London celebrities have picked up their Prada handbags and flown north for the winter, away from the glamour of the pristine Mayfair club scene. The Double Club, London’s party venue of the moment, is hidden away on a dark backstreet near Angel tube station, and offers an altogether more artistic approach to a good night out.
East Meets West
The Club comprises a bar, restaurant and ‘disco’. What makes it unique, is the concept behind this stylish venue. The Club is an art project by German artist Carsten Höller and Fondazione Prada that brings Congolese and western cultures together through art, music, food and design, without fusing the two. And it works.
The glass-roofed courtyard bar is furnished with plastic tables and chairs imported from the Congo. A smoking Congolese oil drum BBQ serves snacks. Walls are decorated with typical Kinshasa beer adverts and a Portuguese tile garden represents western culture. The bar itself is double-fronted and is where the concept of ‘east meets west’ is most apparent. One half is an electric-blue hut, whereas neon lights and contemporary materials comprise the western bar. Refreshingly, bar staff are unpretentious, friendly and helpful. The bar fills up quickly on Friday nights. If you want to reserve a few tables, expect to be asked to put a minimum of £1,000 behind the bar.
Anyone for Goat Stew?
The restaurant is comfortable and more formally decorated. Diners are surrounded by artwork from both cultures, including a silk print by Andy Warhol. There is, of course, a Congolese and a western menu, each made up of classic dishes at relatively fair prices. Salted fish in chilli and tomato (£8.50), fried plantain (a side dish at £3), catfish (£11), and goat stew (£10) are typical of the Congolese menu. Individual dishes are just enough for one person, but sharing a selection is best – no matter what a chef does to salted fish, a few mouthfuls of it is more than enough.
Attention to Detail
There are a few disappointments. The designers have forgotten about first impressions. The entrance and hallway are white, empty and functional – you could be making your way down the corridor to the school disco. And the toilets, although clean, are industrial-looking. Toilet roles hang from metal chains nailed to the cubicles and everything is painted black – even the toilet seats are black. Doubtless, these are all deliberate design quirks, but there is nothing here that links in with the Club’s central theme. It’s easy to believe you took a wrong turning out of the bar, got lost and ended up in a dingy east London club.
But these are the only aspects of the Double Club that feel unfinished and hint at its transience. (Launched on 21 November 2008, it’s only scheduled to stay open for six months). The Double Club remains popular, and celebrities, including Kate Moss, will continue to party there until it closes in a few months time. After all, it’s not open long enough to be deemed as passé.
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