- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
The Conga Room
Rating Details »
Categories: Dance Clubs, Music Venues
Neighborhood: Downtown800 W Olympic Blvd
Stes A160 and A260
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 749-0445
- Hours:
Wed-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ, Live
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
28 reviews for The Conga Room
Came here to Salsa on a Saturday night. I prefer mixed crowds, but this is heavily skewed away from Asian Am (perhaps they aren't salsa fans?) towards late 20's, 30's and up Latinos and Caucasians.
The best thing about this place is the music, decent dancers and decor.
A WONDERFUL place to host an event.
Atmosphere is amazing.
Banquet and service staff are excellent, as well as the facilities guys. So wonderful, helpful and attentive.
Food is pretty good, bar selection is great. REALLY fun place for a party.
Im giving this place 3 starts instead of 2 for two reasons:
1/ Drinks are strong, at least my bartender did em that way.
2/ They had pretty entertaining dances up on stage, some conga girls and a MJ impersonator. He was actually pretty good, looked a lot like MJ too.
The reasons it doesn't get more than 3 stars:
Fellas, the crowd it attracts are mainly all Latin women. You can hate or love this. The main issue is that they mostly aren't very good looking lol I'll admit I can be a bit picky even when I've been drinking but I was a bit disappointed.
I guess I expected prettier girls since the place seemed a bit more upscale than some other venues that attract mainly Latin ppl.
Also these girls we're pretty boring. It seemed like girls night out everywhere on the dance floor (which was mostly covered in girls). And no Im not the guy who comes up from behind and starts dry humping you ladies, this opinion of "boring" comes from how many guys I kept seeing get turned down as well as the little dancing amongst the girls and look on their faces..the music was fine, I guess they just weren't into the dancing part lol
That's fine tho, don't need to meet new girls to have a good time. I would go back if I got in free again!
It was a girls night ouy/Bachelorrette party on 11/7/09. The party was a total of 14 girls.
Service at the entrance: Okay, they helped me quickly
Service at place of seating: Since they originally took my reservation incorrectly, we had to wait for about 10 minutes until they set us up in a different location.
Bottle Service: Stephanie was great, always assisting us and very attentative.
Since all costs were based on bottle service, we kind of knew that it might be a pricey night. Overall we had a great time but I don't know if I would return without the bottle service since I didn't see general seating areas.
This place is gorgeous. I usually come when they have promos for free. One of the best ways that I found is by joining the Salsa meetup group http://www.meetup.com/... and sometimes they would have special events where it's free. Parking is always plentiful around LA Live, unless there is a game going on at Staples or Nokia center. I remember they were filming a commercial the last time I came, so outside was a bit of a mess.
The dance floor is so big, you can move so much without worrying about stepping onto people or hitting someone when you're doing a move. As with any clubs, it always depends on the DJ/live band, so when you go during a mediocre night, you're not going to have as much fun.
I also liked the fact that they have TVs to watch sports in case you're taking a break from the dancing and want to catch up on some sports. I would say this place is a good place to take a date, although the last time I tried, the girl ran away because she was too shy to dance. Fail.
Ahhhhhhhhhh Stereo types...
We all know 'em...
The Z list actor from the valley, the douchebag from scottsdale, the overly aggressive mouthy of the northeast and the hamburger chested from Miami.
Expect to see all of these types at your trip to the Conga Room.
Don't get me wrong, you WILL have fun but watching these folk do exactly as you think they are gonna do all night adds a nice kick to the mix.
Conga Room has a very beautiful venue in LA Live BUT some PRICEY drinks.... I paid 10 dollars for a draft beer, that's a dollar more than the damn Staples Center!!
This whole expensive ass drink trend has to end, it's just not right to sell someone a 10 dollar draft beer and I don't care what kind it is either, that's the price of a friggin 12 pack!
Was there on a Sat Night.
Nice venue. TOTALLY MIXED CROWD. Older people mixed with young 24 yr olds like me.
If you love Salsa and know how to dance to it you will love it here!! The guys seem to be all pros. They also play today's hip hop like Jay-Z or Pitbull.
There was a live salsa band & this hot guy was shaking his thing on stage!! ha ha! He was hott!!
Other than my feet killing me cause i had killer stilletos on, it was fun! I'll go again but I need a drink or 2.. or 3!! ha ha!
