Vlada Lounge

Ok, I was here last night for a «Rubber Soul» event. It was my first time visiting Vlada for an event other than those of the Kitchen Club. On this evening, the lounge was dimly lit but still MUCH brighter than on the Goth nights (makes sense, I guess, lol). There were couches and sitting areas all over. There were two very quick and helpful bartenders. They were juggling drink orders like pros. Our bar tab was like $ 88 but we had a total of 5 (maybe 6) dirty martinis and two cran and vodkas, so I don’t think that is TOO bad, esp. for my beloved Miami.
I would like to add that Rubber Soul was a fantastic party. The Dj, Martin, played everything from James Brown, The Ramones, Billy Idol, Duran Duran, Queen and The Beatles. We danced all night. A great time was had.
Vlada, you impressed me last night. Oh and thanks to my Unilocal check in, I got a cranberry infused vodka shot. YUMS! Unilocal,how I love thee!

When you almost fall on your face as you trip over the stage because it’s so goddamn dark you can’t see more than 3 inches ahead of you, there’s a problem.
I should preface this with saying that I’ve only gone to Vlada on Kitchen nights. Now, I love me a good Goth night. Lovelovelove. I started going to goth nights when I was about 18 years old and BT’s was still Club 5922. Over the years, goth nights have basically come and gone in the most random of places (anyone remember when the Pickle had a goth night, before it was the Pickle (I believe they’ve brought the Church back there since then)? Or the downstairs room at Soho — RIP?) but i’ve always managed to enjoy them one way or the other. Ever since the demise of Soho Lounge and the hipsters invaded ye olde I/​O Lounge’s infamous Poplife, it’s been difficult to find any place where you were guaranteed to hear some Joy Division, Siouxie Sioux, Bauhaus, and Smiths all in the same night. Might have something to do with the fact that most of the kids that are in these areas weren’t even alive in the 80s.
This isn’t about the deterioration of the goth scene, though. It’s about Vlada, and the DJ that can’t make a decent transition if his life depended on it. Seriously, it wasn’t the selection of songs per se, so much as how he went about playing them. A goth-​enthusiast friend and I agreed, it was like manic bipolar dance party and we many times had to stop dead in our dancing tracks in order to start feeling the new song since they continued to catch us so off guard.
But maybe the music isn’t everything. If Vlada were to ensure their DJs made smoother transitions, the problems would still not be over. Like I stated previously, it was nearly impossible to see more than a few inches ahead of you on that last particular evening I went. I don’t know exactly why the lights were so dim, although we made many a joke at the expense of goth culture in order to justify how incredibly and ridiculously dark it was. That, coupled with expensive drinks (the cheapest beer was a domestic for $ 6!) and an unnecessary cover ($ 8), makes this place more of a downer than the teen angst poetry that leads kids to smear black make up and perform some of the most dramatic and entertaining dances known to man, or known to goth-​club attendees at least (if you’ve been there, you know exactly what I mean)!
I really want to like Vlada, seriously. I think the place has some major potential. It’s a cute, intimate venue, free of hipsters, and in a quiet and not terribly shady sector of Wynwood. It could be a wonderful place if they just lowered costs, bought some light bulbs, and gave their DJ a few helpful hints. Take it or leave it, Vlada, or your crowd certainly will.

Kinda dead, but wonderful bartender, and cool vodkas. I had garlic vodka (surprisingly good) and horseradish vodka (not so much). Don’t forget that you get a free shot just by checking in!

I had been hearing a lot about this bar from my friend and was intrigued by its signature fruit infused vodkas, but I was not too impressed after experiencing it. The lounge was small and intimate with modern décor, and the bartender was very personable, but I was not too impressed with my cocktail. I ordered a pomegranate vodka with sprite, and it wasn’t that cold and not very flavorful. It tasted like a mild sugar water with a hint of alcohol and was overpriced for such a bland drink.
One thing that was interesting though was the panel of ice along the bar that serves as a place to rest your beverage, very clever!
I went here on a week night, and it was fairly empty, so maybe it would have been a better experience on the weekend with a larger crowd.

