Go Westside, young clubber

YOU know you’re on the Westside when you’re at a bar and you’ve had several conversations with strangers.

Pleasant conversations. Musings about fashion, art, music, weather. It just doesn’t happen that often in Hollywood, where people travel in cliques and outsiders are often eschewed.

At Holly’s West, a fresh new nightspot in Santa Monica, clubbers appear to be having a good time chilling with anyone who happens to show up.

The sister club to Holly’s, a Hollywood hot spot owned by SGM Corp., Holly’s West is packing Hollywood heat but without the requisite drama.

“We wanted to bring a taste of Hollywood to Santa Monica, minus the attitude,” says Rick Calamaro, SGM’s director of marketing and a veteran nightlife impresario. “You’ll still find plenty of Hollywood excitement, but there’s less bull.”

Calamaro, best friend of actor Charlie Sheen, cut his teeth as a Hollywood promoter before joining SGM and turning it into a driving force in L.A. nightlife.

Among its ventures: nightclubs Nacional, Ivar and Holly’s in Hollywood; Nine Thirty and the Backyard at Westwood’s W Hotel; and popular eateries Tengu in Westwood and the Venice Cantina.

With Holly’s West, SGM’s looking to start a brand.

“We have this huge Hollywood database to draw from, but we want to create elegant, small bars that don’t cater to 1,000 people,” says Alan Nathan, a native South African who got his start at the Garden of Eden before opening the sushi lounge Tengu with fellow South African expat Anton Posniak. “Our next destination for Holly’s is Newport Beach.”

Judging by the early success of Holly’s West (capacity: 150), they’re on to something.

“Everyone’s going for the Zen Japanese-style look right now,” says Posniak, who designed the club. “And I wanted to go directly opposite of that.”

TAKING its style cues from ‘50s Modern, the sleek bar is simple and elegant, with a menu offering such late-night snacks as grilled figs and sliders. There’s also a nightly DJ rotation spinning sounds as varied as electronica and dancy rock, with Steve Aoki a frequent guest.

“I love it for the Westside,” says Andrea Plsek, a 31-year-old fashion executive who lives in Santa Monica. “Our choices here on the Westside are either sports bars or restaurants. This is our first great lounge.”

On a recent Friday night, Hugh Hefner held court, filling one of the club’s red, Italian-leather booths to the brim with his dates.

And it wasn’t just the bunnies offering up ample eye candy. Holly’s West is quickly becoming a singles lounge. Women of all shapes and sizes were wearing slinky, revealing dresses.

“I try not to stare,” says Dave Minua, an artist from Venice. “But it’s hard. There’s a lot of hot women here tonight.”

Adding to the titillation are the servers, clad head to toe in seductive lingerie. It’s not something you see on the Westside unless you’re at a girlie bar.

“The response has been mixed,” says Larissa Stevens, a cocktail server wearing lacy undergarments. “Some customers love it, some hate it. But I feel so good wearing it.”

And for Susan Madron, a tourist from Houston who happened to be walking down Wilshire Boulevard when Hefner arrived, there’s star-wattage fun.

“I can’t believe I saw Hugh Hefner!” she yelped.

Alas, her excitement wasn’t enough to get her past the doorman, who explained the club was closed for a private event. She decided to loiter anyway.

“Hey, it’s a brush at fame,” she mused. “Now I’ve got something to tell ‘em in Texas.”

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Heidi Siegmund Cuda may be reached at weekend@ latimes.com.

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Holly’s West

Where: 2460 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica

When: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays

Price: No cover; 21 and older. Valet parking, $5.

Info: (310) 828-3304