We’ve just snapped the hand crank off our vintage klaxon in a frenzy of nostalgia-fuelled excitement at the opening of No Vacancy, a Hollywood nightspot with so much history you can practically smell it. You can certainly see it – this is the oldest address on Hollywood Boulevard, built in 1902 and now in the hands of Los Angeles hospitality players Mark and Jonnie Houston.
Up until the 1930s, Jane’s House as it was then known served as a school which imparted some learnin’ to the children of Hollywood luminaries such as Charlie Chaplin and Cecil B DeMille. Now the fantastic period property swings to the sound of a live jazz quartet and shakes a tassel in time with the burlesque dancers who regularly out on a show at No Vacancy. The name suggests exclusivity, and that’s all part of the appeal of Tinseltown nightspots. I know what the bar scene is like in Hollywood. I’ve seen Swingers. It might be tricky to get in, but once you’ve found a way through one of the speakeasy-style entrances, it won’t take long to get a drink. No fewer than 12 of the country’s finest mixologists, rotating on a yearly residency, are on hand bringing with them an impressive wealth of cocktail knowledge. Enjoy a tipple on the sun-drenched patio garden or soak up some Victoriana on a plush banquette indoors.
Photography, Frank Ishman
