oes size matter? Over the years, clubs have continued to grow in girth and complexity. As owners have tried to out-do each other in a mine-is-bigger-than-yours contest, quality has suffered. As a reaction to these excesses a welcome new trend toward simplicity is emerging. Enter Rockwood.

It’s getting quite sylvan in Clubland as Rockwood joins Grass at Tommy King’s Mercer Street complex. Like Grass, Rockwood has a theme. Do you know what it is? Come on, I know it’s tricky. No, not urban decay, damn it, it’s Rock and Wood. While the rock portion of the club doesn’t open until November, wood has already been unveiled, so it’s wood that we’ll focus on (I’m a child).

Fittingly, the club is overwhelmingly brown, accented with occasional cream splashes. As a slight respite (rhyming is fun), the washroom tiles have a luminescent clamshell sheen to them. All this darkness and wood screams masculinity. While clubs like Chinadoll focus on exaggerated feminine flair décor, Rockwood provides a macho ambiance alternative. The lighting, though complimentary now, had originally been quite dark, giving the club a Little-Red-Riding-Hood-being-chased-through-the-forest feel that has thankfully subsided.

Though not very large, the earth tones and plush seating make Rockwood hunting shack cozy. It boasts six(ish) spots for bottle service parties, with little other seating available. Is sitting down worth shelling out for a bottle? Have a few drinks then think it through.