Hottest New Nightclub in Atlantic City - Providence!AC Mole’s Nightclub Rundown
Around this time of year, among the most frequent requests I get are my opinions on the city’s nightclubs. Nightlife in Atlantic City has been on a huge upswing over the last five years or so – right along with the expansion in restaurants logically would follow an expansion of nightlife. Restaurants, nightlife, and shopping – the holy trinity of non-gaming attractions. Here’s the skinny on some of Atlantic City’s better post-dinner venues.
Providence - Quarter at The Tropicana Casino
Providence opened Memorial Day weekend in the space formerly known as TSOP on the third floor of Tropicana’s Quarter. This ultra-exclusive, high-energy nightspot comes to Atlantic City from Manhattan. Parent company Metronome Entertainment Group owns several NYC hotspots and is not shy in bragging about their client list. When I say ultra-exclusive, try this: you have to go to the website, providenceclubac.com, and register. That earns you the right to wait on line on your designated night. And nothing else. All table reservations require a two-bottle minimum, with bottles ranging from $165 to $3,000. Booking a table gets you in via the VIP entrance, but according to club management I have spoken to “everyone waits on line”. Locals will appreciate that the old Cucina Rustica that was in Margate and Cucina at the Sheraton will be reopening within Providence sometime this year. Some would say that the last thing Atlantic City needs is another Italian restaurant, others will welcome back what was a great menu a few years ago, as evidenced in this Atlantic City Why the Cucina? Cucina owner Art Giordano is a managing partner in Providence.
32 Degrees - Quarter at the Tropicana
32 Degrees Luxe Lounge, known to the in-crowd that frequents it as just “32”, is a small and swanky lounge on the third floor of the Quarter at Tropicana. The interior has two bars with seating, but the prime real estate is the booths and tables where the sole purpose is to be seen. 32 is absolutely the place to go to debut those new designer clothes - it's one of the few places in Atlantic City where both male and female fashion knowledge along with coveted expensive labels might be recognized and get you respect. On weekend nights you will probably find just as many people waiting to get in as are already in the lounge, so you might want to consider calling ahead and booking bottle service. The smarts of calling ahead are directly proportional to the size of your group: if you have 15 people and show up no-notice, you can rightfully expect to wait. 32 Degrees offers VIP bottle service (609-572-0032, www.32lounge.com) where you can buy a bottle of booze and guarantee yourself a table. High-end service, a beautiful wait staff and a jet-set crowd are the fundamentals of getting in and hanging out. Tell Brian the VIP Manager that the Mole sent you – he and I go back a few years.
The Pool at Harrahs - Harrah's Casino Atlantic City
Who would have thought that the Pool at Harrah's would turn into a successful nightclub venue in Atlantic City. Most people that have been there for themed party or on a Friday or Saturday night have said it was incredible. Great music, fabulous cocktails, beautiful bikini clad waitresses and bartenders and a whole lot of good looking men and women. Check with Harrah's directly for the latest party schedule for The Pool, we guarantee a hot night for everyone !
Blue Martini - Bally's Casino Bar
This dark, chic setting located at the Boardwalk entrance off Bally's casino floor offers more than 100 variations of martinis, top-shelf liquor, live music and a bar with a built-in frosted ice rail. Blue Martini had the first ice rail in town (before Red Square) and live entertainment is offered Fridays and Saturdays.Besides live entertainment, there’s the three 60-inch plasma screens located along the wall behind the bar. Blue Martini features 26 vodkas from 12 countries and a catalog of more than 100 designer flavored martinis ranging from watermelon to chocolate. All martinis are presented and shaken at the table. Those same martinis are half-price Monday thru Friday from 5 to 7pm, making for one of the best happy hours in town. Don’t think that Blue Martini is solely for the martini enthusiast. Single-malt Scotches, small batch Bourbons and a wine by the glass menu accent the martini catalog to create a well-rounded selection of high-end choices. Blue Martini is open seven days a week and seats 125. It’s a great bar, but that’s all. There’s not much room to dance to the music, so it’s more of a relaxed sit-down atmosphere.
Casbah - Trump Taj Mahal - Ranked #1 in AC 2007
Every nightclub claims that they are the one spot that you go to in order to be seen by the socialite crowd. Casbah lays that claim as well, but they have more of a right to do so. Casbah is the granddaddy of AC nightlife, and at one point way back in the day it was the only nightclub located within a casino. The enormous space with a seemingly nonexistent ceiling is ringed by catwalks, in which dance the famed Casbah Girls. They’re famous for one reason: they’re hot. Nuff said. The crowd also tends to be more of the young, hip, well-dressed variety that also knows their way around a dance floor. Bring your rhythm when you go here – if you don’t, you’ll be the only one without. Drinks can run on the expensive side, especially when you’re buying round after round for that hot (and not over-dressed) bachelorette party that you’re looking for some VIP treatment from. Ladies never pay a cover, so the proverbial fishing lake is always well-stocked. In summer, Casbah will typically put about 4,000 people thru the door on any given Saturday night. Happy hunting, gentlemen.
