The Red Room Taking Over Side Door in Manhattan Beach Bar Scene

New Downtown Nightlife Spot To Keep Same Cocktail Lounge Vibe

When one door closes, another one opens, right?

That’s certainly the case with the Side Door lounge in Manhattan Beach. It has changed ownership – no more of Lou Giovannetti crooning his Frank Sinatra tunes on Sunday nights – but the new owners have told the PubClub.com blogger that they want to keep the same vibe and feel of the Side Door.

The name will change to The Red Room and the blue velvet couches and even on the door to the bathroom will be gone, replaced by red decor.

The transformation is taking place and the new owners expect to open the doors to the new Side Door by mid to late August.

 

For its part, the Side Door went out in style on the last Sunday night in July. The now-former owner Lou worked the crowd and wooed the crowd with his signature Sinatra singing. This was once a staple of Sunday nights for a loyal South Bay following. I was in there for a few hours. When I arrived at about 6, the crowd was small, about a dozen people. By 8, there was no place to sit and after I departed a few die-hards stayed until past midnight.

The Side Door – now The Red Room – is a small, intimate place. It cannot hold more than 30 people. But for many, especially those in their mid-30s and up, it’s a place to go have some cocktails or beers and mingle. “This is a great make-out bar,” one patron said to be on the Side Door’s last night. “You can go sit in the corner of a booth and make out with someone. There are not many places to do that around here.”

I had to laugh at that, of course, but his point was clear that the gentile mood of the place, cozy couches and low lighting is indeed an ideal setting for romance.  The Red Room owners promise more of the same at the corner of 9th Street and Manhattan Ave.

Cheers!