Old Fort Lauderdale church turned into destination for food, drinks and dancing

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – An old Lutheran church has been transformed into a new dinnertime and night club destination in Fort Lauderdale.

Inside the Holly Blue every room feels like you’re in a different place.

When you first walk in, to the left is Marvin’s room.

The dimly lit destination has vintage-chic walnut furniture that fills the room.

Gold plated butterflies accentuates the roof.

The bar is stacked with a variety of bourbons, whiskeys and of course cocktails.

The Grand Room, which is the indoor dining area, has salmon painted walls with curtains to match. Bright and inviting details for a good dining experience.

Adjacent to the Grand Room is the vibrant outdoor veranda with a full-service bar.

“We wanted a contrast that complimented the building,” said owner Vanessa Cardaci.

Every piece has a purpose; it’s decorated with furniture from Holiday Florida.

The veranda sits on top of the green space, which is where you want to be during happy hour.

“It’s very conversational, its super comfortable, colorful and photographs well,” said Cardaci.

Happy hour deals include select drinks for $5 and small plates starting at $9.

And speaking of the food, the menu changes with the season.

“We try to be sustainable using local farms, local vendors,” said Chef Nicolay Adinaguev.

The bar features over 40 different spirits and offers specialty drinks.

Holly Blue can sit 220 people in the rooms that take guests from day to night.

“The opportunity came up and who could resist putting a nightclub in a 100-year-old club,” said owner David Cardaci.

Right next door, the owners turned a portion of a church into a club called The Angeles.

Ceilings 30 feet tall provide space for over 500 attendees while inside, lasers and spotlights contribute to the atmosphere

“We wanted to create a dance floor for people to enjoy for people to enjoy a dance club, not necessarily a nightclub, where you only have to buy bottles and there is only room for bottle service,” Cardaci said. “We wanted to have a place that was for everybody.”

There are six table sections on the lower level and six more on the second floor VIP lounge, which they call the confessional, that overlooks timeless celebrations of a nightlife revolution.

“We have everything all the big guys have in Vegas just on a smaller scale,” said Cardaci. “Hopefully this gives people an opportunity or an option to come here instead of Miami to go party.”

The Angels is open from Thursday to Saturday with local DJs often mixing, but they are starting to book national and international talent.


About the Author:

Alexis Frazier joined the Local 10 family in April 2020. The Fort Lauderdale native came to WPLG from the ABC affiliate in Columbia, S.C., WOLO-TV. She's glad to be back in South Florida.