Where Beautiful People Mingle

In the ‘80s, massive nightclubs were the thing, cavernous halls for dancing and posing and bumping a hundred sweaty bodies on the way to the bar. In the ‘90s, with floating warehouse parties taking a huge chunk of the dance business--and the recession taking a huge bite of club owners’ profits--intimate supper clubs, places like Olive, Trinity and Cafe Maurice, dominate the scene.

Now there is Tryst, the latest project from Mario Oliver, the man who gave us the rudest ‘80s nightclub--Vertigo. Set in a low-slung stucco building, Tryst is done up in sober colors: muted gold, the deepest greens and browns. Unlike the stark, high-tech restaurants of a few years back, Tryst is unafraid of ornamentation. Charmingly unslick light fixtures, some of which resemble upside-down Christmas trees, sparkle with colorful baubles; off to the side of the bar is a tiny, beautiful space with just enough room for several tiny, beautiful bodies and their drinks. It seems designer Ron Meyers wants to encourage mingling.

Those more interested in the Wilhelmina models across the room than dinner can nibble through what chef Ralf Marhencke’s menu calls Hot Bites and Cold Bites. The small plates of food--mini-lamb chops, venison salad or tiny ribs with a sticky-sweet Chinese-style sauce--include some of the less outrageous experiments from his previous job as head chef at Noa Noa. There are also larger plates of steak, crisp-skinned Chinese-style duck or a whole fried catfish.

Tryst, 401 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 289-1600. Pasta/entrees $7.95 to $21.95.