 |
|
|
 |
At Tantra, it seems, anything goes, and the wilder, the better. Want to perform oral sex on your girlfriend atop the bar? Go right ahead. Want to make love in a comfortable, luxurious setting? Take advantage of the giant hammock hanging from the ceiling of a private dining room. It's always stocked with condoms. At Tantra, the notion of roaring libidos, on public display, has been transmuted into a marketing strategy that approaches genius. "There's sex in the clubs in New York and L.A.," says a well-known TV producer from New York. "So, what's so different about Tantra?" "The quality of the women and the extent of the action," says a journalist. "In all of South Beach, there is nothing that equals Tantra for sexual energy."
Given such a setting, it is no surprise that a flagrant sexuality is on display night after night, particularly on weekends during the season. But if Tantra is indeed the nerve center of South Beach's wild side, it is the now infamous -- and incendiary -- Monday night party that has permanently seared the place's reputation into the annals of naughtiness. The Monday night hedonism-fest is the well-staged creation of Monika Gaba, a rising star among South Beach promoters and the only young woman competing in the male-dominated world of club promotion. The exotically-beautiful and sensual Gaba, 22, is a native of India, where her family owns the nation's largest chain of movie theaters. Although she came to Miami to attend International Fine Arts College, Gaba quickly recognized the opportunities at hand on the burgeoning party circuit. Understanding that A-list women are the most revered currency in the commerce of sin, she hand-selected an unparalleled roster of wild, sexy young babes who have become her human calling card. As anyone in the nightlife business anywhere in the world knows, wherever there are truly beautiful women, rich men invariably follow. The result, at Tantra and across the rest of South Beach, is record-setting business that draws wealthy, powerful men from all over the globe. And if new thresholds of profitability are being defined with each new season, it is Tantra and Gaba, in concert with owners Hogle and Korneeva, who are helping to define South Beach as a global brand for partying and debauchery -- with all major credit cards accepted.
"South Beach is the most sensual, free-spirited place in the U.S.," says Gaba, who works into the wee hours of the morning almost every night in order to expand her reach and impact on the scene. "Everybody knows that the most beautiful women come here and that a lot of very rich men come here to be with them. The party we do at Tantra is just a very good example of something that happens every night at some other places like B.E.D. or Nikki Beach Club. It happens in the VIP room at crobar. It's just because of the nature of the place and the wild reputation that Tantra gets so much attention." Another reason Tantra gets so much attention is that the food is superb. The décor, the music, the lighting, the oddly soothing grass floor in the lounge -- it all adds up to a winning formula. So winning, in fact, that the owners are presently expanding to Las Vegas and other major cities. And there is an attempt afoot this summer to expand the wild party to two nights a week, with a new event called "Flirt" on Wednesdays.
So, if you're in the mood to flirt, go right ahead. If you're in the mood to shed your clothes and dance on the bar, go right ahead. But if you really want to take a walk on the wild side, climb in the hammock, and let your mind run free...! Tantra
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
Tantra is
about as close to the center of South Beach's erogenous zone as you can get. And
that is true both literally and figuratively, as the two-season-old
phenomenon-turned-landmark is known both for the ferocious sexuality of the
beautiful young women who party there, as well as the stimulating economic effect
the brilliantly innovative and sensual restaurant-cum-lounge has on South Beach
as a destination.
Tantra is the well-bred love child of a
dentist, Dr. Tim Hogle, and his Russian-born ex-model wife Irina Korneeva, an
attractive, sexual couple who based their entire concept, from the business
cards to the menu, on the notion of erotic conquest. "Expand the mind to
new dimensions by allowing your senses to explore your inhibitions," reads
a slogan on the back of Tantra's business card. On the front, an advanced sexual
position is displayed in Tantric art. Inside the restaurant, the Indian cinema
classic "Kama Sutra" plays continuously throughout the evening. That
is quite appropriate since the restaurant's menu is said to manifest aphrodisiac
qualities far beyond the ubiquitous oysters. Just to be sure the vibe is
properly perpetuated, the tall, blonde Korneeva, glow sticks in hand and leather
pants adhering to her exquisite lower body, dances on the bar and nurtures
self-expression from the masses.
