I have to say birthday girl has excellent taste (in most things I might add) as the whole venue was a fantastic experience. To stick to my five things method of reviewing here are my thoughts on The Double Club.
1: Decor – Described as an art installation by Carston Höller the interior is truly something to be admired. The restaurant features some eye-catching art and does well to demonstrate a half congolese, half western experience. The real pièce de résistance however is the courtyard bar which is ingeniously divided to represent both cultures through furnishings and the huge and vivid murals featured on the walls.
2: Food – With a random craving for peanuts, I decided to go for Fumbwa (£8.50) on the Congolese menu which involved yam leaves, peanut sauce and salt fish and whilst I has to get a little used to the food combination was actually quite nice. However, the true menu winners according to my friends were the goat stew in Liboke (£10.00) and the fried plantain (£3.00) covered in a cinnamon-esque secret coating and was apparently very delicious.
3: Club – There’s a small an intimate club space where they play live music. The room also a features a one way mirror where people in the bar can see into the club but dancers in the club can’t see out (potentially a cause for much mischief). I didn’t get to stay for the show but when I left a rather large queue had developed outside so methinks it’s quite popular.
4: Be on Time – The organisers are militant when it comes to tardiness. There’s a constant threat of being reduced to a smaller table if any of your guests end up running late. Your charged £12.50 for anyone who doesn’t turn up and they won’t give you an extra chair if you end up with an additional guest. That said the actual service was quite pleasant and very attentive, just make sure you’re on time to avoid the additional harassment.
5: Closing soon – As a pop-up club which opened in November 2008, The Double Club is due to close in May 2009. So be sure to book soon if you want to get a taste of this unique experience.
Overall I’d give it a 5 out of 5. Though I was tempted to deduct half a point because of the militance over late arrivals, I have to give it credit for providing an overall fun and diverse environment, completely unexpected from the unassuming exterior but truly worth visiting.
