Wicked, the hedonistic club which moved into the Queen West West neighbourhood last year, opened their doors last night to Vogue Bar, a South Beach inspired lounge downstairs from their members only hangout.

Touted in their press release as "an upscale, discreet venue with a liberal touch [and] all the amenities to cater to high profile celebrities, business professionals and the curious", Vogue Bar definitely doesn't blend into the same neighbourhood that has spawned bars like Swetty Betty's, Unit or even The Drake.

I scored an invite to the media launch last night and found the space to be cold, impersonal and devoid of any interesting qualities to lure me back. The room is framed by a long tiled bar on one side and some banquets on the other. In the middle is a big empty space - not bad for shaking some booty if there's a crowd but decidedly cavernous on a quieter night.

While opening night was packed, I can't imagine Vogue Bar will be luring in the neighbourhood regulars most evenings. They'll need to rely on sexy weekend shows to pull in scenesters who might otherwise call King West or the Club-district home on a Saturday night.

But despite its lack of context amid the galleries and hipster bars, I suspect Vogue Bar will live on for a while. The owners of Wicked obviously have some extra space downstairs to play with. As long as the members-only side of the business continues to turn a profit, Vogue Bar in some shape or form will survive.

Note: The official grand opening of Vogue Bar is Saturday February 10th. It's something called "Creme de Banane" and will feature a lavish performance by Gia.

Vogue Bar is at 1032 Queen Street West between Ossington and Dovercourt. The entrance is on the side of the building at Brookfield.