CLUB REVIEW : Beautiful Room, Bland Music
The Gate--a late-night dance and supper club in West Hollywood so trendy that it doesn’t have a listed number--is one of the more beautiful rooms in town.
The club’s proprietors paid close attention to visual detail--designing the room with rich, Gothic touches including sculpted gargoyles and working fireplaces.
Too bad the music’s so plain.
On Saturdays, the deejays play it safe, spinning a perfunctory selection of contemporary hits that reads like a Billboard Hot 100 Singles list. A typical set might include a back-to-back coupling of Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is),” Janet Jackson’s “If” and Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince’s “Boom! Shake the Room.”
It’s the kind of thing you could probably hear sitting in your car and turning on the radio. What the room needs is a more imaginative blend of music. If you want to truly sample that ambience, you have to reserve a table: The minimum table reservation of $25 is a bargain compared to the $3,000 minimum for the plush, private dining den. To get the phone number to make a reservation, ask for a business card on your first visit--you won’t find the number on the matchbooks.
After listening to a few songs, the tables near one of the venue’s two library rooms--where guests can pop a book off the shelf--may seem pretty appealing.
The Gate, 643 La Cienega, West Hollywood, unlisted number; cover charge: $10, Wednesday and Friday; $15, Saturday .