Club Tru - In Atlantic City
Club Tru is one of Atlantic City's premier non-casino nightclubs. This three-story club boasts a nightlife experience different than any other club in Atlantic City. Three floors equals three times the fun. Dance or relax at one of four different bars, including a bar-equipped outside deck. Tru is connected to the Studio 6 dance club which offers an impressive light and sound experience. If you’re tired from all that dancing and tail chasing, you can rev up your engines at the Tru Energy Bar, which specializes in Red Bull mixers. The Perfect 10 Martini Lounge and the 4c's Lounge provide a more upscale atmosphere with seating (champagne service) and a balcony that overlooks Tru’s dance floor. Hang out at Joe's Sports Bar on the first floor for a more relaxed atmosphere. The place gets truly crazy around midnight and offers dancing into the wee hours, usually to about 4am. The dress code at Tru is always Dress to Impress.
Déjà vu - New York ave and Boardwalk
This multi-level dance club is dark, mysterious and packed to the walls almost every weekend night. The music ranges from House, Progressive House, Club and Disco Classics, all played on a 20,000 watt sound system that will make your bones and your rump shake. Deja Vu is an upscale establishment with a liberal but strictly enforced dress code (no jeans, no sneakers). Scantily clad shot girls & guys roam the various neon sectors of the club. Deja Vu offers six inside bars, three levels and a late-night kitchen serving sandwiches, snacks, pizza or seafood. Open 9pm-5am, and the cover charge varies from $10-$20 after 11pm. The crowds here in general may be lighter and the atmosphere more laid back than in the casino-based clubs, and the entertainment staff is not opposed to switching the vibe to a more hip-hop type if so requested.
Game On - Pier at Caesars
While not a full-time nightclub, Game On! offers bottle service after 10pm in addition to the bar, HD monitors, and existing menu. Most of the seated areas (booths, skyboxes) except for the bar have a one bottle or two cases of beer rule during late night. Bottle service and everything else that Game On! is famous for, plus the city’s only mechanical bull – I smell a winner.
10Til - New Nightspot at the Hilton Atlantic City
Hilton’s new Saturday-night-only venue caters to an older nightlife (think 35 to 55 instead of 21 to 35) crowd. Their rather hot jazz singer was on this month’s cover of CityAtlantic, and just about everyone in town has been asking where she has been all my life. 10Til, formerly known as the Chairman’s Club, is the place where you can actually hear the music and you won’t need to scream across the table to your date. For just a $10 cover, that’s a great deal. Also featured here is the spectacular wraparound ocean view and leather furniture. Said Phil Juliano, senior regional vice president of marketing for the Hilton and Resorts Atlantic City. “It's an adult nightclub experience that focuses on good food, great entertainment, quality desserts and fine cocktails,” “There's going to be top-notch hors d'oeuvres, fine wines, champagnes … things we know patrons desire.”
Mixx - Borgata Hotel and Casino
There are a few people out there who still gripe about Mixx eliminating its food service (tapas and sushi, how we miss ye), but nobody complains when the doors open on Fridays and Saturdays at 10pm. Those doors don’t close until the party’s over, and there’s plenty of action to be had between the dance floor, the bar, and the VIP bottle service that such hotshots as Howard Stern and Billy Crystal have made use of. Despite the Borgata’s opening of mur.mur just across the property, Mixx is still a club that you can go to just to be seen. Its hip factor is still alive and well.
Mur.mur - Borgata Hotel and Casino
Borgata had to open a second club because one premium nightlife venue simply wasn’t enough in the building that locals have dubbed “Vegas East”. Mur.mur is a standout among local clubs because it fills a niche that no one else had: Mondays. “Mur.mur Mondays” have been the talk of the town since they started, since it gives weeknight city guests, conventioneers, and local industry workers who have weekdays off a place to party should the need arise. Mur.mur, just like its sister Mixx, is open 10pm until whenever on Fridays and Saturdays, with Mondays added on at Mur.mur.
Planet Rose - Quarter at the Tropicana
Another entry in the “not completely a nightclub” file, Planet Rose Karaoke Bar is the only full-time karaoke spot in the city, always ready to go for when you’ve had one too many and the inspiration to channel Neil Diamond kicks in. In addition, Planet Rose hosts the Men of the Cave male revue show on Saturday nights, making it a bachelorette magnet. Liquor, karaoke, and bachelorettes: what else could you ask for? This venue is small, but what in lacks in size it more than makes up for in personality.
There’s the story on the club scene in Atlantic City – like the city itself, it’s Always Turned On, and a visitor should have no trouble finding what suits their taste.
Mike Holovacs, the AC Mole, is a concierge at one of the larger casino properties in town. Feel free to leave comments or questions.
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