If you like dancing specially salsa, you'll love this place, they have a big dance floor
i played with my band at the conga room the other day. from the time we got there, i realized that i wasnt going to love the venue. i guess the conga room is ok if you dont mind paying $10 per new castle.
i do mind paying 10 dollars per beer but i was thirsty so i went up to the bar which was literally empty except for the two bartender ladies that seemed to be having a lovely conversation with each other.
- may i get a new castle please?
they both look at me, they dont even move, they dont even make a gesture as if one of them is going to get a plastic cup for my beer.. nothing .. they just looked at me and said, from across the bar:
- its ten dollars
- thats ok, i said
are you trying to scare me away by telling me how much it first before you even attempt to get me a beer?
they both kinda froze and one of them said something like 'beer was free until an hour ago, but its not free anymore'
ok, thats fine. you made it clear my beer is ten dollars and i am fully aware that i am getting ripped off, but i dont really care about that right now.
so the conga room is pricey and they hire rude bartenders. sounds like a lovely place to hang out any given night, no?
emm naw, ill pass
I am a new yelper...and I really need to express my irritation with my 1st night at the new Conga Room.....I and a friend was very excited to see Milton Nascimento from Brazil....I was told over the phone when I purchased the tickets that the doors would open at 8...We ended up standing in line till like 9:30-10 ...then when finally getting in....there was a huge group reunion of people in buisness suits and name tags just lingering ...so apparently the Conga room staff could not get them out in time for our event ...making alot people wait outside for the milton show...even after we got in!!!! I felt bad for them... Then they had a bunch of cheap white chairs lined up in the front for their VIP section ..which looked like a joke...I ordered 2 very small weak margaritas for $18 and a shot of makers mark for $12!!! what a rip off...the decor is cool and thats about it....parking sucks big time and it feels so commercial now....very tourista attractiony BOOOOO big time..i dont ever want to go back
I'll tell you, I LOVE me some salsa dancing. I used to go to the one on Wilshire back in the day, but I hated that the dance floor was so small so I had high hopes for this new location.
This past Saturday was my third time there. The times before that were horrific experiences which I should have Yelped then...this time was much better.
Bottom line: way, way, way too expensive. Thankfully I was on a guest list and didn't pay the $20 cover (that other time they made me pay even though I was also on a guest list...oooh, honey, don't even get me started on that night!). A simple Stoli with a splash of cranberry was 11 American dollars! A Cosmopolitan was $14. Dudes, if you're trying to impress the ladies and buy them drinks, you will need to acquire a low-interest bank loan before you head out. Not to mention that for the safest and closest valet parking, you're down another $25! For a female walking alone and wearing hoochie heels (yours truly), walking several blocks at night is not a viable trade-off for paying $10.
And Lord forbid you go there hungry...the menu is somewhat limited and of course, the prices...are you sensing a theme here?
We were in a private room, so we had a dedicated waitress. That really helps.
As far as a salsa venue, the dance floor is indeed nice and large, and thankfully there are places to stand and watch on the side (not the case at the old location). The side room with the DJ playing hip hop and Spanish rock is fun, although it gets really cramped. Especially if you're dancing next to a few people completely snockered and practically having sex on the dance floor, as was our experience this weekend.
There's a good view of the band anywhere in the venue. I'd say go to enjoy the music and the dancing, but words of wisdom:
Get there early (before 9:30)
Take the bus or a taxi
Stop at McDonald's first to fill up
Smuggle some hooch in a flask or purse
Not a big fan of clubs but my friend was celebrating her bday there so i went, parking was expensive, the good thing is that we got there early and we were on the list so we got in for free, the place is so so, the restaurant inside looks nice, the crowd is mixed, the place is a little too meat marketish for my taste, the music was good, the drinks weren't good and since i didn't like them that much i think they're expensive, i dont mind paying 11-15dlls a drink when it's good, but this wasnt the case, definetely not going, if another one of my friends wants to celebrate his/her bday there i'm gonna pretend i'm sick or out of town, sshhhh don't tell them plus they dont read yelp anyway hahaha.
Another disappointing night club! This place just reminded me why I dislike clubs now.
As usual the downtown parking situation is a pain in the @ss... not only is it expensive but totally inconvenient. You have to park blocks away for a decent price. Plus, I'm usually wearing 3-4 inch platform shoes.. not exactly my walking shoes.
My boyfriend and I went on a Friday night. I got us on the guest list but guys still have to pay $10 cover price... which isn't too bad. So we thought... until we went inside and were robbed at the bar. Those drink prices are outrageous!
