Located beneath the New York style restaurant of the same name, Harlem Underground offers a compact but stylish club and cocktail bar for locals without much in the way of other clubbing options. It just goes to prove, size doesn’t matter!

The Venue
Based along Westbourne Grove, Harlem Underground is never going to be a big destination club. However, for locals it offers a convenient nightspot to while away a weekend.

As you approach Harlem – the upstairs restaurant – you may find it slightly unappealing at first glance. Wooden and rickety it’s almost shack-like in its appearance. Through the main doors you’ll see The Harlem Underground sign beckoning you down into the basement (after 8pm). When you reach the bottom and head through the door (the clever positioning of the doorways means the pumping club music doesn’t escape into the more relaxed restaurant upstairs) you may be surprised at the diminutive size of the club. A small bar in the left hand corner does a decent job of keeping up with demand and a few sofas and comfortable seats line the outer edge of the tiny space, with an especially pleasant main table tucked away inside a little alcove.

There’s not much in the way of a dancefloor, especially once it fills up, and the DJ booth is sandwiched in awkwardly. However, there’s a laudable sense of downtown Manhattan basement club charm that fills Harlem Underground. The crowd is a chilled, happy bunch and there’s none of the pushing and shoving you often get in such venues. It seems that, in this case at least, size really doesn’t matter.

The Atmosphere
The whole air of Harlem is one of New York authenticity. If not for the smoking ban it would be a smoky underground den of inequity. The music pumps through the sound system, echoing throughout the club and in all it’s a cool, trendy little place. However, the people are a little on the posh side to lend a real edge to Harlem Underground, the locals of Bayswater were never going to be a rough around the edges type. They do have a chilled out, laid back nature though, which is always going to be pleasant in such close proximity.

The Music
Despite the DJ box being rather crammed into a corner, an impressive array of DJing talent has been displayed here over the years. Who knew that tucked away in Bayswater was such a decent music showcase? In the past, such DJs as Damon Albarn, Armand Van Helden and the Loose Cannons have shown off their deck skills.

Mondays are listed as Pot Luck where you can partake in the all you can eat buffet for a fiver before descending to listen to the tunes of an as-of-yet undiscovered talent or more established act. Tuesdays is the turn of resident Pete Gooding, Wednesdays see Basement Jaxx drummer Tuggy playing Latin, soul, disco and house, and Thursdays offer up Andy Bird or Ben Chapman for some rock n roll, blues, and ‘80s pop alongside hip hop, Afro beats and soul. Weekends pull out the big guns with Bobby Speed hitting the decks for soul, funk, reggae, disco, hip hop and house, or Saturdays see a mix of Andy Bird, Michael Cook, Ben Chapman and Matty taking to the decks. These listings tend to be set in stone, but are subject to change so be sure to check ahead. However, you’re guaranteed some cutting edge tunes to rival some of London’s bigger clubs.

The Drink
Following the same bar menu as upstairs, the drinks on offer at Harlem Underground are well priced and of a decent quality. A large number of American bottled beers (£3.50-£5) are also up for grabs, including Moosehead, Pabst Lone Star, Brooklyn Lager, Anchor Steam Beer, Anchor Liberty Ale, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Alternatively, if you’re after something a bit more intricate then the cocktails are pretty good, even when the bar’s busy. Ranging in price from £6-£7 they’re some of the cheaper cocktails you’ll get in London clubs, and they’re of a decent quality. The margaritas in particular are delicious and made to specification, although a salt rim and on the rocks is highly recommended. Best of all, drinks here are served in frosted glasses, straight out of the freezer so you’ll never have a warm glass ruining the delicate flavours of your chosen beverage.

The Last Word
Despite its petite demeanour, Harlem Underground does manage to pull in the big guns in terms of its DJing talent. That said, this place really is too small to ever give more established London clubs a run for their money, but is a decent offering to locals who are bored of trekking into other areas of London to hear quality tunes banging out from the decks.

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