Clubs in West Freehold

A parade of bas-relief pastoral figures cavorts across the entryway of Delia’s Lounge, signaling both the spirit of revelry and the wealth of mesmerizing visual artifacts to be found inside. A fireplace warms a room stuffed to its plush gills with velvet sofas, leopard-print banquettes, wooden sculptures, and a giant reproduction of the Mona Lisa serenely surveying the cozy scene. Until the wee hours of the morning, the kitchen fills the small, candle-topped tables with a variety of appropriately shareable plates such as pan-seared crab-cakes, chicken quesadilla rolls, hamburger sliders, and shrimp cocktail with house-made horseradish sauce.

New York Magazine dubbed Delia’s a Critics’ Pick, averring that “you won't find tastier, or larger, cocktails in Manhattan.” Martinis range from the spare to the sweet: Hendrick's Gin bears a simple slice of cucumber, apple martinis blend liqueurs, vodka, and an apple slice garnish, and the Godiva white-chocolate martini presents vodka, cacao, and white-chocolate liqueur in a glass lined with a chocolate drizzle.

Dancers in shimmering gowns and tutus, tall hats, and sweeping silks—many crafted by costume designers at St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre—leap, sway, and spin in front of dinner guests. They flow through choreography set to Top 40 hits, contemporary international pop, and Russian classical music, filling a Broadway-sized stage with movements that glow and cast dramatic shadows. Though the show changes frequently, it currently packs in its most popular dances from its 20-year run as a moving homage to what Rasputin Supper Club and Cabaret has been treating its patrons to throughout its history: a taste of royalty.

That doesn't stop at the edge of the stage. While the dancers frolic under a 15-foot projection screen, guests sit back under 30-foot ceilings at the center of a palatial, double-tiered club with an interior designed to reflect the opulence of the old Russian monarchies. On chairs draped in shimmering crimson, guests cluster around gold-clothed tables spread out across hardwood floors. Gilt railings and gates separate the public from performers and private diners, and columns glowing with blue and amber lights scare off swarms of lost noblemen. During meals, the space fills with aromas from the contemporary French and aristocratic Russian dishes that occupy a collection of menus. Often using local ingredients, chefs craft frequently changing dishes such as smoked-salmon rolls, pheasant julien, roasted potatoes and mushrooms, and linguine with red caviar, leaving guests in a state of supreme relaxation while the regal dining area continues to excite.

Steampunk ornamentation colors Georgian-era furnishings at Downhouse, an ornate hangout where vivid fluorescents melt over evocative murals, progressive artwork, and vintage accents. The creative menu complements the unique interior with house-made crepes and made-to-order demi sandwiches piled with veal tongue, roast beef, and lightly cured salmon. With stomachs sated, patrons can peruse the calendar for any number of live events, from tango dancing on Tuesdays to the disc- and bowtie-spinning talents of a DJ on the weekends.

Crimson hues edged in accents of neon orange and ice blue pervade the interior of Lava Lounge. Amid the low lights and bleeding colors, guests lounge on long benches and pull from long hookah hoses. Their exhalations send out swirls of smoke in flavors such as white peach, watermelon, or dominican mango. Between puffs, parties can sip bubbly Blue Moons and Stellas or make a night of it with bottle service. Bartenders also mix long island iced teas, cosmopolitans, and other cocktails behind a bar whose fuchsia lights transition into sky blue.

Tall grasses line the walls behind Lava Lounge's black couches, giving some of the smoking area a more pastoral feel. Patrons can also melt into one of Lava Lounge’s auto-massage chairs, pulling from a hookah while the chair kneads away muscle strains caused by relaxing too hard.

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Helping to spread laughs throughout the land, Helium Comedy Club hosts headliners and tomorrow's brightest stars at its Philadelphia, Portland, and Buffalo locations. In front of a tabled showroom that allows audiences a clear sightline and maximizes guffaw acoustics, a bustling calendar of familiar comic talent fills most of the week with levity, and open mic nights and standup workshops put aspiring jokesmiths higher up the comedy rung.