Naturally, you'd expect a lounge called The Copa to be sporting some Rat Pack-era throwback decor. That retro style is intact, but this DePaul area dance club seems to ride the "futuristic" grain of the 1950s. The result? Chrome dome lights meet wood paneling. Vintage paisley wall paper and tin ceilings are offset by flashing lights and awkwardly placed mirrors. Shower tiles line the DJ area, while a black and steel bar anchors the room. All told, this incongruent aesthetic can create a rather off-putting sensory experience. The swank makes its way outside in the form of a vintage lightbox sign announcing "The Copa Cocktail Lounge." This gorgeous deco-cum-Vegas-strip piece can be seen from blocks away.

The Copa is definitely not for everyone; bartenders kowtow to the people they know, and it can be nearly impossible to get amiable service if you aren't initiated into a particular crowd. Reminiscent of the politics of high-school parties, this kind of posturing can put off customers. In general, visitors either respond with fierce devotion to The Copa, or scornful loathing of the whole "scene."

Picking up hip points on atmosphere, the tiny space features house and hip-hop DJs, slick martini creations and swelling late-night crowds. Big circular booths are almost always clumped with scantily clad club kids, but on busy nights the entirety of the railroad car-size lounge turns into a makeshift dance-floor. Crowds usually don't start developing until the midnight hour, so those hoping to avoid the cooler-than-thou sect should take advantage of the exceptional cocktail selection before 10 p.m..

Centerstage Reviewer: K. Tighe