The schtick: an import from who knows where serving vodka infused with fruit. Think vodka with strawberry, kiwi, or even pomegranate undertones.
Sounds intriguing! It sure is and I will always think so, but it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge to identify the right mixer to go with that pomegranate flavored vodka. Should I get Sprite or club soda? How about for my kiwi flavored choice? Maybe ginger ale? It does sound like a lot of fun, but then disappointment sets in once you realize that you misspent $ 9.00 on a beverage that repulses you because you chose to order banana with tonic water. Yuck!
Apart from my lack of skills in the world of mixology, I found the place to be very close to Midtown Miami making it a great other option for a night out in the area.
On both occasions I have gone fairly early, so I really would love to come back later at night to check out the vibe. But, all in all I’ll definitely keep this place in mind when I am again in the area for another peak!

Y said she had some friends at a place called vlada, lets go. why not? i dont have a problem going to a gay bar as long as i go with a girl i could potentially make out with by the end of the night. but we were with Mr H who happens to be very homophobic, so we had to keep our destination a secret and have him figure it out by himself.
got in, the interior is nice, modern, flat screens all over. loungy… the bar is pretty neat… it actually has a flat-​cooler thingie all over the counter which freezes and looks like cocaine. im sure few have tried to snort it before… Y just informed me that i tried to snort it myself. wow.
infused vodkas which i didnt try but mr H kept on guessing what they were all made of, he did everything to avoid facing the fact that he was at a gay bar… we got our beers, on a little rainbow colored napkin which read «pride» in pink letters… they were playing morrisey, two boys next to mr H started to kiss and thats when it hit him:
«is this a gay bar?»
would i go back? of course, just as long as i go with a girl i could potentially make out with by the end of the night and stuff ;P

So, Paul W. twisted my arm to have me write another review since my old one was desperately begging to be updated. Thank you Paul!
PROS & CONS:
+ nice chill atmosphere (industrial modern)
+ friendly bartenders ALL the time
+ decent prices, especially during happy hour which goes for a long while
+ excellent promotions for birthdays — bring a group of friends and all the birthday boy/girl’s drinks are free
+ great selection of infused vodka flavors — maybe Miami’s largest?
+ needed bar in Midtown — there’s not many out there
+ welcomes all sorts of people
+ plenty of parking — on street, behind, and by the side.
+ Moriano’s next door offers grubs for bar patrons
+ no smoking allowed — finally! This adds to Halo & Magnum Lounge (piano-​side) in the Miami area for this rule.
+ No minimum bar tab
— no cheap drink specials (and I mean CHEAP) unless if it’s some sort of well drinks. And most drinks here are vodka-​based. Sorry, but that’s lame in my book. That reason alone takes off a star.
— Lucky to have Moriano’s. Otherwise, they really need an in-​house kitchen.
— Usually empty unless it’s a late weekend night and/​or there’s a birthday party going on. Maybe I’ve been going on the wrong days.
All-​in-​all, I can see how this place can be a great bar and it is a welcomed addition to Midtown.

Hugo A. and I came here a few weeks back (actually after SRA Martinez… see review) and had a fun time. The outdoor patio was nice and comfortable. The inside was open but a little stark, so the music was a little loud. There are banquettes, a dance floor, and a long bar.
The bar serves a variety of infused vodkas, mostly fruit, but some spices as well. We decided we would try as many as possible and had some straight up and some mixed on the rocks. Hugo A. seemed to get all the great flavor combinations and mine all tasted odd. The best flavors we discovered were the cranberry and raspberry. I would recommend staying away from the pear and grapefruit (normally my two favorite vodka flavors).
Overall, it is great to have a small place like this in the neighborhood. Also, the last Friday of each month is Ladies Night.