The music was good and the club looked nice but the crowd was..hmmm.. just not for me. It was very diverse: ages, nationalities, styles, etc but it far from trendy or cool. I felt like I was at an office party. Older people in their work clothes that look like they don't usually party and have no rhythm but will be the first on the dance floor.
Anyway.. I won't be back.
Geez..are there any good clubs out there?
We had my 40th birthday party here Saturday night & it really was fantastic. We'd coordinated with Jorge (planner guy, super helpful) to get our friends on the guest list, but even with 20 of us it was easy for everyone to get in. The staff was very friendly and pleasant to deal with, gave us a tour as we were early. Very nice folks there.
We took the salsa lesson at 8pm -- la maestra was very sweet, but for me I would have liked more intermediate moves. We did all beginner stuff. She threw in a ladies styling piece at the end which was GREAT because I can always use more styling in my salsa so at least that rocked.
The band was decent, not the top brass but they were cool. Problem was (and why I didn't give 5 stars) is they took a short break after being on for an hour and then like an hour-plus break at 11pm, so by the time they came back on we were all getting ready to leave. sniff. A mix of hip hop and top hits was played at breaks, but I wasn't sure why as they have a separate room for that & we wanted more salsa music. (Hip hop room was reportedly super stuffy BTW but that is hearsay from my buds.)
All in all a great night, gotta admit there was a little different vibe (read: younger) than the old Conga Room but still very fun. My friends and I got asked to dance by some very nice hotties & our husbands/bfriends just watched as they lack salsa skills :) oh yea, last thing...drinks were on-spot: nice wines, strong gin & tonics! Parking was $20 -- no big deal, this is LA. Just carpool people!
After the Clippers game fans were invited to come to the Conga Room after the game. The Conga Room is located at LA Live, across the street from Staples Center.
The main entrance is downstairs near ESPN Zone and Lucky Stike and the VIP entrance is located at level 2.
The VIP lounge is nice and parts of it give a nice view of the plaza of LA Live and Staples Center. The lounge actually reminds me of the House Of Blue's Foundation Room in Vegas. [see photos]
It is a fairly small venue so I can imagine that it would be nice to come here to see a band.
Dumb 20-year-old club-promoter who is texting on the latest gizmo: "Hey guize, I just like, wanna let you know that THE CONGA ROOM is right upstairs here, and there's no wait."
Us: Is there a bar?
Her: Yah
Us: Is there a patio?
Her: Yah
Us: Is smoking allowed on the patio?
Her: Yah
Us: Cool. We'll check it out.
Her: (still texting on her gizmo, because nobody, I mean, NOBODY, has taught the poor, dumb thing social skill.) "I'll take you up there."
"Up there" was too funny.
Swanky little place. Little tiny bar. Silly looking tourists with fanny packs sitting there, totally F'n up their contrived, assumed image. I don't really mind that, however, the hostess disagreed with every thing we had expected, based on what the gum-popper/super-texter told us, leaving us to stand at the front door with all the wierdos gawking at us.
"No, you can't have that. No you can't have that. We MAY be able to get you that..."
What?
I may be jumping the gun here, giving this place a rating, because I immediately led my party out.
What are you people doing paying to get into places? Seriously! I would have made the biggest scene if. Never mind. Suit yourself.
i got in for free so it's sort of hard for me to complain, but yea it seemed pretty nice. I'm not huge on clubbing but the crowd wasn't a whole lot of fun. The make a pretty strong amf tho, worth the money cause you won't need too many.
i enjoyed the dj, go go dancers were distracting, and the side rooms that were VIP were hella empty
Went with the fam to see the Gipsy Kings on Dec. 30th. The venue is awesome, the food was delicious, the entertainment was amazing, and the service was excellent! We had a 3 course prix fixe dinner - the ceviche was out of this world, and everyone loved their entrees (roasted chicken, salmon, and a filet all with latin flava, and the mojitos were great too.) The chef is from the Wolfgang Puck world and definitely delivers. I'll be back again for a fun night of dancing and entertainment. Get the VIP tickets, it's worth the extra money for seats.
PS this location came up as Griffith Park, but it's the downtown location at LA Live
BTW, Sheila E joined the Gipsy Kings on stage for a surprise guest performance - she's one of the many celebrity investors at the club, so I expect to see more fun appearances like that in the future :-)
Salsa is supposed to be downtown dirty. Owner Jennifer Lopez, et al, try to bring it up more upscale and have cleaned it up into a chic, modern Latin.
Because everyone is sick of Pan-Asian fusion, we all gotta now try Pan-Latin!
