A Vintage Holiday at the Cicada

I plan to celebrate the Christmas and New Year's Eve holidays at home this year, but I have been reminiscing about last year's holidays because one of our most memorable soirées was at the Cicada Restaurant and Lounge , an opulent Art Deco night club in downtown Los Angeles. Dressed in vintage evening attire, my fiancé and I celebrated like it was the Golden Age of Hollywood as we sipped classic cocktails, dined on an exquisite three-course dinner and danced to a big band orchestra.  

The Cicada is located in the beautiful 1928 Art Deco Oviatt Building, which was originally the headquarters of a premium men's clothing haberdashery. The department store closed in 1967, but thirty years later it was transformed into a 1920s inspired restaurant and cocktail lounge.  

Dining at the Cicada is a unique experience and it begins as you walk through the brass trimmed Lalique glass door entrance.  Much of the department store's original interior designs are still present, such as the Art Deco light fixtures and waterfall chandeliers, the vintage stairs and elevator, the marble and mahogany wall panels, and the built-in cabinets, that were used to store hats and gloves, are now used to store the restaurant's table linens.

The restaurant has a dress code that requests guests to wear vintage, evening or business attire and guests gladly oblige.  Women and men arrive elegantly dressed in vintage attire akin to the glamour days of old Hollywood.  And the big band music is performed by a live orchestra that echo the harmonious melodies of a bygone era.

Dining, dancing, cocktails, glitz, and glamour.  For a few hours we traveled back in time.  It was a magical night! 🌟