Keep the bouncers in check; there’s a new chick in town... And, no, she’s not on the list and she doesn’t even care. Four-month-old Bella Rose has revamped the South Beach club scene by inviting everyone from princesses to vampires to join the brigade.
The frontmen: Bella Rose is the brainchild of “Cocaine Cowboys” producers Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben, along with third partner Keith Paciello for whose grandmother, Bella, the club is named. But the creative concept, which swaps vanities like chandeliers and stripper poles for disco balls and chalk-scrawled walls, was the result of an afterthought–to bring old-school South Beach back to life.
“I think bottle service has pretty much destroyed nightlife, but luckily, I think the pendulum is finally swinging away from the models-and-bottles era that’s basically dominated nightlife since the turn of the century,” Spellman, said. “It creates a one-dimensional atmosphere and we want diversity.”
Ciao, Bella: Bar-tab bragging rights aside, this anti-VIP hot spot tops out at $10 per drink with a 30 to 40 percent markdown on bottle prices. “We just want you to come out and get wrecked, and not wreck your wallet in the process,” said owner Alfred Spellman.
Curb appeal: You won’t find a velvet rope at Bella Rose. This haven only sports a black-and-white awning with the club’s name for signage.
Inside out: However beautiful, Bella is also obscure: The small but roomy space is cluttered with paintings, oversized rosy floral arrangements and vintage accessories. There are even video screens placed meticulously around the space.
The lineup: Thursdays with DJ Tom Laroc’s innovative videomixing. Old-school Friday think “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” meets “Smells Like Teen Spirit” DJ Miner spins classics on the ones and twos. Black Sundays, fostered by Alexis Mincolla and his team of Cool Kids, attracts the party-don’t-stop crew, forming a unified rebellion ending in a coffin-sized hangover and an inevitable “case of the Mondays.” More than just a headache, this party also offers a scare.
Deadly encounter: On Sunday, beware of blood at the entryway and of Mincolla’s crafting counterfeit carnage, camera in one hand, Saaga unfiltered vodka in the other, while Billy Idol bleeds through the sound system. The mastermind is just doing a bit of mood lighting to add to the party’s repertoire. “Every ounce of Black Sunday is equally hip,” Mincolla said. ““From the hearse that drives around during the day passing out invites, to the dancing tastemakers draped in black.”
Open Thursday through Sunday, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Bella Rose
Address: 423 16th St., 305-673-8634
Miami Beach, FL 33139
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