This Conga Room is not as big as the ol' one in Hollywood *sniff* but it's definitely upgraded since now there is organized parking in the LA Live complex. Don't expect those disgusting ass-grabbing dancers here as this is a more sophisticated arena.
Was there for the grand opening and they had a fantastic salsa dancer perform. Maybe they should have that gal come by every Friday night or so.
I guess I'm not as club savvy as i thought, because I missed the flaws that others are pointing out... I thought this place had a great vibe -- lots of dancing, people who are really into the music and not just on the prowl... The night I was there was a Saturday night, with a live band, so maybe that made a difference. I was impressed by the lighting, the decor, and that this place is so huge but still feels pulled together and comfortable. The overall look is posh. And the bathroom is big and clean. Always a plus when you have hundreds of women peeing together.
Minor flaws I did notice: bottle service (which I usually don't go for anyway) does seem more of a rip-off here than elsewhere, the drinks are nothing special and still expensive, DJ that came on after the band was not great.
A tip: If you get there early, you can join the salsa lesson and pay only $10 cover and ALSO skip the line and the annoying bouncers everyone keeps mentioning...
What a waste of a night club! This club had so much potential, with all the celebrity investors and name reputation. I've been in the nightlife scene as long as I can remember, and can finally say, "I can design a better club." Where's the latin flavor? It's just a huge void. The top promoters in LA have tried desperately to fill this place with a chic swanky crowd. The biggest problem is (like always) the security staff. Rule #1 in ANY club venture is TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUESTS AND YOU'LL KEEP THEM COMING BACK. The bar and waitress staff are great by the way.
They have the worst bottle service policy ever. Only 4 wrist bands per bottle, only people with wrist bands at your table. So after dropping almost $1,000 on 2 bottles, we could still only have 4 of our girls with us. The other 3 times I was there were no different. Good buy Conga Room, you'll probably turn into Rumba Room in a couple of months.
Good restaurant inside club!
I went here some time ago on a friday night , this place is horrible on the prices drinks and admission is very expensive gentleman$25.00 at the door which is way to high back in the days i mean the 90's admission was only $10.00 .. don't worth it parking as you know across Staples Center is at lease $20.00 to $25.00 i gave this club or lounge a thumps down i dont think i probably go there again oh also they charge for your coat . *Fuck*
Comment from gregory b. of
The Conga Room
6/2/2009
We have been mixing up Friday nights and have now moved to a…
More »
What to do on a Saturday Night? Conga Room LA Live! Get ready to dance all night! Good service, cool people. Party Hard!
Over priced entry...good thing i was on the guestlist! This place tries to be what the Mayan was years ago. Nice try, but too commercial.
3.5 stars
went here for an event on sunday night
got in for free b/c of my friend Wayne's friend Billy ( i think it was billy)
the djs were good, the bartenders were nice, the decor was nice, lighting was good, VIP rooms were nice, very clean place
coat check $3
it was pretty chill, and the prices were normal bar/lounge prices
the bouncer was an ass and that is why it does get the complete 4 stars
i guess the bouncer is supposed to be an ass... but really? this guy was rude, get a new bouncer please conga room b/c the one you had on sunday night left me not wanting to go back
What a horrible and disappointing night. We went on a Friday night because the websites stated hip hop, Latin dance and some salsa music but it was like a lame bar. There were 3 live performers that sucked really, really bad. After the 25 bucks for parking and paying 20 bucks per person and going through a freaking maze to get in I expected at the very least some great music but it never happened. Not one good song, the drinks were weak and expensive, the bartenders were okay and there were people in the club older than my 75 year old grandma! Oh and did I mention there were people in the club with flip flops, seriously! We salvaged the night by going to the Mayan down the street...
For being at LA Live I expected The Conga Room club Friday nights to be ultra chic and swanky. I certainly was disappointed. Although you have a great view from the balcony of the lights decor that surrounds LA Live, you still get the feeling that this is pretty much all there is that's nice here. Costs at this spot would run.. $7 parking on Figueroa, $20 cover charge at the door for gentlemen (ladies are free before 11pm or $10 cover), $3 coat check and $10 glass of champagne served by very rude bartenders who don't even care to think that they are working mostly off of tips. I did appreciate our service by a young lady named Regan. The music was terrible!! Mash up after mash up and quite embarrassing for the DJ when everyone's faces are "What the hell is this?" and girls in the bathroom hoping another DJ will take over haha I don't think so ladies.. he's here til 2am! I will never come back here to go clubbing... such a waste of time and energy.
