E11even Miami celebrates 11 years with club secrets

E11even Miami — the 24/7 concrete mega-club where tables fly for $100,000 and servers resemble Victoria’s Secret models — has become a staple destination for celebrities since opening its heavily guarded doors in 2014.

In honor of the esteemed establishment’s 11th anniversary this week, operating partner Gino LoPinto took Page Six on an exclusive tour of its ultra-VIP artist’s section, which has hosted a slew of A-listers like Kylie Jenner, Usher, G-Eazy and Cardi B.

“Some of the celebrities that have been in this section … it would take me an hour to name them all,” LoPinto told us before listing elite frequenters Leonardo DiCaprio, Kendall Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid and Steve Aoki.

VIPs and top-tier talent are discreetly welcomed inside the venue — co-founded by Dennis DeGori, Michael Simkins and Marc Roberts — through a secret back door called the artist’s entrance in an effort to avoid the boisterous crowds of clubbers lining up at the main door.

“Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, you name it. This is the way they come through,” LoPinto said of the unassuming hidden hatch, adding, “And this is where security escorts come in.”

The exclusive area — featuring stylish black quilted leather banquets, red-paneled walls and spacious tables topped with ice buckets and cocktail menus — overlooks the main party pit while still remaining in the shadows.

“A lot of the [celebrity] guests prefer to be just a little removed and get that panoramic view from just a little bit set back,” LoPinto explained. “It’s also the artist section — so many of our performing talent, DJs and their entire crew like to sit in this area.”

LoPinto recalled his most salacious celebrity memory from the VIP section, sharing that Miley Cyrus started making out with go-go dancers during her wild party phase.

“She was on fire,” LoPinto said of the “Flowers” singer. “Her outfit was stunning, crazy. And she had a wig on.”

“She was just rocking the place and just let herself go wild,” he continued, adding that Cyrus “ended up in the go-go stand dancing with the go-go girl, you know, kissing, everything. Like, it was one of the craziest moments. Pictures that we never released — not even to Page Six.”

Until now, that is.

Another pivotal pop culture moment to unfold behind the premier section’s velvet ropes was when Drake and Rihanna confirmed their love with some heavy PDA in 2016.

“There were rumors out there, but nothing was really concrete,” he recalled, referring to gossip that the rapper and singer were an item. “And he showed up here with Rihanna, and it was the first time they showed a public display of affection [and] kissed at the booth they were in.”

Jessica Alba also partied until 4 a.m. in the exclusive space when she celebrated her Honest Company going public in 2021.

“She actually celebrated here in our lower VIP section, and she had the best time,” LoPinto said. “She actually came back a couple more times after that. But she was such a sweetheart. It was intimidating almost to meet her first. But powerful woman, beautiful woman. And the sweetest, sweetest can be.”

While celebrities often prefer a bit of separation from regular patrons, some choose to party amongst the throngs in the club’s lively pit. The celebrated section features dozens of booths encircling the dance floor, which has a retractable center stage where singers, rappers, acrobats, aerialists and other troupers entertain guests.

“This is also a theatrical stage with the Circle du Soleil-type of performances,” LoPinto said. “We’ve done everything. Contortionists, ‘America’s Got Talent’ winners like Billy and Emily [England], the roller-skating couple. This stage has had some of the biggest performers in the world consistently for 11 years, and we will continue to do that.”

Tables located inside the party pit are the club’s most expensive to reserve and can cost anywhere between $2,000 to $100,000 depending on the time of year.

“It gets absolutely nuts,” LoPinto admitted of the pit. “Still comfortable, but yeah, it gets really crazy. It’s a packed house almost every night. And the energy here is just unmatched.”

The priciest and most sought-after spot inside the pit is Table 32, which is located next to the DJ booth and dubbed the artist’s table.

Post Malone was famously seated at the coveted corner when he visited the club in 2019.

“Post Malone was a big Bud Light fan, so we actually tapped two kegs for him at his table, and his bottle presentation was 11 cases of Bud Light with sparklers shooting out of it,” LoPinto shared. “And then he went on to crush it and buy $50,000 in singles that he was throwing into the crowd.”

The DJ booth has transformed into a main stage for chart-topping rappers like 50 Cent and Travis Scott and world-renowned DJs such as Tiësto, Diplo and Shaquille O’Neal, who is known on the turntables as DJ Diesel.

“We actually call it the production booth because we have the DJ here, the light operator and our live video editor at all times,” LoPinto explained.

Big-time patrons are assured privacy and safety thanks to the club’s strict security practices.

“If a celebrity is just here on their own relaxing and partying and [having] a good time, then we take, you know, protective measures to make sure nobody’s being intrusive or have cellphones out in their face,” LoPinto said. “So we politely ask to not do that and put the phone away and protect the guest or VIP that doesn’t want that happening.”

Surprisingly, famous clients don’t often make any fussy demands or crazy requests.

“Ironically, the celebrity requests that we get aren’t that out of line. You know, they come here usually humbly, respectfully, really just to party,” LoPinto shared. “When we book celebrities and performing artists, then, you know, there’s what you call a hospitality rider that’s a little different.”

Some requests on past celebrity riders included specific asks like bowls of green-only gummy bears, a rare beverage the club had to track down and for Playboi Carti a 10-foot cage.

“So we had to build this cage while the crowd was rocking and packed on top of our center stage, and he performed on top of it, and it was kind of nuts. Crowd went wild,” LoPinto said. “But that was pretty much the most extreme thing that we’ve had to deliver on.”

The venue’s late-night cuisine — including chicken wings and empanadas — has been a major attraction for the stars. Dwyane Wade specifically asked for an order of the club’s “world-famous” chicken tenders when he turned up to celebrate his Miami Heat jersey retirement in 2020.

“He called in advance to make sure we had the chicken tenders on his table,” LoPinto dished.

E11even’s rooftop, which was transformed into an elevated eatery dubbed Giselle in 2023, has also hosted heavy hitters over the years.

“Derek Jeter really came to our rooftop, and we did shots together,” LoPinto shared. “He was such a nice guy, and he’s one of my idols.”

E11even has become a hub for the upper crust because they can feel safe and comfortable while still getting a luxury experience.

“They don’t have phones in their face, they know they’re protected, they’re secure and it goes hand in hand with, you know, one of our slogans, which is ‘Welcome home,’” LoPinto said.

“And that’s what we say to everybody when they walk through the door.”