Cameo Bar

Rather than try to get past the velvet after 10pm, try this poolside bar for Happy Hour, or an early evening drinks and snacks (which are on par w/any decent bar) to stay to bypass the velvet.  Good place to people watch, albeit service is abysmal at best. Stayed late one night poolside and it seemed that the only ones filling the chairs were hotel guests booked in for a cheap stay drinking water.  There were a few "bottle" tables in the cabanas but overall, there are far better places to poolside than this (the Standard for one).  Worth a one-stop look-see.

I've only been here at night.  It was a decent time, not impressed though.  The drinks were just OK.

The Cameo Bar is a trip, and no mistake.  My initial visit here was on a first date back when I was doing the Match dot com thing; I had never heard of the place at the time, but the young lady in question suggested it and it turned out to be one of the more surreal evenings the internet dating scene ever tossed in my lap.  She showed up with a friend and the three of us ended up playing drinking games back at our waiter's frat pad well into the evening (yes, I went off the rails for a bit in my early 40s but I'm feeling much better now).  Thanks for the memories, Viceroy.

Anyway, the first thing you'll notice about the Cameo is it's Kubrick-esq decor, which is sort of British-Regency meets 2001: A Space Odyssey.  It's done in mostly whites and greys with splashes of parrot green (yes I looked that up) here and there, and lion's crests and Fleur-de-lys on the walls. The front desk has a cool wall of framed mirrors in unusual shapes and sizes behind it, with a large oval cameo in the center (hence the bar's name).  It's all very tasteful and chic, reminiscent of a trendy Miami hotel.

The bar itself is smallish in size, and as it gets crowded people start to bleed into the lobby and occupy the furniture there as well as the outdoor seating by the pool.  The bar offers a small selection of appetizers (with the obligatory spring rolls and tuna sashimi) and a selection of the usual sweet/fruity club girl martinis.  I usually just opt for Chopin up with an olive and leave the sugary stuff to the kids.

The crowd here is young and good looking, and skews mid-twenties / early thirties. There's plenty of eye candy for the people watcher in you; Lots of well dressed Hollywood posers and model-esque starlets all waiting to be discovered. Your sense of self-importance (as well as your bullshit meter) starts to rise just walking in the door.  Well, it's actually not quite as shallow and annoying as all that (but it's close).

The loos here are interesting in that the sink taps on either side of the His/Her divide flow into a single large basin open to both sides, and while you can't see anyone on the other side, you can certainly hear them giggling.  This little bit of naughtiness fits right in with sexy vibe, but doesn't cross the line (unlike some Vegas club restrooms).

The bar is adjacent to Whist, the Viceroy's signature restaurant.  I've dined there a few times and it's always been very good, albeit a bit pricey.  Worth a try if you haven't already been.

Note that both Casa del Mar and Shutters are just a few steps away, so you can come to the Cameo for a drink, grab dinner at Whist, and then head over to either of those hotels for dessert and some entertainment (both have live Jazz on Fri and Sat nights).  And of course the SM pier and the 3rd street shops are a short walk away;  Good for a nice after dinner stroll on a summer's eve.

Long and short:  Metrosexual Nirvana.  So call your agent, dress the part and make your cameo in this trendy LA scene.  And don't forget to bring your reel (and your platinum card).