NEW YORK — Britney Spears' restaurant, Nyla, had a proper kickoff party Thursday night with celebrities ranging from Ja Rule to Jeff Gordon.

The restaurant, which boasts 40-foot high ceilings and a catwalk, opened to the public on June 14, though because of Spears' tour schedule, she wasn't able to celebrate until now.

With any A-list party, the guest list is strict, and some people had a hard time getting in. Those with enough juice to get past the velvet rope could see VIPs on the first level of the eatery — such celebs as Donald Trump and Jessica Simpson had the chance to mix and mingle with the likes of actors Donald Faison and "What's Happening!!"'s Haywood Nelson (Dwayne).

Upstairs on the balcony was more of the same, with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Jesse Bradford, Brittany Murphy, David Copperfield and Bo Derek making the rounds. Tables were also set up so some who came to the restaurant could actually eat. Britney's favorite hip-hop tunes from artists including Jay-Z and Nelly oozed out of the speakers.

As for the evening's entrees, Britney has an eclectic menu that features a handful of southern sushi dishes, the $16 Nyla burger, $20 Louisiana jumbo lump crab cakes, $18 duck and wild mushroom etouffee, and roasted pork chops for 16 bucks, among other dishes. Britney's spot also offers appetizers that include crawfish and crab gratin and lobster mashed potatoes.

—Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway