Gold Room
2416 Piedmont Rd NE; Buckhead; 404.693.9693
Making people forget about a place's checkered past can require sweeping changes, from completely overhauling the look, to promising that there'll be no more Patrick Chewing on silicone breasts. Turning a scandalous strip spot into a nightclub with classier characteristics, Gold Room.
Now open in the former infamous stripper sanctum The Gold Club, Room's a bi-level, boldly exotic-dancer-free nightclub with a sprawling music-driven downstairs featuring two bars, one in an elevated section with black velvet/gold-accented banquettes and gold brick walls, plus a glass-enclosed, horseshoe-shaped upstairs lounge with a floating DJ booth and VIP room, all offering a full view of the dance floor and its floor-to-ceiling, gold-faceted pole in the center, paying homage to the joint's roots, which were every bit as questionable as the ones in your favorite former employee's hair. Both floors have their own signature cocktails, with downstairs getting the "Tai Dragon" (Bacardi Gold, Bacardi Dragon Berry, OJ, amaretto, grenadine), the "Americano" (Van Gogh Double Espresso vodka, Wild Turkey American Honey, lemon juice), and the Kilo Kai spiced rum/ginger beer/lime "Golden Storm" -- and here you thought just the showers were awesome. Upstairs bevs include the "R1 Rita" (w/ Gran Centenario & hibiscus agave nectar), and manlier sips like the "Midas’ Godfather" (Johnny Walker Gold, Amaretto di Serrano, bitters), and the "Whiskey Breakfast", which mixes Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and Vedrenne Blueberry liqueur, and's infused w/ bacon and maple syrup, producing a liquid alternative to IHOP that leaves you to provide the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity.
GR's open only on weekends for now, with DJs spinning everything from hip-hop to house; if you prefer to be classified as a baller, bottle service ranges from $250 Herradura Reposado to $1,200 Glenlivet XXV, delivered to tables both on the main floor or in the invite-only VIP zone -- try to use your Ewing alias to get in, and you'll get nothing but snickers.
