Gitana Restaurant

Parking: On Site
DJ, Dancing, Live Music Laid Back Casual, Bar Scene Bustling 21+ Dance Floor, Outdoor Seating

Five months ago, the doors swung open to a new spot in Burbank -- and judging from the pulsating and gyrating bodies inhabiting the dance floor, the word has spread.

Gitana is a joint -- particularly for those with short attention spans. The club has no shortage of amusements, including dancing, live performances, pool tables, video games, fine food and secluded alcoves in the VIP and cigar lounges.

The brainchild of Andre De Leon, Gitana -- which translates to Gypsy in Spanish -- is patterned after Yankee Doodles, another successful De Leon venture. Only this time the goal was to make the club more upscale in its appeal.

"De Leon wanted to take the basic concept behind his Woodland Hills club, but give Gitana more of a flair of Las Vegas," explains Jay Miller, Gitana's general manager.

This sprawling entertainment complex has been plopped down in the heart of Burbank's Media Center district, near the mall and a growing number of restaurants, coffee shops and 28 movie screens. Once a sleepy downtown, the area around San Fernando Road and Magnolia Boulevard now draws crowds, mostly from the San Fernando Valley and the northeast corridors of the city.

De Leon initially retained the services of the chef, the general manager and the marketing director from Los Angeles' Conga Room but quickly discovered they had created the impression of an environment that was "too extravagant and Hollywoodish." This was Burbank, after all, not the Sunset Strip.

"We knew we wanted this place to be nice, and we knew our concept worked," Miller says, "but we also wanted our patrons to know that if they were interested in eating, dancing, smoking or partying, that we had something for them here."

For a $5 cover on Friday and Saturday ($10 on Thursdays), one gains admission to the cavernous 21,000-square-foot club subdivided into five thematic areas. Once inside, you can easily drift from one area to another, sampling the different milieus and activities.

For dancing devotees, things really start hopping around 9:30 p.m., when the ceiling-mounted rotating strobe lights emit a bursting array of colors and couples take to the floor. Friday is Techno Night with a deejay spinning popular high-energy tunes from the '80s and '90s. Saturday brings in a different crowd and appearances by bands ranging from Liquid Lunch, a group that plays contemporary rock and jazz, to Polyester, a five-member retro disco cover band.

But on Thursday night, the dance floor transposes to a hot, feisty salsa club. For one hour, starting at 7 p.m., beginner lessons are offered, with more advanced instruction at 9 p.m. By 10 p.m., the room is packed to near capacity with smartly dressed dancers, mostly ranging in age from early 20s to 40s, displaying their mastery of complicated steps to the throbbing salsa soundtrack.

Those desiring a measure of intimacy and a guaranteed seat for the night can retreat to the VIP lounge along the south wall. This roped-off balcony area offers the comfort of plush parlor couches and chairs for those willing to purchase an entire bottle of fine spirits, liqueurs or champagne. In other parts of the club, individual drinks are a reasonable $4 to $5.

For a more relaxed, cooler atmosphere, float out on to one of two heated patios for a smoke or into the Billiard Room, where you can grab a pool table or play a game of Foosball. In the Sports Bar there are electronic games or real ones projected on a wide-screen TV. Gitana is quickly gaining a reputation as an inviting place to watch football and partake in their special Sunday morning brunch, with service starting at 9 a.m. Continental cuisine, with an Italian focus, is featured in the restaurant, which is open for both lunch and dinner. -- Donna Mungen, Los Angeles Times

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