Following the launch last year of the Supperclub in Ladbroke Grove and Proud Cabaret in the City, the trend for restaurants which offer entertainment acts alongside the food continues, with the recent opening of Circus in Covent Garden: expect live snakes, burlesque dances and active participation!

Why go there?

Because it is fun: launched last January, Circus mixes bar, restaurant and entertainment in one venue. Drinkers and diners can be involved in the performance should they wish (or if they are sufficiently warmed up by the many innovative cocktails on offer!), while the main table doubles as the stage. On the night we visited, one act involved a giant python, as an accessory to a rather exotic dance.

To play “Spot the Celeb”:  although not a member’s club, Circus has got an influential “Friends’ Committee” of super connected individuals, such as fashion designer Matthew Williamson and eco warrior-multimillionaire David de Rothschild, to help attracting A-listers. Obviously, it works, with Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Mark Ronson, Jade Jagger and Agyness Deyn -amongst many others- having already been spotted there. read more

The luxury Knightsbridge hotel’s Health Club & Spa has transformed its roof-top terrace for the first time this year into a pine-filled forest cinema, and has a package available for Londoners on weekdays and evenings: the ultimately chic Christmas movie experience…

With its fluffy cushions, cosy pashminas, furry hot water bottles and heating lamps installed to keep guests warm, this pine-lined outdoor theatre provides a movie experience which is festive, fun, original, luxurious… and (Chic-Londres thinks) perfect for a date.

The spa visitors are treated to winter classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street on the big screen while nestling between blankets getting warmed up with hot chocolate and mince pies.

A special Winter Wonderland package for Londoners is available until January 31st 2010. It costs £35 per person for up to four hours and includes full access to the movie theatre, heated pool and health club, with movies shown between 4.30pm and10pm on weekdays, weather permitting (so providing we are not snowed under!) read more

Chic-Londres went to the launch party of Proud Cabaret, a new venue in the City offering a fun mix of cabaret, jazz and burlesque entertainment.

The person behind Officially launched on the 5th of November, Proud Cabaret is the new venue opened by Alex Proud, the promoter behind Proud Galleries and Proud Camden. The first -located in Soho, Camden and soon Chelsea- are Europe’s most popular private photographic galleries specialised in pop culture, fashion and rock, while the second is the incredibly cool concert venue where singers and bands like Dizzee Rascal, The Kooks or Stereophonics regularly play intimate sets.

The concept While his previous venues have a definite rock’n roll feel, Proud Cabaret is all about the return to a bygone and glamorous era: modelled on a 1920s speakeasy (and designed by trendy Russell Sage), this new restaurant and bar offers live entertainment -from jazz to tap dancing to burlesque- in the style of a retro and slightly decadent Hollywood club. There is a constant stream of live bands, performers and DJs, with staff dressed in flapper dresses to enhance the cabaret atmosphere. read more

This week, the May Fair, London Fashion Week’s “official hotel”, is undoubtedly one of the most glamorous places to be: a good occasion to discover its great cocktails and have a glimpse at its celebs clientele at the bar.

Who ? Model Erin O’Connor, singer Estelle, composer Simon Webbe and actor Jason Statham are amongst those staying at the May Fair Hotel for London Fashion Week, which started on Friday and will end next Wednesday. Its famous clientele also includes Slumdog Millionnaire’s star Freida Pinto, who stays here when she is in town.

Why ? The British Fashion Council has chosen the May Fair as its « official hotel » to celebrate London Fashion Week’s 25th anniversary, with a party on the 21st of September co-hosted by Geordie Greig, editor of the Evening Standard. First opened by King George V in 1927, the May Fair had a recent £75 million makeover. read more

The Emporio Armani Caffé, which has permanent branches in Milan, Paris and Knightsbridge, is temporarily setting up shop at St Martins Lane for London Fashion Week, just a short walk from its new site at Somerset House.

Why? With its proximity to London Fashion Week’s new home, a complimentary rickshaw service to and from Somerset House and its specific target at those attending the shows, the pop up cafe might provide an interesting glimpse to the professional world of fashionistas. And the reputation of the St Martins Lane Hotel -which also houses Bungalow 8 super cool private club- amongst the fashion and party crowd can only add to the attraction.

What? With its Mediterranean menu based on seasonal ingredients, interiors from Armani Casa and complimentary Wi-Fi, the café aims to be a modern and sophisticated, yet  relaxed, meeting place. With direct access from the hotel’s terrace or through the hotel’s main entrance, it is be open to everyone, with no reservation required. read more

Located in an old Victorian warehouse in Islington, the Double Club, a place where Western and Congolese cultures meet, has undoubtedly become the talk of the town for hip Londoners since its opening in 2008. This pop-up club, which includes a bar, a restaurant and a disco, should definitively close its doors in July: so don’t wait too long…

The story so far…

The Double Club was set up on 21 November 2008 by the Prada Foundation and Belgium-born artist Carsten Höller, famous for its Tate Modern giant slides installation in 2007. This unique pop-up club consists of three distinct spaces -a bar, a restaurant and a discotheque- each divided into two different atmospheres (Western and Congolese).

It brings together contemporary western and Congolese cultures, through art, interior design, food and music: Congolese and Western DJs and live acts are showcased in the disco, which circular dance floor slowly revolves at about one turn per hour. read more