We’ve had pop-up bars in the form of the Black Sheep, we’ve had pop-up restaurants like Flash, now London’s introduced its first pop-up club, Double Club. Designed by Carsten Hoeller – the talent behind the Tate Modern’s slide installation – this temporary venue aims to bring Congo and the West together in Islington for six months only.

The Venue
Double Club is handily situated just behind Angel tube station. Wandering down dark, cobbled Torrens Street you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled as this temporary venue is missing the bright lights and signs that usually adourn bars and clubs. Instead, a simple doorway into a warehouse-style shell is what you’ll find. You’ll be warmly greeted by a doorman and ushered inside. Walking through bare, white corridors, you’ll eventually work out where the free cloakroom is. Past here is another bare corridor; pushing through the second door to the left you’ll finally find the heart of the venue.

Leaving the bare warehouse behind, you’ll find yourself in a large, airy space, well designed to show of the Congo meets West theme. In the near right corner is a Dali-esque painting, inked directly onto the wall, depicting an orange-peel tribal man with bright colours and interesting patterns. In stark contrast, on the other wall surrounding a large window looking into the darkened club next door, is a large grey painting depicting a series of futuristic style buildings, set on tiles. This is Georgi Krutikov’s Flying City and has been used to capture the heart of the West. A colourful bar is the centrepiece to this room; it’s small but large enough to deal with the volume of people who come here, with a large pink neon sign overhanging stating Two Horses Riders Club. The bar itself is an attractive feature, made from brass plating with a colourful array of bottles adourning the shelves. Aside from the far wall depicting a bright, bold blue and yellow Primus beer advert, the rest is all exposed brickwork, including the floor. To the right of the bar is an attractive large windowed divide, looking into the restaurant. Seating in the bar area consists of plenty of plastic garden furniture in bright yellows and reds. The result is an interesting, eclectic decor.

Walking through the large glass doors into the dining room, you’ll see the theme is continued, although it’s slightly more subdued. The walls are plastered and white, broken up with stone cladding at regular intervals – far less bare bones than in the bar. Comfortable red plush sofas line the room with tables pushed up against them. The rest of the seating is a selection of considered mismatched plastic seats in white and black. Further tables are spread around the centre of the room and can accommodate groups. These tables are a mix of pink and white tablecloth adourned varieties and shining black surfaced ones. A smattering of colourful abstract artwork lines the walls - an unusual selection of pieces that work well.

The separate club space is very different to the bar and restaurant. Whereas the other areas have a lot of imagery, the club is all in black – so much so it’s almost suffocating. A revolving set of disco balls turn on the ceiling, adding a disco vibe, and the DJ box sits slap-bang in the middle of the medium-sized dancefloor. The only seating here is on a raised platform at the far end of the room, and consists of comfortable black leather sofas. These are overhung by the only artistic flourish of the room – a plastic, colourful palm tree. It almost works, but is a little student union in style.

The Atmosphere
The club comes alive after 10pm, before this the main focus is on the bar and restaurant. Local workers and people making a point to visit hang out in the bar, chatting to the helpful, friendly staff. And there are a lot of staff here. They are smiley and make a point to talk to you and make sure you’re happy and enjoying your visit. There’s also a good mix of different cultural backgrounds among the people who work here and a plethora of exotic accents that add a sense of authenticity to the bar. The restaurant is also filled with staff and you’ll be well looked after. Service is efficient, speedy and very pleasant. You’ll find it hard not to be charmed by Double Club – if the decor isn’t your cup of tea, the excellent service will most certainly win you over.

The Music
As you’d expect, Congolese music plays in the background of the bar, restaurant, and club (albeit much louder here). However, the club aims to bring together the mix of the Congo-Western idea with tunes from both cultures. It’s an interesting idea that works well to integrate the theme into this simple space.

The Food
The Double Club offers a menu of Congolese and Western dishes. Prices are on the high side; however, a percentage of the proceeds do go to the City of Joy charity, which is a hospital for victims of violence and rape in Congo.

Although you can try Western starters like Helford native oysters (£14) and wild rabbit terrine (£9.50), it’s suggested you try a couple of Congolese dishes for your starter to share and then order a Western main each. The goat stew (£10) is highly recommended. A small portion of tender goat pieces in a slightly hot sauce is well presented as a liboke – meat wrapped inside a huge banana leaf. Alternatively, the Fumbwa of yam leaves cooked in peanut paste with salted fish (£8.50) is delicious. The flavours work well together, the small flecks of yam leaves add colour and a slight textural slant to the dish and the fish is delicate, although the overriding flavour is the peanut paste, which is rich and interesting. Although the dishes are small, they do work well as a starter.

For mains, the West takes over. The partridge (£22) is beautifully cooked, moist and tender. However, you will struggle to pull the bird apart without making a bit of a mess, and £22 is really steep for a plate with just a partridge plonked on it with no accompaniments – even if it is delicious. It’s recommended, therefore, that you get a side order. The lentil casserole (£3.50) is a good choice. The lentils are slightly al dente but not unpleasantly chewy like lentils so often are. With a delicate salty flavour, they work well as an accompaniment to the simple partridge dish. Alternatively, you can opt for the organic vegetable stock pot (£14), which comes with a large roasted portion of butternut squash that melts in the mouth and soft braised beans. You also receive six small pieces of gnocchi that are slightly moist on the outside and fluffy inside. It’s delicious and more substantial then the partridge although more gnocchi would be nice.

The desserts are all Western influenced, and the Valrohna chocolate moelleux (£6.50) is the highlight. The portions are, again, tiny – the chocolate cake coming as a small round serving; however, it is rich enough to warrant the tiny sample. The soft sponge comes apart with a swift movement of the spoon to reveal a gooey middle. Not overly sweet, it works well with the organic goat’s milk ice cream, which is creamy and indulgent with a slight goat’s cheese undertone. In all, it’s an expensive menu, but it is undeniably well put together and prepared.

The Drink
The drink menu at Double Club has clearly been well thought out and considered. Four Congolese bottled beers – Turbo King, Tembo, Skol and Primus – for £7 is an interesting addition to the menu. There’s also a surprisingly large selection of wine consisting of about 20 reds and as many whites, well sectioned off into flavours and grapes. Prices range from £19.50 for a white Lesc Vin de Pays du Gers Producteurs Plaimont SW 2007 from France, to a whopping £520 for a bottle of red Chateau Mouton-Rotschild Pauillac 1er Cru Classe 1995 from France. There are also two roses and 14 Champagnes, including the ubiquitous Cristal Roederer for £430.

If you prefer spirits, they offer a great choice of tequila, bourbon, Scotch, malt, cognacs, vodka, gin and rum, including some high end premiums by the shot or bottle. They also have a decent cocktail menu, which may not be particularly inventive, but covers a long list of well-made classics for £7.50. Worth a try is the Momo Special (Smirnoff Black, fresh mint, lemon juice, sugar, soda water). This refreshing drink has a pleasant sweetness, counteracted by the lemon to produce a well-balanced cocktail.

The Last Word
Double Club is an interesting addition to the London scene, continuing the pop-up trend. The Congolese-Western theme is well executed and unique. Although the food is on the expensive side, the charitable element wipes out the guilt factor in these times of economic downturn.

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