It seems that KK Times Square is quickly becoming the new place to be in town. We at KKGroove are loving the convenience, the parking, and the new ability of bar hopping by just walking a few steps. Let the fun times begin!

Emperor KK
Conveniently located just across from White Room, Emperor KK is joining in the fad of bars starting to pop up over KK. These are the bars don't have live bands; they consider themselves more of clubs with just a DJ to spin music. Emperor is small but already quite packed at 11pm on a Friday. We're not sure if it's White Room drifters or if it's genuinely for Emperor but either way the crowd is enjoying itself. Our  local opinion had this to say:

"I think this place for the location is good. As for the design of the place, it's not really eye-catching. The walls are just cement without any paint and it seems to be lacking that that nice artsy concrete effect. The layout is good  for a small bar. The inside of the club was not too bad. There were 4 poles which caught my attention right in front of the DJ table. As for the music, I think i was just okay for me, mostly mixing of R&B and pop hits. It definitely feels more like a disco place rather than a bar."

The poles were cause for attention. Between the girls attempting to sexy dance around them and the men trying to show off by climbing them, they provided some ample entertainment. And there was definitely room to dance instead of the usual clutter of tables. The music was pretty standard with a few good mixes thrown in but it was of course played at that ridiculously painful volume. You could have continued dancing outside, it was that loud. The decor isn't for everyone but it is an attempt at New York chic. We did like the sliding doors on the side of the bar that looked like windows, those were fun for looking in at the fray. All in all, it seemed like people were digging it and really letting loose.

M3zz@9
Pronounced Mezzanine (a clever play on words), this new bar opened up shop just above Firefly. And they are following the trend of creating a club atmosphere while doing something new as well. The bar is split in two, one side is for the club, nice tables, DJ spinning, electric lighting. The other side is being coined as KK first Champagne bar and has two classy pool tables with a lounge area and a small bar. The lights are brighter and even with the pool tables, it doesn't lose its elegant atmosphere. Here's our local gal's view again:

"I love that place! Great design and layout! It's more spacious too compared to other clubs. I love how everything is clean and organized. The people, staff and DJs there are really friendly. Drinks are quite reasonably priced. The music there is awesome! Mostly House music, Trance, etc.. The only thing that I didnt like about the place is where its located. Its located right above FireFly which is a bit strange."

The music we have to agree. It was total house all the way with no interruptions in the flow by the DJ or by poor music choice. And they were friendly, even coming over to our table to give us his card. The drinks are standard price, but the Happy Hours are pretty cheap especially for the beer selection (Leffe and Hoegaarden and other imports!) The whole bar above another bar is pretty new for KK but its quite normal, especially in places like Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong district or in New Orleans (USA) on Bourbon Street. It's a new way to bar hop - hop up! The decor is tastefully done in both sides of M3zz, with fun lighting and nice tables. There's not much of a dance floor but if you get enough people going, that could change! The management is friendly and open. We freely admit it - Mezzanine has a lot of class and we are lovin' the international standard of sophistication they are bringing to KK!