Tantra is a fabulously atmospheric retreat from the mundane. Here -- in a darkened corner illuminated only by candlelight -- one may ponder and explore the spiritual aspects of corporal desire. The name itself refers to one in a series of Hindu texts collectively known as the Kama Sutra; the Tantric passages explore the possibilities of reaching enlightenment through sex.
A heavy curtain of incense hangs in the shadowy entryway, which is lined with softly lit sculptures -- some meditating, others suggestively entwined. Thus tantalized, one is asked to take a seat and wait on a row of low, velvet couches while a space is prepared in either the main room or in one of two more intimately sized nooks beyond.
Decorations are minimal. Two large, carved-stone panels depicting scenes from the Kama Sutra lean against the walls on either side of the main room. In the center, an arrangement of driftwood surrounds a Buddha's head cradled on a cushion. Two meditating figurines stand sentinel on either side of the bar. The ceiling of each nook is draped in a swirling cascade of red satin. And each space has a small video monitor mounted in the wall. Images are ambient astral; the music, naturally, is ambient trance.