The local nightlife mogul has done it again.

Closing down the much smaller Bellini Room in St James Power Station, Mr Dennis Foo has upsized it, Starbucks style.

The Bellini Grande now takes up the Clarke Quay space that used to be occupied by the now-defunct Crazy Horse and Les Chinois.

So can Mr Foo prove that the place is not cursed for the nightlife business?

For a start, Thursday's grand opening of this jazz entertainment and dance club was a roaring success.

Senior Minister of Trade and Industry S Iswaran, along with other ministers, diplomats, socialites and businessmen, turned up to lend their support. Celebrities like Ivy Low, Cass Teng and Dawn Loh (pictured above) also lent a touch of glamour to the event.

The decor and setting - big white and black chequered tiles, and plush semi-circle booths - gave the club a '70s society club feel.

Service staff dressed smartly in white shirts and black vests were efficiently refilling guests' glasses with wine and champagne.

The entertainment - a 12-piece jazz band, complete with singers Rob Collins, Jessea Thyidor, Gino Cervantes, and dancers - was visually stunning.

Lions Club Changi CEO Paul Cheong, a veteran entertainer, was elated that Bellini Grande had finally opened its doors.

The 53-year-old said: 'Bellini Grande is fantastic, and I believe that Singapore needs a one-of-a-kind world-standard club like this.'

With the positive vibes at the launch, a Bellini Venti might just pop up in future.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 4, 2008.