Outliving Dueling Pianos

Duet, that splashy tropical nightclub in the heart of Westwood Village, opened a year ago as a dueling piano bar. It was a wild idea--two pianists going head-to-head on shiny red baby grand pianos with raunchy and racy songs that got the audience singing along.

Club owners Chris Mallick and actor Larry Manetti learned quickly that while dueling piano bars worked well in places like Boston and Chicago, they weren’t an L.A. thang. A year later, both pianists are gone and Duet is finally coming of age.

Duet has carved a niche for itself as an upscale supper club with live music and dancing. And with its close proximity to the movie theaters in Westwood Village, it has become a popular spot for Hollywood wrap and movie premiere parties, including Universal Studios’ “Time Cop” and Columbia TriStar’s “Gattaca.”

“It’s more than a club, it’s more than a restaurant, a bar or a cigar hangout,” said Manetti, who starred as “Magnum, P.I” sidekick, Rick, for eight years. “It’s an entertainment complex.”

Duet is a multilevel safari-themed restaurant and bar and probably one of the largest venues in Westwood. Within the confines of this 6,000-square-foot establishment, there are dozens of places to enjoy the evening, ranging from live music and deejayed dancing to, if you’re on the guest list, private parties.

The tropical decor combines murals of cascading waterfalls and sunsets with zebra-patterned walls and stairs. Down below, a stage is at the center of the dance club. Tables are set up on Tuesday’s supper club night, when one of several jazz ensembles takes the stage, and during the dinner hours on all other nights of the week.

The dance floor is spacious, even though it doesn’t seem to be when the dancing denizens pack the floor on Friday and Saturday nights. The safari-like bar nearby sells a full menu of thirst-quenching drinks, should you wind up feeling parched.

Those who are more interested in observing the club scene than taking part in it can get away from it all upstairs. A deck on the second floor circles the dance floor where looky-loos trade potshots about the sleek-looking twenty- and thirtysomething crowd grinding away to hip-hop, house and funk tunes. There are two bars nearby, so there’s never a need to go downstairs.

The outdoor patio with French doors overlooks Westwood Boulevard, with waist-high tables to set a drink on and chairs or sofas for those who need to find their footing or make a call on their cell phone. It’s a breath of fresh air from the steamy club where everyone is dressed to impress. The dress code is upscale casual--no jeans, no sneakers.

If you’re in the know, the bouncers might let you up a back stairway where private sky boxes filled with plush couches and lazy chairs sit above the dance floor--and where some celeb is bound to be hiding out. If you’re not, it’s never too late to get started.

BE THERE

Duet, 1056 Westwood Blvd., Westwood Village. (310) 208-5381. 21 and over. Full restaurant. Cover varies. Valet parking.