Published October 24, 2008
You're So Cain
Inside West Chelsea's New Den
Everyone loves a good resurrection story. Especially when it involves booze.
Witness, then, the rebirth of Cain as
Cain LUXE, a bit of escapism opening tonight on West 27th
Street.
While you may recognize the front door of the old Cain, the rest of the old standby is only a foggy
champagne-fueled memory. In its place, you'll find an animalistic Parisian safari bordello that's equal
parts Toulouse-Lautrec and Ernest Hemingway. (OK, maybe a little heavy on the Lautrec side.)
The space is smaller than you probably remember, with elephant tusk-ensconced columns, a zebra print-wrapped
DJ booth and neck ring-inspired side tables to put you in that National Geographic mood. Thankfully, there's
plenty of red light district in here too: Find your way to the red lacquered bar where you can casually
survey the entire dimly lit scene from behind a wall of silk tassels. When you're ready to get a little
more...involved, move to the purple mohair couches on the dance floor and cap off the night on the only day
bed in the entire place.
The vibe will switch up every night (from house and hip-hop to the elusive open format), with the only
constants being the troupe of six "Raising Cain" dance girls and a good share of wicked escapism.
Which is precisely why you'd go to a safari bordello in the first place.
VITALS
Cain LUXE
544 West 27th St
(between 10th Ave and 11th Ave)
Chelsea
New York, NY 10001
212-947-8000
website