Last Sunday night at the Cicada Club was very enjoyable, the dancing was lively, the music inspiring, the clientele picturesque, the fare delicious and I felt an evening of such fine frivolity was... More

Last Sunday night at the Cicada Club was very enjoyable, the dancing was lively, the music inspiring, the clientele picturesque, the fare delicious and I felt an evening of such fine frivolity was richly worth the price, that was until the incredibly rude waiter reared his ugly head at the close of this otherwise delightful evening. First, he interrupted the engaging conversation I was having with a few friends at my table to inform me that the bill had to be paid immediately, because he had to “close the books,” even though people were still dancing, and the establishment seemed far from turning out the lights and placing the chairs upon the table. Then, when I coyly asked him if he thought we looked like deadbeats and were attempting to avoid paying our bill, he became belligerent and extremely unpleasant, and launched into an angry tirade involving, I believe, his economic status. Perhaps the management of the Cicada Club should suggest to their waitpersons that a wooden box at Hyde Park is a more appropriate venue for lectures pontificating upon the economic positions of the privileged and working classes, and not to patrons who have just spent $250 on a dinner for two, including a hefty tip for the obviously disgruntled and politically frustrated waiter. How unfortunate. The incident was like enjoying a fabulous dinner, only to have the lingering gastronomic pleasure destroyed by a putrid after dinner cocktail. It left a bad taste, and I won’t be going back for more. Pros: Fabulous place for fun Cons: Rude waiter
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I have been going to the Cicada Club ever since last year, but I will not be going anymore. With the economy in a slump Maxwell Demille has to be crazy to be now charging a cover charge to get into... More

I have been going to the Cicada Club ever since last year, but I will not be going anymore. With the economy in a slump Maxwell Demille has to be crazy to be now charging a cover charge to get into his club, and the new food prices? Are they insane. In order to just sit in the restaurant you HAVE to order from a fixed price menu, getting more food then you need to eat for more money then you need to spend, plus the menu is now very limited. You'd maybe expect for these new charges, there are some improvements in the musical line up, but it seems the only people who preform at the club any more is Jennifer Keith and Christine Nelson, they were there last week, and now they are back this week. The one good show at Cicada Club that remains is Richard Halpern's show, and the occasional big events that are way overpriced. I know a lot of regulars who will no longer be attending. Maxwell Demille certainly has a knack for alienating his customer base. Cicada used to be a great place to come, relax, have some drinks, now I will be looking for a new place to spend my Sunday Nights. Pros: Good music, Good cocktails. Cons: Ridiculous cover charge and new expensive menu, no new music
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A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I caught a glimpse of the Cicada club on its webcam and we thought it might be a nice place for a romantic evening out. With two children and living in Woodland... More

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I caught a glimpse of the Cicada club on its webcam and we thought it might be a nice place for a romantic evening out. With two children and living in Woodland Hills, its a long drive downtown, plus expensive to get a babysitter, but we thought it would be worth it. We get there, first off there is $7, which should be expected in LA, but then a $10 cover charge just to get into the restaurant. Ridiculous! We then go in, and we sit down. Both my husband and are light eaters, the only thing the restaurant will lets us do is order off of a fixed price menu when all we wanted to do was both get an entree and split a desert and starter. So ridiculous! Later we found out we didn't even need to pay the $10 cover charge. Our waiter was all over the place, we had to ask him twice to bring the menus. Then the entertainment starts, whover cast the young women singing clearly did not have his or her head on straight. They band was alright, but the singers were really subpar. Needless to say, we left early, there wasn't ANY reason to stay. Save your money. Steer clear from this place. Pros: Nice atmosphere Cons: Cover charge, fixed price menu, waiters, bad singers.
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This place is completely dead, reminds me of the parties they give at my granny's retirement home. What really bugged me about this place was that they had the audacity to charge a $10 dollar cover... More

This place is completely dead, reminds me of the parties they give at my granny's retirement home. What really bugged me about this place was that they had the audacity to charge a $10 dollar cover charge. What was it to cover? Its not like this place is a real club, the music that was chosen for the evening was really not worth paying for, not only was the music boring, the singers could not carry a tune. For free, I could have just stayed home and watched American Idol auditions on You tube. I will give this place one star though, it does have very good cocktails and a good bar tender as well, although the bar is way too crowded. Usually in a club, there is more then one bar, and usually in a restaurant there is no cover charge. Pros: Nothing Cons: Entertainment (not worth $10 cover charge),boring.
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The satin dollz show was a huge waste of money, Maxwell Demille cuts costs by fooling customers into thinking they are going to see a different show, but really we paid him to see the EXACT same... More

