pium Lounge vs Toi Bar : two newcomers with sub-par pedigrees battle for your techno dollar.

Opium, a potent and highly addictive narcotic, lured the wealthy, high-society of 19th century London into reality-eschewing dens of iniquity; cool. And much in the same vein, Opium Lounge - previously the short-lived 222 Bistro and Ice Lounge before that - hopes to lure the upper-echelon clubbers of the entertainment district into its bamboo decked lair. Venture to the Duncan and Richmond location on one of the more bustling clubland nights and you will be greeted by pumping IDM tunes (yes, there really is a genre of techno called Intelligent Dance Music). As the night progresses, however, you may find yourself rolling your eyes.

Meanwhile, over on College Street, hipster central tries to take it underground (figuratively) with the second-floor (literally) Toi Bar. Taking up the space vacated by the RIP-ed Liquids Lounge, Toi Bar's small square-footage overflows with techno-noise and hyperactivity. Get there by climbing a narrow staircase off College to the second floor where a tiny bar and intimate dance floor overlooks the street. Owners haven’t done much with the DIY space, but it’s the vibe that seriously sells this spot. Hot beats and hip crowds are not new here: Liquids was a bouncing little venue where you could dance to decent local house DJs for little or no cover. When the venue switched owners, the former crowd eventually piddled out. Toi Bar, to a certain degree, has managed to lure them back.

Back on Richmond: envision entering a brand new, high-end fashion/shoe store where the sales associates - size zero femme fatales with killer stilettos flanked by metrosexual males awash in the latest hair product - are having a party. Then, toss in some techno, a twenty-sixer of Vodka (shot straight from the bottle), and the fancy footwork of some sexy gay men. Everyone at Opium strives to make an appearance. Eventually, the sexy size zeroes abandon their heavily bronzed metrosexuals for greener, gayer pastures, while their orange mates ruminate and repress their anger: it's hilarity at its best.