Roll up, roll up, Cirque Du Soir, the most delectable circus in town, has pitched its tent in Mayfair. At Cirque Du Soir, members enjoy a mesmerising experience sprinkled with snake charmers, fire eaters, stilt dancers, tattooed ladies and much more, all delivered with a dedicated concierge service. The attention at Cirque du Soir is not focused on you - the crowd - but on the performers, and having fun is so much easier when you can loosen up and let the professionals take the spotlight.

The Venue
Half eccentric circus tent, half decadent boudoir, Cirque Du Soir greets you with a small sign and cheery illuminated lights in the window, which are truly reminiscent of vintage vaudeville cabaret. Hardly detectable during the day, it is impossible to miss it at night time, especially if you are a regular at any of the high-end Mayfair nightclubs.

Inside, past a small ante-room with street-style inspired writing on the walls, the theme steers gently towards dimly-lit Moulin Rouge, with Rococo-style armchairs and sofas covered with spider web and insect prints, petite double lampshades and an Art Deco mirrored alcove at the very back, sheltered with velvet curtains for privacy (this is the VIP area).

Cirque Du Soir is located over two floors but, in contrast to many nightclubs, all the action happens at street level rather than in the basement. The ground floor - a long rectangular room - is functionally furnished with padded benches along the walls and low cubic tables with plenty of ice buckets and glasses on top. Victorian in taste, the ceiling is decorated with floral stucco appliques and everything is painted deep red and gold. The basement has a darker colour scheme but key decor elements are repeated, although the standout feature here is the stunning light panel in the middle of the ceiling: rows and rows of white hemispheres light up with different colours to create different moving patterns. This has a bewitching effect, sitting somewhere in between space-age design and seaside resort.

The Atmosphere
For once the attention is not on you. Once the acts are revealed, all the eyes are drawn to the entertainment. However, it would be wrong to assume that the crowd at Cirque Du Soir is anything but glamorous, fashionable, beautiful and wealthy. If anything, this place attracts the creme de la creme of Mayfair socialites: haute couture designers, young models, rockstar offspring, incognito millionaires and much more. Celebrities? They probably come to enjoy the show but thankfully Cirque steers clear of snap-happy paps and flying visits from the starlet of the day.

The atmosphere here is quite unique. Before the acts come out to perform in the middle of the crowd, there is excited anticipation which does not hinder in any way the dancing, drinking and socialising. By the time you are actually face to face with a fire eater, however, everyone is having a a great time dancing to the (slightly too loud) music and snapping those precious Facebook-bound photos which will be the envy of your friends.

It must not be forgotten that, in fact, Cirque Du Soir is a members’ only establishment. While this is one of the most desirable membership cards to acquire in town (for the sheer entertainment factor, alone), you may be allowed in under special circumstances (or via their advance guestlist) but do not count on it. Members are clued-up on the theme of the night and you can expect most people to make an effort to conform to the sailor and sailorette dress code among many others (tip: avoid cheap fancy dress as it won’t be appreciated). Fitting in and successfully surviving the face screening at the door, therefore, may not be easy. Cirque makes no bones about its selective door policy and, despite or in fact because of this, the club is packed to capacity even on a Monday night, probably due to the fact that it is their signature event and new acts are revealed. Hence put that iPhone to work and try your hardest to get on the guestlist: all your efforts will be duly rewarded.

The Drink
Following a blueprint that’s par for the course at exclusive venues, the drink list of Cirque Du Soir includes bottles-only, delivered to your table with a large sparkler set on fire at the bar, just to make sure everyone has noticed you. This does not mean that you cannot order a gin and tonic or a cocktail at the bar but it just highlights the fact that table service is given precedence over individual orders.

Champagne is the first item on the list and, while prices may seem exorbitant at first, they are actually competitive for venues of this ilk and even lower than other comparable private clubs. Bottles start from £210 and it isn’t a common tipple, it’s a Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle. Dom Perignon Vintage 2000 follows suit at £225 (£360 for the 1995 vintage) while Cristal is priced at £395 and Armand De Brignac Ace Of Spades is £425.

Slightly extravagant for you? The Champagne Rose starts off a lot cheaper with Moet Et Chandon Vintage Rose at £95 and Laurent-Perrier priced from £150, although a bottle of Ace Of Spades Rose is evidently aimed at those of a minted disposition - it's £650 a pop. Subsequently prices tend to move into fantasy territory - £1000 for Magnums (£395-£1625), Jeroboam (3 litres for £800-£5000) and Methuselah (6 litres for £6,500 – £14,000).

Vodka comes in the same sizes. For 70cl bottles (£225-£240) you can choose the super-fashionable Roberto Cavalli, while larger bottles are £410-£1200. From here onwards, the list is rather concise with a handful each of gins (£180-£200), rums (£180-£240), tequilas (£230-£280), whiskies (£180-£650), liqueurs (£170) and Cognacs (£180-£2300). Water is priced at £3-£5 while jugs and mixers are £3-£10.

Remarkably, there is no cocktail menu. Behind the bar there is a mixologist, though, happy to shake an individually tailored drink for you. While the concierge-like approach is all about pampering guests, the cocktails tend to be a bit stereotypical and too strong for their own good. That said, an extra unit may well mean you enjoy the show just that little bit more.

The Last Word
Cirque Du Soir literally steals the show, not only in Mayfair but in London at large. By adding an extra element of wildly enjoyable and largely unpredictable entertainment, they’ve been able to transform their events from just another night out in the land of the ludicrously wealthy into an experience you will remember and tell your friends about for a long time. Highly recommended.

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