Psst! Atlantic Sets Mood of Sophistication
When Christopher Ciccone (yeah, he’s Madonna’s brother) opened Atlantic two and a half months ago, he bucked L.A. tradition and unveiled his restaurant with a whisper rather than a hyped-up bang. That was an appropriate tactic for a low-key, elegant venue that aims for a New York sophistication. Atlantic is attitude-free but still makes its guests feel they’ve stepped into someplace special.
In the tradition of such supper-club hangouts as Jones and the Olive, Atlantic draws denizens who want to mingle and be seen--but not in the desperate, bimbo ‘n’ himbo “look at me” vein. Rather, this class joint was built to last.
Atlantic’s aesthetics, a key factor for interior decorator Ciccone, suggest an East Coast frame of mind, and guests will likely appreciate the marble detail in the floors, spacious leather booths, smooth, finished wood and a darkened exterior.
Atlantic is a late-night hangout, and Ciccone sets the mood by adjusting Atlantic’s music. Early in the evening, he plays to the supper crowd with lounge standards by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, and as the evening goes on he turns to Latin-flavored dance music for inspiration. When the dining crowd departs and the martini set is ushered in, Ciccone turns the volume up and peppers the spacious room with all that’s good in contemporary R&B;, including Maxwell, the Fugees and D’Angelo.
* Atlantic, 8256 Beverly Blvd. All ages, no cover (reservations are encouraged). (213) 951-1949.
The Buzz: The promoters of the Monday All-Star Jams at Billboard Live just inked a deal with the Freaks in the Room, the club’s new house band, which includes Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke and ex-GNR drummer Steven Adler. . . . Club Lingerie has been revamped for a year now, but only in recent weeks have Hollywood’s hip promoters--undoubtedly swayed by the success of Sunday night’s Club Pornography--taken an interest in the space. New to the Lingerie list, which includes Saturday Night Fever, is Paparazzi, a dance club that was scheduled to open Wednesday night. . . . Power deejays Mike Messex, Sean Perry and Danny B. have turned Amagi, a low-key sushi joint in Hollywood’s Gower Gulch, into a hot house-music dance club on Thursday nights with Take Five. It’s free before 11 p.m. for the rest of the month.
* All-Star Jams, (310) 274-5800. Paparazzi, (213) 957-2004. Take Five (no listing).