VALENTINO'S OLD HAUNT.

Byline: >Stephanie Ocampo

Across Hollywood Boulevard from mega-clubs Opera and Crimson is 86, a nightlife throwback to the hard-partying days of Rudolph Valentino.

Beneath the historic Hillview Apartments, 86's rich history creates a charming energy that is foreign to the sweaty-dance-floor, fog-machine-infested Hollywood scene. Steve Adelman and Robert Palmer 86'ed all things ordinary when conceptualizing their hotspot that was once home to Valentino's 1920s speakeasy. Designed to give diners and partygoers an authentic Old Hollywood feel, the entrance is below street level, and some elements of the art-deco decor are authentic replications of the original speakeasy. Because the space is so cozy, the stage performers often mix with the crowd on the dance floor, making it hard to discern who is there for work and who is there for play. When the intimate space gets too hot to handle, rest easy, this speakeasy has a convenient indoor smoking hallway located behind the DJ booth.

Nights at 86's intimate cabaretlike space will be a musically driven experience incomparable with that of any other nightlife destination in the city. Diners will enjoy a jazz band and burlesque performers on the venue's stage nightly until 10:30, when A-list DJ's and promoters will take the reins. Word on the street is that your DJ's favorite DJ, Diplo, will man the decks once a month for his first Los Angeles residency. Delicious Vinyl Records will host Thursdays, and 86 special events director and promoting princess Jenn Laskey will run 86's door on the weekends.

86: 6533 Hollywood Blvd. [phone]. 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. nightly except Monday.

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