The reincarnation of AKA bar, the former home of Jaded and other hedonistic after-parties. It’s now under new ownership but equally ready for underground dance music.

The Venue
Centro is very similar to the old AKA, and many of the original features still exist. There is a long bar that takes up one side of the room and a spacious high ceiling complete with disco ball and shimmering drapes. One wall is decorated with pages of sheet music, which acts as a visual break from the concrete warehouse feeling of the rest of the room. There is a small raised stage at one end of the room and a pod-shaped DJ booth at the other.

A VIP lounge juts out over the main bar so you can check out the people on the dance floor below. There is decadent lighting, sparse amounts of red leather seating and small tables with black and white images collaged on the tops. The bar also links to the Den nightclub on certain nights. Entry to both is not always inclusive in the price on the door so check ahead of time.

The Atmosphere
The concrete of the walls and the sparse decoration make the room feel a little cold, and initially the atmosphere can take a while to warm up. The bar staff have plenty of energy though and are happy to serve you quickly. The security staff are unusually polite.

The crowd is a mix of fashionable clubbers from the Den and West End tourists, and everyone is hyped up for a fun evening. Centro has a bar vibe in comparison to the Den downstairs and the atmosphere is less frenetic. Bear in mind though that this is still not a bar to come to and have a quiet drink with a date. This is for those that love to party and will still be going at dawn.

The Music
The music here is predominantly dance. The launch weekend saw Krankenhaus take the reigns with Dan Curtis and Dug Bugz amongst others. Deep house and techno and other minimal dance noises were what AKA was famous for, and Centro continues in that fashion. However, there will be nights when the music played at Centro is linked with raves downstairs in the Den, so it will have an eclectic mix of genres.

The Drink
Gone are the delicious cocktails available when this was AKA. The bar here is a lot more functional and tailored to the clubber rather than the drink connoisseur. There is a minimal wine list, a clutch of whites and reds, no cocktails, and no draught beer. Bottled beers including Estrella and Peroni are a reasonable £3.80 a bottle, and spirits and mixers are £8.50 for a double. Wine is affordable at £4 a glass.

The bar stocks a fair number of mid range spirits, some premium ones such as Grey Goose vodka, and there are bottles of Cristal Champagne in the fridges if you are feeling particularly fabulous.

The Last Word
Centro is a good sized space with a booming soundsystem and a minimal look and feel. It will play host to some brilliant parties and DJs but only time will tell if this will establish this as a bar worthy of the old AKA site.

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