Aura Lounge

By LESLEY TÉLLEZ / Quick

For a new place to break through the ultra-lounge glut in Dallas, it has to pack in the beautiful people – fast. Aura, which opened less than a month ago in Uptown, has done this fairly well.

The club overflows with the uniform bottle-service crowd: tan, pretty women and men in graphic-print Ts with only the front hems tucked in. (Did we miss this trend?)

The place doesn't exactly seem unique, and the patrons tend to look alike. But pro basketball players have already stopped by, signifying that Aura is officially hot.

Expect a wait on the weekends, unless you arrive early. Two lines had already formed by 11:15 p.m. May 16. One was for regular folks and another was for people who had booked tables.

Inside, strawberry-colored light bathed the walls. Spherical chandeliers glittered. Women in shorts and heels clutched clear drinks and wiggled delicately.

Behind the DJ booth, a large LED screen read "AURA." Something a little tongue-in-cheek, like "LOOK AT ME" might have been fun. Too bad Dallas ultra-lounges are never ironic.

The bottle service prices here are about the same as other lounges vying for an A-list crowd: $300 to $350 per bottle, with a two- to three-bottle minimum.

What exactly A-list means anymore is another question. If you've got the cash – at least here, anyway – you're in.

Plan your life

What to wear: Ladies – summery minidress, heels, dangly earrings. Men – jeans and graphic-print T or button-down.

What the music is like: Mash-ups, mainstream hip-hop, electro

Cover: None

Door policy: To get on the list, e-mail info@aurauptowndallas.com. If you don't want to wait in line, get there before 10:30 p.m.

Published in The Dallas Morning News: 05.28.08