Happy birthday indeed!

Bee was in a pickle. She was planning to throw a huge party for her 30th birthday at the Bungalow Club (since Tara Reid already booked Mood for her 30th ;)). We had talked to the assistant manager a week before the big day and were assured that for $800 we could rent the upstairs lounge on a Friday night from 8pm to close at 2am. We already secured a dj and the room had enough space for a dance floor. There was a beautiful full bar up there as well as booths, chairs and a smoking balcony to accommodate guests. But then a couple of days before the party when she talked to the manager of the place, he insisted on an 80-person limit saying that he’d go so far as to forbid ins and outs, except if guests had to go to the bathroom. Of course that conversation didn’t end well (read: shouting match) so we were out a venue.

Fortunately, Bee knew a guy who knew the people who ran Oasis Mediterranean Bar & Restaurant on La Brea where the Pearl used to be. A Mediterranean tapas bar, it, too, is a Moroccan theme with plush couches, full bar, and a sumptuous kaleidoscope of colors, but this time it promised a 250-person capacity.

The birthday party took over the place from 9pm to last call at 2am so with its usual weekend crowds (and three other birthday celebrations going on) the Oasis was packed with a good-looking crowd of 20- and 30-somethings in the bar area at the peak of the night; the restaurant side, not so much. Everyone enjoyed the $10-$12 cocktails, i.e. $10 for Ketel and tonic and $10-$12 for the specialty cocktails. My favorite Oasis specialty was the Creme Brulee cocktail, described as dessert in a glass. But by the time 11 o’clock came around, the bar was out of the liqueurs to make three of their specialties. THAT kinda sucked. Plan ahead, people!

The music wasn’t so great either but maybe that’s just ’cause I’m not that crazy about electronica. People complained that it just sounded like they were playing the same song over and over again, and the high volume made conversation semi-difficult.

All in all the party was a huge success. Everyone had a great time and closed the place down. If you want to throw a party at the Oasis, too, you can either rent the bar area for about $5,000, the Cobra Room ($500 minimum, $75 deposit) in the back of the restaurant for parties up to 20 or the Vault ($300 minimum with a $50 deposit) which can fit eight comfortably for dinner, ten for cocktails and tapas. Judging by all the birthday parties going on that night, it’s THE place to throw a bash.

Oasis Mediterranean Bar & Restaurant
611 N. La Brea
Los Angeles, California 90036
(323) 939-8900
Cross Street: Melrose Avenue