Step into the new Next Door Lounge and you’ll instantly be transported to the Hollywood of the 1920s– and you won’t have to go all the way into the epicenter and the heat of Hollywood to get a great club experience.
The Next Door Lounge is entitled that way because it is right next door to the restaurant The Corner on Highland Avenue, just a few blocks south of Sunset Boulevard. The owner of The Corner, Ferris Wehbe, flung open the doors to the adjacent space just a few weeks ago.
It’s a speakeasy vibe, going back to the days when flappers reigned supreme, the walls lined with photographs of stars of the silver screen from a bygone era.
The 4,000 square-foot space features elements of fire and water with custom freestanding fire pits and a waterfall in a design reminiscent of a 1920s industrial facility. Quilted golden leather couches and chairs encourage intimate conversations while silent black and white films are projected on the walls.
Head barman Joe Brooke is a master mixologist, serving up concoctions like the Dame Next Door, made with vodka, ginger ale and accents of pomegranate, grapefruit, and starfruit and Volsted’s Vice, prepared with gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, dry vermouth and egg white.
Hungry? There’s a large, delectable selection of menu items including tapas, chicken breast tostadas, bay scallop “lollipops” and a killer burger, fresh from the in-house kitchen and bakery with a wood-burning oven.
For appetizers, try the tangy bay shrimp ceviche and crostini made with root vegetables and goat cheese.
Doorman. Check. But no high-pressure velvet rope scene. Valet parking – yes, but you could also probably find a space on the street.
Next Door Lounge is open Tuesday through Saturday from5 PM until2 AM. Kitchen until 1.
1154 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, (323) 465-5505, www.callnextdoor.com