I met Ken D. and his partner here for a late evening drink on Saturday night. I’d wanted to try this place since it opened, and when Ken mentioned they were heading there I was happy to finally check it out. The Vlada Lounge is marketed as more of an upscale lounge rather than a club or bar, and is modeled after the Vlada Lounge in New York City. When I first looked the directions up on my GPS, they made this place appear to be a bit out of the way in Midtown, but in reality it’s on 32^nd about 2 blocks from US1 so it’s easy to find. It’s not really in the middle of a busy bar/​restaurant district which makes it a bit easy to overlook, but that may actually be part of its charm. When I arrived I was able to find plenty of meter parking less than a block away, but they offer valet as well.
I’m not usually a hard alcohol drinker and normally stick to beer or sometimes wine, but since this place seems to be all about the infused vodkas, I had a few martinis on this night. The raspberry martinis were excellent, and even though we weren’t there during happy hour they were still only $ 7 each, which surprised me since I’m used to paying more at most other establishments like this one in the Miami area.
As for the interior, while not huge inside it has a modern look with a vaulted ceiling above the bar and lots of stonework on the support columns. There is a long bar with plenty of room to stand (no bar stools or seating that I saw) and a unique 4″ wide tray of ice which runs the length of the bar so you can sit your drinks there between sips to keep them cool. On the other side of the space there are semi-​circular seating areas and tables. Between the bar and that seating area, the space is open to allow people to congregate, stand, chat and dance. I’m told they’re also supposed to have some outdoor seating added eventually as well, which would be excellent.
On the night I was here I arrived at about 10:15 and there were only about 6 people in the place. However, it began to fill up quickly after that. Once the DJ started, it did get quite loud and you did need to shout at the people near you in order to carry on a conversation, or you had to go outside if you wanted to talk. This can be a little annoying unless you’re just here to dance.
In all, the Vlada lounge is a welcome addition to our «community» and a welcome addition to the growing Midtown area. From what I understand this place just opened a few weeks ago, still has plans for some additional things like outdoor seating and perhaps even food to be added and has simply been relying on word of mouth advertising for now. While I hope this lounge doesn’t grow too popular and become too busy for its size, one can tell it’s only going to improve as time goes on.

Rumors be damned! Vlada Lounge is finally opening in Midtown.
I’m giving Vlada Lounge 4-​stars versus 5 right now after last nights unofficial ‘soft opening’. They’re not yet in full swing, and the guest list was light, so the place didn’t have a vibe… yet. However, with the right people in attendance, this will be a welcomed addition to Midtown.
The space looks good, with none of the gay bar cliches in eye shot. Small, and nicely finished with a current, comfortable look and feel. Dark, but not too dark. Low seating areas, with a decent dance floor. They’re planning on tables and umbrellas (Oh, how we do love umbrellas!) outside on the patio for the smokers in the bunch. The sound system was great, although I grew a bit tired of the ambient house being spun. I know it’s cool, but it doesn’t do much to get one on the dance floor. Admittedly, we were there early, and maybe this was just the warm up set. I’ll hope for a few classics thrown in next time.
The bar is ample, and offers a selection of infused vodkas (pineapple, watermelon, orange, kiwi, etc.) So, you can get your booze with an ample dose of Vitamin C. Wouldn’t Mom be proud? I can’t comment on the drink prices, as I didn’t pay. (Again, wouldn’t Mom be proud?) Vlada was holding court, along with a bevvy of black-​suited, secret service-​looking security guards packing heat. Yup… packing heat. I’ve never felt more safe in a gay bar.
So, that’s it. Vlada Lounge the urban myth is real, and opening. My sense is that it will offer a good hangout space for all my brothers and sisters living in Midtown. I mean, if each of you that I see on the elevators everyday just went once a week, the place would be packed.
Oh, and did I mention it’s right next door to Moriano’s. So, basically folks, this is a two-​fer. I remember Daniel at Moriano’s telling us that they are planning on being open late to take care of the Vlada’s crowd. Isn’t that sweet. He wants to take care of us. I’m blushing.