The satin dollz show was a huge waste of money, Maxwell Demille cuts costs by fooling customers into thinking they are going to see a different show, but really we paid him to see the EXACT same show from last Feb. What a waste of money, my girlfriend and I think the Satin Dollz are great, but next time we will just see them for free at the Mint. I would have to agree with other posters that Maxwell is not a very good host. After being tricked out of our money, we don't think he is very nice either. Boo Maxwell. Be honest with your customers. Pros: Nice dance routine Cons: Maxwell Demille, the same show, nothing new.
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I have to agree with the previous poster. All the staff at the cicada club are as cold as ice, and Maxwell DeMille is the biggest sourpuss meanie of them all. The man SIMPLY could not be bothered to... More

I have to agree with the previous poster. All the staff at the cicada club are as cold as ice, and Maxwell DeMille is the biggest sourpuss meanie of them all. The man SIMPLY could not be bothered to interact with guests, when we asked him if he would take a photo with us he was got very impatient with us and snapped at us to hurry up. We won't be going back to your club, "Maxwell DeMille" Pros: cold, unfriendly cicada club staff/manager Cons: nice interior space
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We went for the vintage event " Cicada Club." two sundays ago, the restaurant serves up nice fare and the restaurant has nice waiters, but the manager of the club Maxwell Demille has all the charm... More

We went for the vintage event " Cicada Club." two sundays ago, the restaurant serves up nice fare and the restaurant has nice waiters, but the manager of the club Maxwell Demille has all the charm and warmth of a tacky ice sculture, he does not greet guests or want to dance with the ladies, my mom asked him if he would dance with her and he turned her down. He seems like he is trying to be snobby and its a real turn off to the guests, the doorman is also kind of cold. The sound system is real sub par, it screams with feedback so we can't he the sub par singers. Blah. Pros: Good food, nice service Cons: Unfriendly staff
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What is cicada club about? Pricey food, lackluster entertainment ( the singer last sunday was pretty bad), and good, but expensive cocktails and women dressed up in vintage clothing. I heartily... More

What is cicada club about? Pricey food, lackluster entertainment ( the singer last sunday was pretty bad), and good, but expensive cocktails and women dressed up in vintage clothing. I heartily recommend this place if you want to pay top dollar for a food drink, and lots more for expensive food and don't mind listening to amateur bands. Otherwise, stay home and save a few bucks. Pros: Great bar Cons: Pricey food, lackluster entertainment.
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I am new to LA so I thought I would check out the swing dancing scene with some of my friends by going to Cicada Club. Boy, were we disappointed! A vintage night club is a great idea, just need some... More

I am new to LA so I thought I would check out the swing dancing scene with some of my friends by going to Cicada Club. Boy, were we disappointed! A vintage night club is a great idea, just need some major improvements. Some things Cicada club could improve upon: -New bands! Didn't like the lady we saw last night. -A lower priced starters menu for people that want to have a bite to eat at the bar with cocktails but don't want to sit down for dinner. - More retro and vintage items on the menu! The menu is very "LA". - More people in vintage clothing and an improved atmosphere to take us back in time, it feels as if we were just going to a restaurant with live music. - A variety of bands preforming in one night. - An emcee who is funny and engaging! - costumed waiters. - A Maitre'd in a tux! - A fun bartender who makes getting cocktails exciting and puts on a show. - No webcam ( defeats the whole meaning of a vintage night club, the guy at the mic kept saying that people were watching on a webcam.) - The cigarette girl is cheesy, if she isn't selling real smokes, it isn't period. What about a beautiful girl doing something else? impersonating an old celebrity, teaching people how to dance, giving autographs....I would love to see Rita Hayworth or Jean Harlow walking around!! -Professional dancers. Pros: Example: best croissants in town Cons: What are the drawbacks?
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I saw this event on its website and decided to go with my wife. This place has a good idea, but the execution of the event is very poor. The atmosphere is not that of a vintage style night club, but... More

I saw this event on its website and decided to go with my wife. This place has a good idea, but the execution of the event is very poor. The atmosphere is not that of a vintage style night club, but as a previous reviewer said, a restaurant with live music. My wife and I are avid swing dancers, but we were disappointed with the music last night. The singer was a very attractive girl who's voice was unfortunately not so attractive, a brunette singer came up for a song or too, she was better, but not much. The food is very pricey, its better to get an entree here, if you can afford it. I also agree with the last reviewer in that there should be a lesser priced menu for the people upstairs serving small snacks or appetizers. A lot of people who do swing dancing don't want to eat a heavy meal and a lot of them do not have the money to spend on a top notch restaurant. Like the other reviewer, I think it would be fun to have vintage items on the menu and costumed people impersonating famous movie stars from the golden era or a group professional dancers who could put on a floor show. Pros: Nice art deco building Cons: Pricey, poor atmosphere, nothing exciting.
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