Cafe de Paris

There are two ways of looking at the West End’s Café de Paris. First, West End clubbing with an edge. The gloriously retro styling and rich history of the club (everyone from Marlene Dietrich to the Krays and Girls Aloud have made it their own in the past) add a tang of glamour and decadence to an evening here, and the predominantly beautiful – but not snobby – crowd also make for a good time.

Dancers, theatrics and a curtained stage add to the live feel of the club – we’ve never had a bad time here. Conversely, the club’s location and accessibility – and the need to run a viable business – have seen what could be a gorgeous pastiche and unique clubbing experience become increasingly dictated by mainstream tastes.

As a result, besides the décor and occasional firebreather, on a regular night there isn’t a massive amount to mark it out from central London’s nightclubs. At the weekend you’re virtually guaranteed to be inundated by a liquored-up out-of-town crowd looking to “do” London and the odd hen party stumbling through Leicester Square.

Drinks, as expected, are expensive and as usual if you’re a guy expect to pay through the nose for entry. But everyone else is doing the same thing – at least here you’re likely to find the quality to back it up.

Opening times: Friday: 22:00 - 03:00, Saturday: 18:00 - 03:00