ROXBURY HOLLYWOOD

Few L.A. nightclubs loomed as large in the public imagination as the Roxbury Hollywood during its near-decade-long reign on Sunset Boulevard. From the late 1980s to 1997, it was one of the West Coast’s premier celebrity playhouses, hosting newsmakers such as Madonna and Tom Cruise. The spot was permanently seared into America’s visual vernacular thanks to Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan’s 1998 film “A Night at the Roxbury” (even though the club scenes in the comedy were shot inside the Mayan downtown). Now, one of the original partners in the club has rolled out a new version of the Roxbury a few minutes’ drive east of the original Sunset location.

The new Roxbury Hollywood, which officially opened Jan. 14, is different indeed. The club’s stellar design screams “club,” yet sensual touches sprinkled throughout the 5,000-square-foot space by designer Gulla Jonsdottir soften the industrial feel. Faux-leather black roses cover walls; circular booths face a circular bar with rotating leaf-like steel structures above bartender stations. Neon cursive script lines the sides of the bar (one is a line from “Love Sonnet XVII” by Pablo Neruda), while Beatles song lyrics adorn the inside of see-through circular plastic-and-glass tables (meant to be danced upon by tipsy twentysomethings).

“When Elie Samaha opened the original Roxbury in West Hollywood back in the go go ’90s, it quickly became the go-to nightspot for celebs and industry power players alike. While the new incarnation trades Sunset Boulvard for a cavernous space hidden behind Hemingway’s just south of Hollywood, Samaha’s connections guarantee a new cast of the rich and beautiful. Walk through tall steel doors to a spacious lounge with romantic messages scrawled on the walls. DJ booth in the back keeps the hotties hopping, while tables boast sightlines focused on the striking curved white bar. Ivy and plants provide a natural counterpoint to the high-end debauchery on display. Tight door, so finagle a spot on the list or get famous fast. Samaha, has brought back the name to conjure the best of times and graft them onto the space that once housed the Ivar club near Hollywood and Vine Street.

I-beams jut out from the ceiling alongside exposed air ducts. The result of Jonsdottir’s build-out looks early 1990s, when the original Roxbury was at its zenith, yet the bar still feels contemporary. On the night of Jan. 14, it was a bit like the glory days. Britney Spears took in the scene from her mezzanine-level perch while Paris Hilton held court nearby. Kobe Bryant was in the house for a New Year’s Eve event, and Reggie Bush was there the following week.

“We turned down 400 people last week, and we had a great-looking crowd, which is very important,” he said. “I don’t care who you are, if you’re a guy and you only have one girl with you, you’re not getting in. If you have three or four with you, you’re welcome.”

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