Goa

Parking: Street Parking Difficult, Paid Lot, Metered, Nearby, Valet
DJ, Bottle Service, Private / VIP Service, Celeb-spotting, Dancing, Trendy, Upscale Celeb-Spotting, Bar Scene, Themed Decor, Bustling, Cozy, Trendy, Upscale Bustling 21+

If you are looking for proof of Cahuenga’s arrival as the street to party on in Hollywood, look no further than Adolfo Suaya and Michael Sutton's Indian-themed lounge Goa. The 7000 + square foot playground, located accross the street from Citizen Smith at Selma St., was at one time one of the hottest new clubs in town; with Avril Lavigne, David Spade, Amy Smart, Kristen Bell, Paris Hilton, Lauren Conrad and Ed Norton among the celebrities dropping by the lounge in preview parties late last year.

Innovative design touches abound inside the spacious lounge--with industrial-looking chains hanging from the ceiling in patterns and plush Asian rugs lining the walls. There are multiple VIP nooks and crannies throughout the club, including outside on the patio (the circular, private booths here have Bose sound systems). Nobody really comes here for the food, which is Japanese-inspired fare from Executive Chef Ted Fujita (although the sushi is very good here).

Clubbers come to wait in lines, unless you are well-connected or exceedingly well-dressed (read: wearing next to nothing). Get your game tight and don't get stuck in the "sucker line."  Walk right up to the velvet rope with quiet certitude and minimal attitude, and you might just stroll in like a superstar (It helps if you have the right names to drop).  Or, prepared to be patient.  Sadly, that's the game they play at Goa.  You will get in eventually.

UPDATE: Goa is now closed.  Co-owner Michael Sutton confirmed to The Guide over the weekend that the club shut down, and that he and his partners are in the process of selling their lease.

"I did the best that I could under the circumstances," he said.  Goa was trying to morph into a restaurant in a last ditch effort to save itself, but had been having problems with the city for the better part of 2008 over capacity and licensing issues (Goa was operating under a "47," an on-sale general eating permit).

According to the California Depatrtment of Beverage Control, Goa's license expires in September.  Former Goa employees were seen working the grand opening of Apple Lounge just last week.

The Guide will keep you posted as to who ends up taking over 1615 Cahuenga Blvd. 

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