78 Wells Street,
Marylebone,
London,
W1T 3QL
0871 971 5006
The ViewLondon Review
Visually stunning and musically diverse, Crystal Club attracts the jet set despite the difficult door staff.The VenueLocated in the heart of Central London on Wells Street in Marylebone, Crystal Club is a ten minute walk from Oxford Circus station. Neighboured by a couple of bars and restaurants, the area is mostly made up of anonymous office blocks, so at first it seems an unlikely venue for one of the most glamorous clubs in the capital.
Join the queue and descend the steps, however, and you’ll be in for a surprise as the stunning £2million lighting rig will take your breath away. Consisting of a sparkly blue bar and tables for patrons to sit at, there isn’t really a dancefloor so everyone tends to dance around their high-priced seating areas instead.
The AtmosphereWith Prince William’s Eton pal Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe at the helm, Crystal Club is often dismissed as nothing more than a favourite for the horsey, Surrey set and celebrities such as Lily Allen, Jaime Winstone, Sophie Dahl and Will Young (who have all frequented the club recently). Nothing could be further from the truth, the crowd is less Mayfair more Monte Carlo as the international rich list flock here in their droves complete with golden tans, shiny hair and designer labels.
Unfortunately, this often translates to predatory young girls with their eyes on the prize and older men who are happy to splash the cash on overpriced Champagne for the privilege of spending an evening with a model. Just as disappointing is the appalling attitude of the door staff, who keep their punters waiting at the door for unnecessarily long lengths of time even when they’ve booked a table at a cost of up to £1,000 and beyond.
The MusicThe DJs at Crystal Club play a fantastic mix of party tunes - funky house and commercial dance tunes are the basis of most sets with the odd recent chart hit or something more unusual thrown in. You might hear anything from a reggae tune to a power ballad popping up to confuse you, not to mention the endless plays of the Star Wars theme every time someone orders a bottle of Champagne, which becomes remarkably tedious.
The DrinkEveryone knows that West End members’ clubs charge inflated prices for their drinks, but it must be said Crystal Club is in a league of its own. Double spirits with a mixer will cost £12-13, and a glass of Champagne is £15. As most customers here book a table with a minimum spend, the prices don’t provide too many surprises for the moneyed crowd, but it’s worth being aware you might need to flex your plastic before the night is out.
The Last WordThere are some disappointments at Crystal Club – getting in is a challenge for all but the A-list, and there are some elements of the crowd that can only be defined as Eurotrash, but overall the music is diverse and fun, the venue itself looks beautiful and everyone’s here for a good time. Worth a look, but perhaps save it for a payday splurge!