SouthFlorida.com | City Link Magazine

Although it has been open for only a few months, Seminole Paradise at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood is attracting people from all over the world. More important, the $80 million retail and entertainment complex is giving locals a new reason to stop whining that there's nothing to do in South Florida.

The 350,000-square-foot complex is home to 17 restaurants, 24 retail shops and nine nightclubs, with more slated to open. Following is a guide to the main venues; their dress codes, cover charges and drink prices; and how much cash you should expect to drop on any given night. (Note: We have not factored in gambling money.)

88's Dueling Pianos

Owners Cindy and Billy Ryan (he's one of the main piano players) recently moved from Los Angeles via Las Vegas to shake up the Hard Rock with thousands of Steinway-shakin' tunes. Four to five piano players entertain the crowd on any given night, inviting patrons to sing along to songs by Billy Joel, Van Morrison and Snoop Dogg, among other popular acts. Doors open at 8 p.m. and, as at most venues at the Paradise, remain open till management decides to call it a night.

Cover charge: $3 Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays when a show is scheduled; $5 Fridays and Saturdays; free Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays when no show is scheduled. Ticket holders from the Seminole Paradise Improv Comedy Club get in free. Drinks are discounted 40 percent during In the Biz industry nights Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Drinks: Well drinks cost $4.25, and beer starts at $4. The bar keeps five beers and one cider on tap and offers a wide variety of wines.

What to wear: The dress code is very casual. Shoes and shirts are the only requirements.

Contact: 954/584-8868 or www.88sduelingpianos.com

The Park Sports Club

When you want to leave the house but can't stand to miss the game, The Park Sports Club is a good place to go. With more than 100 TVs to watch and skybox suites to accommodate group parties or VIP action, this place is a hybrid of a dance club and sports bar. The bi-level, 15,000-square-foot venue features a menu that includes ballpark-worthy chili cheese dogs, chilled Baby Ruth bars and the Ty Cobb Chinese chicken salad.

In January, actor Matt Dillon and Jen Schefft of ABC's The Bachelorette attended the club's grand opening. The bar is set to host a bunch of special events and has Y-100.7-FM broadcasting live from 10 p.m. to midnight every Saturday.

Cover charge: No cover unless there is a special event

Drinks: Beers cost $3 to $6, and mixed drinks cost $6 to $9. The club offers nightly specials, such as $2 Miller Lites on Friday nights and $3 Bacardis on Saturdays.

What to wear: No dress code, but neat and casual is suggested for evenings

Contact: 954/556-7450 or www.theparksportsclub.com

Pangaea and Gryphon

Named after the theory that the Earth's landmasses were once a supercontinent, Pangaea mixes a Zen atmosphere with Native American décor. The furniture, which clubgoers can dance on, is shaped like the continents, while the room is decorated to resemble a safari tent and is adorned with West African adobe structures, animal skulls, spears and cartographic art. Like the Pangaea lounges in New York City, London and Marbella, Spain, the club is open 24 hours. DJs spin international lounge beats, house, rock and hip-hop along with live percussionists. An outdoor seating area is outfitted with misters and a fire pit. And if you feel like a change of scenery, walk through the corridor that connects Pangaea to dance club Gryphon. It's sort of like a slice of South Beach in western Hollywood. Designed with acoustics in mind, Gryphon features a 21,000-watt Funktion One sound system that blasts music onto its dance floor. Hundreds of steel rods line the ceiling with color-changing lights. Gryphon features three bars and a VIP area with a Cirque du Soleil-inspired theme. Some of the perks in this exclusive area include a private entranceway, bar, restroom and separate security.

Cover charge: $20 Friday and Saturday nights

Drinks: Both clubs feature full liquor bars serving drinks that cost $8 and up. Mixologist Alex Ott creates potions such as the Cuban sombrero, the cucumber martini, the chocolate martini and the Pangaea dragon

What to wear: The dress code is specified as "trendy." Ultracasual dress, such as athletic wear, is not recommended. In other words, you may want to hit the mall before coming here.

Contact: 954/581-5454 or www.pangaea-lounge.com

Improv Comedy Club

Laughter can be the best medicine, especially when you're jonesing for a different kind of Saturday night. The 460-seat Improv Comedy Club features an outdoor Magic Martini Bar that serves a variety of beverages, from Budweiser to Korbel champagne, as well as a full dinner menu with everything from Buffalo wings to three-course prime rib dinners. Although you don't have to buy food, there is a two-drink minimum, but they can be nonalcoholic.

