La Maison

Centro, Rome –

Located on a tiny back street in the maze of the historic center, La Maison may be tricky to find but is well worth the effort.

Packed with a wall-to-wall crowd just about every weekend, this popular dance club attracts an international clientele of jet-setters, models, and the young and wealthy who all share a common goal – dancing the night away in style to hip-hop, pop, and R&B, and looking damn fine while doing it.

A narrow black entryway leads the chic patrons upstairs to the expansive dance floor where those who want a drink will have to fight (or flirt) their way through the feisty crowd to get to the bar in the back.

The dance floor itself is surrounded by raised platforms where patrons can get closer to the DJ or take refuge in the seating along the wall. Crystal chandeliers and silver disco balls hang from the high ceilings, throwing twinkling lights on the well-dressed, gyrating crowd below.

An equally spacious second room contains a handful of sofas and another bar with somewhat faster service, as well as a slightly quieter atmosphere more conducive to mingling and conversation.

But even for those who manage to get a few words in under the booming base, La Maison is the last place people in Rome go to chitchat.