The owner of Silk restaurant is hoping to fill what he sees as a gap in Bermuda’s night-time entertainment scene with the opening of the new Lotus Lounge.

Owner Claudio Vigilante has teamed up with Danielle Paynter of Siren Productions to turn the Thai restaurant into a post-happy hour and post-dinner crowd lounge, operating from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. by reservation only.

The lounge offers mellow mood music before slowly and smoothly transitioning into more upbeat dance sounds.

Lotus Lounge first opened to the public on February 9 and so far has drawn out a number of enthusiasts looking for something new and different on the scene.

“It is a demand of the clientele,” said Mr. Vigilante, “And everyone has been screaming for somewhere that you can go that is not a busy bar and is not a nightclub.

“This is somewhere that you can have a cocktail or two and maybe some food in a controlled environment that is not packed — that is why we are having the booking system.

“We are going to keep on the reservations only thing, because crowded places are too much. We want to create a familiar atmosphere and have it as a place where people can find friends.

Our main aim is to offer somewhere for people to relax, converse and have a few drinks.”

“And to dance a little bit,” added Miss Paynter, who says they have DJ General not only because of his style of playing, but also his professionalism.

While Lotus Lounge will be offering an appetiser menu, Miss Paynter said she envisions it as an after-dinner destination.

“I think that if you have had dinner somewhere else and it is too early to go to a night club and you are not ready to go home yet, or you want to hear some music, you will come here,” she said.

“Another option is if you want to go home and freshen up, but again you are still not ready for a nightclub, then this is a place where you can warm up.

After the first night many people commented that this was the perfect transition before going to Splash — because you’re not there yet.

“Whereas here, you can have a few drinks and then move on.”

Mr. Vigilante says that stylish lounges are becoming a massive world-wide trend.

“It is a big trend and cosy restaurants all over the world are now extending their hours of operation and transforming themselves into a somewhat of a night spot,” he said.

Many people, who do not take part in the happy hour scene, may want to go out a little later, he said, but avoid the post-work craziness.

“You might not want to be with a big crowd who have been drinking since 5 o’clock in the afternoon,” Mr. Vigilante said.

“I know, because I own a noisy, busy bar and that is the biggest complaint that Fresco’s gets. So this is an alternative to that.”

Designer Alicia Wanklyn helped turn the cool Asian dining area into a cosier lounge space.

“We’ve warmed the place up a lot with the drapes and the candles,” said Mr. Vigilante.

Lotus Lounge will be winding down by 1.30 a.m. regardless of popularity, however.

“It is a place to go between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., and it is a place where there is a little bit of a buzz,” Mr. Vigilante said. “There is a certain element after a certain hour and we don’t want this to become a nightclub.”

He added, with a chuckle: “We’re bringing sexy back!”

For reservations telephone 799-0903.