations flow.

2 Tao

While Tao Las Vegas holds the title of highest grossing restaurant in America, the new Los Angeles outpost, also adjacent to the Dream Hotel, should follow suit soon enough. The cavernous location serves approachable, pan-Asian fare in dark, sexy digs that include an animated, twenty foot tall Quan Yin floating statue.

3 Hyde Sunset

There’s no denying that Hyde Sunset‘s beautifully designed space has all the right vibes to kick off a night out. Start off with sharable plates from Top Chef alum Chris Crary, and stay for the bottle service lounge atmosphere that gets clubbier as the night turns to early morning.

4 Delilah

Step through the paparazzi-flocked doors of h.wood Group’s (The Nice Guy, Peppermint Club) latest venture, and instantly feel transported to the Rat Pack glory days rife with live music, burlesque dancers, and plenty of pretty people. Have a tuxedoed server serve you classic American dishes, sip on novel cocktails like the mini bottle service that comes with the Champagne Papi (which you can sometimes find Drake himself sipping from one of the prime booths), and indulge in a clubstaurant experience that feels a little more grown up than the rest.

5 Blind Dragon

Blind Dragon recently went under the knife to become a full dining experience in the vein of h.wood’s other restaurants Delilah and Nice Guy. That means new seating that is conducive to a sit-down meal of Asian-inspired snacks off of a revamped menu. Of course, there’s still the elevated karaoke experience that is fueled by a stellar cocktail list.

6 Ysabel West Hollywood

You’d be wise to make an early dinner reservation at cool kid hangout Ysabel. Swing by a little too late in the evening, and you’d better dress the part to pass the doorman, who assures that only a certain type of crowd can sip decently made libations in its pretty surroundings.

7 E.P & L.P.

What is widely considered one of West Hollywood’s most beautiful rooftops is host to plenty of pretty people, boozy boba cocktails, fantastic Southeast Asian bites that come by way of chef Louis Tikaram, and loungey late night bar vibes.

8 Doheny Room

Definitely one of the best clubs in Los Angeles that also doubles as a restaurants, Sbe’s Doheny Room is the sort of place where the ideal dinner reservations are later than 8 p.m. to kick off a long night of revelry. Your meal will probably consist of dishes like lobster poutine and the Doheny Room’s party trick of a dessert before moving to the restaurant’s bar for after dinner drinks. But the party really starts at the clubby upstairs lounge where pretty people and vodka sodas abound.

9 CATCH

The first LA outpost of NY’s celebrity hot spot Catch offers glitter-adorned vodka drinks, a full vegan menu, and exceptional (and pricey) seafood plates. With the lush rooftop setting and some of the city’s best people watching, it’s without question one of the sceniest spots in the city.

10 The Nice Guy

A favorite of the Kardashian clan, h.wood Group’s The Nice Guy is ideal for lovers of both red sauce joints and Hollywood hot spots. That means you can dine on chicken parm and meatballs all while taking in the beautiful Godfather-inspired space and equally beautiful people. You’re going to want to make reservations in advance to secure your seat.

11 Toca Madera

You know it’s a clubstaurant when a space comes outfitted with a photo booth and resident DJ. Come in for expensive plates of Mexican fare, and stay to rub elbows with leather jacketed ladies and gents.

12 The Venue

Don’t get confused, The Venue is not your average karaoke bar. Head into a basement through a speakeasy-like entrance and encounter a neon sign-accented space with a full dining room, bar, and thirteen private karaoke rooms. Come for dinner and stay for cocktails by Devon Epinosa and all the debauchery that ensues. Located in the heart of Koreatown, this is a favorite Los Angeles Ktown club.

Tao Group Grand Opening Party at Avenue & Highlight Room

/in /by

Drawing some of Hollywood’s biggest names, TAO Group, along with real estate developers Richard Heyman and Grant King of Relevant Group, celebrated the highly-anticipated TAO, Beauty & Essex, Avenue, and Luchini LA Grand Opening with an exclusive invite-only block party. Spotted at Avenue, Cindy Crawford and hubby Randy Gerber enjoyed a fun night out, while DJ Khaled took the stage for a surprise DJ set. Orlando Bloom was also seen at the nightclub with a group of friends, while Draya Michele was seen dancing it up at a table with gal pals. Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross arrived together looking more in love than ever at Beauty & Essex. The inseparable couple weren’t afraid to show their affection for one another as Evan was spotted giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek. Jamie Chung, who was sporting an Elizabeth and James bag, was all smiles with husband Bryan Greenberg and were seen enjoying sweets at the Beauty & Essex dessert bar. Meanwhile at TAO Asian Bistro, Hailey Baldwin dazzled in a sparkly number showing off major leg. Enjoying late night slices of pizza at Luchini, were Michael Bay and Owen Wilson, who both kept a low profile throughout the evening. Taking the stage for a surprise special performance were NAS, Busta Rhymes and Anderson Paak while Ross One, DJ Cassidy, Chantel Jeffries, Chris Masterson, and Devin Lucien manned the decks throughout the evening.

Avenue will officially open its doors on Tuesday, March 21. TAO Asian Bistro, Beauty & Essex and Luchini Pizzeria & Bar will open to the public in early April. Dream Hollywood will open separately and later this Spring with a new dining and nightlife concept from TAO Group called The Highlight Room, a rooftop lounge, pool and grill atop of the hotel. TAO Group will exclusively manage all of Dream Hollywood’s food and beverage operations, marking their first West Coast venture.

12345

Tao Group LA Takes on Hollywood

/in /by

With a massive presence in New York, Las Vegas and Sydney and a penchant for curating luxury pop-up experiences at Ultra and the Electric Daisy Carnival, Tao Group has established itself as a major global brand. The group’s westward expansion continues when the group teams up once again with the Dream Hotel Group, with whom they already have a successful partnership in Manhattan. The new 178-room hotel Dream Hollywood is set to open its doors in February according to a spokesperson, on the corner of Selma and Cahuenga Boulevards.

The project will not only boast Tao and Beauty & Essex restaurants designed by The Rockwell Group, but also a rooftop lounge, grille and pool deck called The Highlight Room and a Los Angeles outpost of Tao Group’s white-hot Avenue Nightclub, all of which are slated to arrive in the first quarter of 2017. Hiring is already underway for all venues at taogroupla.com. This will without a doubt will be one of L.A.’s biggest openings of the year.

Tao and Beauty & Essex To Open In LA

/in /by

Tao has been a nightlife destination in Las Vegas for years, drawing Angelenos with its surprisingly good pan-Asian fare and sceney ambiance. The New York City concept is now apparently slated for the Dream Hotel in Hollywood, no surprise really since sister concept Beauty & Essex was already confirmed back in August 2015.

456747_l

What Tao’s entrance into the City of Angels means is that Hollywood’s nightlife scene is about to take a turn toward the Empire state of mind. The “vibe dining” restaurant boasts everything from sushi rolls and dim sum to more composed plates. No word on whether Tao will bring its entire nightclub to Hollywood, but with the limited space, it seems unlikely.

At the moment, there’s no projected opening date for Tao, though Beauty & Essex was originally slated to open this year. According to hotel developers Hollywood IRC, the project is currently under construction.

In the meantime, you can satisfy all your nightlife needs with Discotech.