Cove Thirtyone gets me thinking of The Little Mermaid – or at least a song that you’re bound to get stuck in your head.
“Under the sea, darling it’s better, down where it’s wetter, take it from meee” … and take it from Tommy King, a veteran in clubland since the mid-90s with spots like Exit 2 Eden, X-it, and IT Nightclub. Today he’s fixated on Mediterranean locations like Ibiza, Tel Aviv and Mykonos as his latest source of inspiration.
“I was in Ibiza two years ago with my girlfriend and we stopped by the side of the road to go swimming in this cove. The colours and the water were so magical that I knew my next club in Toronto would have this theme.” In case you weren’t sure, a cove is an underwater cave that reveals itself at low tide, engulfed in water when the moon is at its highest point in the sky.
This description lends itself quite well to Cove Thirtyone’s Mercer St. layout. The ground level has an underwater theme with LA-sourced paper thin jellyfish lamps dangling above the booths, green tinted poured concrete for a watery effect, bubbly water decals on parts of the ceiling, and monitors with jellyfish being played in a loop. The bars are outfitted with a beautiful green, gold and aquamarine onyx counter. As a committed club owner, King knows his interior decorating.
Following the sleek 1940s (preserved by order of the city) stairway leads you up to a beachy area, perhaps the cove at low tide, where all the exotic creatures come out to play in the tide pools. Six months were spent creating the grotto-like walls in the upper area, the stucco of which has been sanded to just the perfect texture to contrast the sheep’s wool pillows outfitting the banquettes in the booth areas. Attractive live-edged wood block stools also line the sitting areas
Cove Thirtyone hopes to attract a passionate and creative crowd that enjoys the limelight and the club life they might have experienced in the Mediterranean. If you’re lucky you might get a pass to come back next time with your entry “covered” (cove-covered. Clever, huh?) or even acquire an exclusive lifetime pass, in the form of a sand dollar-fashioned disc.
Additional Details
- BEERS ON TAP:
- None
- SIGNATURE DRINK:
- The Water Goddess, The Berry Cove, The Campari Treasure
- BAR SNACKS:
- Nope
- PATIO:
- Yes
- MUSIC/GENRE:
- Downstairs: 90s, retro, hiphop, commercial. Upstairs: House (vocal, deep, tribal)
- LIVE MUSIC:
- No
- WHO GOES THERE:
- Fashionably attired Ibiza lovers, overflow from neighboring Maison, Sea Punks (Ok, not really)
- HOURS:
- Friday-Saturday 10 pm-3 am.
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