Décor: As aesthetics go, 23 is probably the prettiest lounge in Orlando, with polished, medium-colored wood covering almost every square inch. Bottles of liquor are bathed in warm light behind flashy water fixtures, and the bar curves out and down in waves of wood throughout the length of the place. As lovely as the bar is, you can't sit there, as the only seating available is VIP (of which there are five areas available). If you're not planning on buying bottles wear comfortable shoes, lest you find yourself heading to the bathroom just to have a seat. Large, flatscreen televisions mounted every ten feet or so seemingly show nothing but bizarre foreign action movies, which is really cool, but maybe a little distracting if there's something good on.
Drinks: With its vast stashes of liquor on display, 23 is bound to have the brand you're looking for, though take care that your sense of status doesn't exceed your wallet's sense of reality. Wells mixers start at $7, with an average pour making the price feel a little steep. Beer is no safer, as a bottle of Bud Light (Miller's not fancy enough for 23) runs an eyebrow-raising $4.
Service: Busy weekends mean screamed orders and quick turnaround times, leaving little opportunity to experience 23's self-described "personalized service." On the plus side, the bartenders don't waste time when preparing a drink and they smile a lot, which counts for something.
Sounds: A nearly-hidden DJ pumps fairly generic but energetic house beats throughout the night, most of the time at a volume that causes back injury from constantly leaning in to hear someone.
Crowd: Since 23 is only open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (except for special events) the posh-seekers cram in early and stay late. There's no dress code (except for VIP, where you're expected to wear something snazzy), but clothes straying too far from the fancy atmosphere totally ruins the mood, man.
Tip: Because there's no pedestrian seating the crowd tends to gather around and lean upon the bar, making it very difficult to get an expedient drink. Don't let those lurkers push you around one elbow on the bar means the next order's yours.
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