Comedians perform 8 p.m. Thursdays; 8:30 p.m. Fridays; 7, 9 and 11 p.m. Saturdays; and 8 p.m. Sundays. Bobby Slayton, a.k.a. The Pit Bull of Comedy, will perform this Thursday through Sunday.

Cover charge: There's no cover, but tickets cost $15 to $40.

Drinks: The Improv has a full bar, and drinks range in price

from $3 to $10.

What to wear: The club doesn't have a dress code, but realize that if you go there wearing some crazy-ass getup, you'll probably get picked on all night. So use your best judgment before leaving home.

Contact: 954/981-5653 or www.improvftl.com

Jazziz Bistro and Live Music

If jazz is your bag, Jazziz is a club you'll want to experience. The venue regularly features national and local jazz and blues acts on its state-of-the-art, semicircular sound stage. Jazziz, which is named after the Boca Raton-based magazine whose publishers are partners in the club, offers a full bar with more than 70 wines and a menu with everything from three-cheese-and-spinach dip to a wide variety of seafood, steak and chicken dishes.

Cover charge: $10 Fridays and Saturdays after 9 p.m. No cover for dinner seating from 6 to 9 p.m. unless you stay to hear the band, in which case the $10 cover is added to your bill. The venue tacks a $30 food or drink minimum onto the ticket charge for national acts.

Drinks: Well drinks start at $6, and the bar features an extensive selection of beers, wines and martinis.

What to wear: The dress code is casual.

Contact: 954/583-8335 or www.jazzizbistro.com

Knight Time Billiards Trick Shot and Champagne Bar

This ain't your pappy's pool hall. Knight Time features a kitchen that serves everything from tricolor chips and dip to caviar. Pool players can chalk their sticks at the 8-foot indoor pool tables, the 7-foot outdoor tables or on the nine-hole trick-shot course. Private billiard rooms cater to parties of as many as 12, while big spenders can rent the entire second floor for $1,375 for three hours. The price includes two VIP billiard rooms, a champagne bar, a private bathroom, a bartender, a server and a one-hour complimentary open bar with domestic bottled beer, house wine and premium well cocktails for up to 50 guests. If you suck at pool, test your skills on the arcade games and complimentary table games set up for thumb-wrestling, checkers, chess and backgammon. Patrons younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult, but after 8 p.m., the club admits only those over 21.

Cover charge: None

Drinks: The bar serves 10 different types of champagne (splits cost $12 to $15, and bottles go from $25 to $695), eight beers on tap (ranging from $3.75 to $4.50) and a full liquor bar (from $5.75 to $10) with premium well drinks.

What to wear: The dress code is pretty casual, though it bans hats after 8 p.m. and flip-flop-type sandals.

Contact: 954/587-6155 or www.knighttimebilliards.com

Murphy's Law Irish Pub

For anyone who just feels like having a beer and doesn't want to mess with the club scene, the laid-back Murphy's Law is set up like a classic corner pub. Formerly located in Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Riverfront, Murphy's Law at the Paradise is open seven days a week with live entertainment and DJs five nights a week. Bands such as Da' Dreams, Funkette and The Stinky Malones perform Top 40 hits and '80s covers.

Cover charge: $5 after 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday for guys; no cover for ladies

Drinks: Well drinks cost $5, premium drinks $7. The bar also offers 14 beers on tap and 15 in bottles, and all are priced $4 for domestic and $5 for imported ales.

What to wear: The dress code is "come as you are."

Contact: 954/791-4782 or www.themurphyslaw.com

Passion

Theme nights live on at Passion, where hip-hop, house and dance mixes blast in each of its three rooms. At this 21-and-over club, Wednesdays are Latin nights, with live merengue acts like El Jefrey and Tono Rosario. Every Friday is Ladies' Night, with music by DJs Erik Velez and Joey Siege; ladies drink free from 10 p.m. to midnight, and there's no cover all night. Doors open at 10 p.m. If you're in the mood for nude, this club has an offshoot called the Tabu Theater, where an all-male revue tears its clothes off for the ladies.

Cover charge: For Passion, it's $20 for men and $10 for ladies but can vary depending on the band; admission to Tabu costs $20 to $30.

Drinks: Beers cost $4.50 to $5.50; well drinks cost $6 to $10. The bar also offers nightly drink specials.

What to wear: The dress code is strictly enforced: No work boots, jerseys, baseball hats or sneakers, though jeans are acceptable as long as they're in good shape. The rule is "dress to impress."

Contact: 954/321-3443 or www.passionnightclub.com

Seminole Paradise is located at 3101 N. State Road 7, in Hollywood. Call 954/583-3250 or visit www.seminoleparadise.com.