I'm incredibly disappointed by the staff here. Student ID is required when this isn't made clear, and they force you to check in coats at the cloakroom.

The moment you step in, you're treated like an inconvenience by the security staff and the cashiers.

My friend and I decided we didn't want to stay in a club with a mandatory cloakroom. Apart from being charged for a service we didn't need, I also thought I'd probably lose some of my belongings as I had a small bag and mostly keep my things in my coat pocket.

We tried to get a refund after being inside for less than a minute. All the staff were rude and argumentative, and treated us as if we were trying to start a fight when we just asserting our rights. They all refused to listen to what we were saying.

When we spoke to the manager, we eventually got our money back but he was also incredibly rude.

Not one member of the staff could explain to us why the cloakroom rule existed, especially as coat pockets and bags are thoroughly searched along with a patdown from security.

My first and last experience at this club. As a paying customer, I expect to be treated with respect and not be exploited for my money. They also confiscated my painkillers and Rizla. What was I gonna do, spark up a paracetamol doobie in the toilets?

Travelled all the way from South London for their student night just to find out we couldn't get in! We were surprised to find they were asking for student ID when there's no mention of this on the website and other clubs we go to only require proof of age on student nights. Luckily the bouncer accepted my UCAS card (which doesn't even show you're a student and anyone can get) but they wouldnt let my friends in with 16+ oyster cards (which you can only get if you're in full time education!). The bouncers were very rude and weren't willing to reason with us but luckily the club next door were much happier to accommodate us and we ended up having a good night anyway!

Absolutely horrendous place! Bouncers and staff absolutely vile people, who verbally and physically abused my cousin when she got outraged at not being given her coat back at the end of the night! She was held up by her throat against a wall by the bouncers and threatened to be hit if she didn't leave quietly! Absolutely disgusting! But *shocker* they don't have CCTV so the police can't do anything about it! Vile place! Should be shut down!

Do not go here. You will be treated badly from the moment you walk in by almost every person that works there. I used to go a lot when i was younger because the drinks are cheap and the music's pretty decent, but i'm in my mid-twenties, hold down a very respectable job and am just an all round nice person, and i was treated like a piece of dirt when i went last night by the people that should be there to look after you and make you feel secure on a night out. Because of the fact that i made a fuss when the cloakroom attendant wouldn't give my boyfriend his coat at the end of the night (for reasons which i'm still confused about), i was grabbed by 2 people, one of which pinned me up against the wall by my neck, rushed up the staircase where i fell over and busted my ankle, and then was threatened by the man who worked on the door that if i didn't leave quietly he was going to hit me....i'm a 9 stone 5'3' woman who just wanted a coat back! This type of behavior is completely unacceptable and i will NEVER go back here again because of how i was treated and i will go out of my way to make sure my friends don't go here again. It's places like this that give bouncers and club management a bad name. They should be ashamed.

use to come here years ago for the RnB bashment nights and I use to really enjoy it, and had decided to come again just as a one off with some girls and was greeted by such dreadful customer service by one particular front of house staff (The bouncers are actually very friendly, which is a rarity in London) The Cloakroom staff are also very lovely, friendly and very useful! The music is good (not great) but I did enjoy most of the music played and best of all, the DJs don't talk too much! like other night clubs though their drinks are not so budget friendly but that should not be a shock to anyone if your going to rave in London. I have to say that I am hugely disappointed and overall the customer service I experienced has seriously knocked my view of Moonlighting, this use to be a favourite venue of mine, it has just saddened me if anything that the club allows their staff to treat customers like ****, given that this is a recession you would think they would be doing their best to compete with dozens of other clubs that are the same/better and only a short walk away which is where I will be from now on. It is a massive shame that Moonlighting is now a mere shadow of its former self

brilliant night..
i went here a few months back being invited to a birthday and have never looked back... drinks are cheap.. music is great... and the people are amazing :)
i would suggest this place to anyone xx :D:D:D:D:D

Off to Cheapskates tonight, see you all there! Dont forget those meeting me there to bring your ID and dont forget to get my birthday mentioned by the DJ, whooppee cant wait, tat tar for now

Oh and another thing, get there early to beat the queue, with your ID of course

I went to Moonlighting for the first time on a Wednesday, I have never enjoyed a night out in London as much as I enjoyed Cheapskates. The staff are friendly but firm so you feel safe to party and enjoy your night knowing that the security are good at there job. The drinks are extremely cheap which makes the night even better knowing that I can go there even though my finances are not brilliant. The atmosphere is amazing all forms of people coming together to enjoy a night out. I feel safe and know I can have a brilliant night in moonlighting no matter how much I have to drink. The music varies for everyone I don't feel like people are out to do anything else but have a drink and a goodnight. I love cheapskates and will definitely be returning there next time I want a night away from my stressful life :) .

Do not go to this club. We went as a group of 12 going for birthday celebrations to Cheapskates, only for 8 of the group to randomly be told they will not be allowed entry. When we asked why this was, the security men and woman were very rude and you could even say too embarassed to give us an answer. Considering we was given no reason and we was, in my opinion, discriminated against, I would, without hesitation, say do not give this club a chance.

I love Mondays, really, really, really a lot!!

moonligting is one of my best clubs ive been to the people are kool and sexy . Went in there a few weeks ago and saw pixie lott who even let me and my mates pose for a photograph with her so you f***witts not only can you have an amazing time time for a tenner you never no who you bump into. My mates wenin before christmas and saw micheal barrymore at cheapskates how random is that! so mooneys we love you !

To the critic who thinks squirrels choke contestants

Those people had the courage to perform in front of a live audience! more than you would probably do!! I for one enjoyed the shows and there was always music before and after the people performing, and it goes on till 5am!

It is a great night out and the drinks are resonably priced and it is a central location

Brilliant!!

Do not go to this so called club, once this establishment used to be very good if you were looking for a good night out, allot has changed in the past two years. Went there on 18/6/10 after midnight expecting the club to be already heaving with life, to my amazement I could count the number of people in their on my two hands. And what made it worse they started to organize some wannabe ghetto got talent competition, wtf "i came to club/dance not stand and watch talentless fools make a mockery of them selves. 1 act sounded like she was choking on a squirrel. This is not Moonlighting as it use to be avoid at all cost, or ask someone that dose not work there (leaving the club) what the atmosphere is like inside before proceeding. If I could give it less than 1 star I would, ruined the whole night.

Moonlighting does cheap drinks on Mondays too, this is gonna definately be our local from now on, got in for £1 as well, brilliant!

Cheapskates is mad, fab and crazy prices!!! Just right, me and my friends love it

i go to moonlighting most saturdays and fridays i find it has a good atmosphere . .

sexy music and for any one that likes to party hardd moonlighting is the one to roll down to at any time between 11 and 1 with all ur girl friends boy friend and to have one hell of a good night.

LADIESSS are free before midnightttt and there sometimes are some gd drink deals which is good if ur abit skint which i usually am lool.

tbh the security can be abit roughh but at the same time polite. the music is rnb hip hop bashment ect ect but sometimes the djs do chat abiit to much and play the same music once or twice through the night but thats just me being observent loool.

love moonlighting the people can be abiit rowdy but there again thats just the vibe and the thing that makes moonlighting one of the best black nights to go to, people can enjoy there culture and musical backgrounds to the fullestttttt ! !!

This is hands down the worst place i have ever been to!

The staff were some of the rudest, most aggressive people i have ever met! It doesn't deserve a single star.

I went in a group of about 8 and the bouncers were unnecessarily rude to practically every member of our group for no reason!

I myself was SHOUTED AT by the 'lady' at the front desk for not showing my stamp upon returning to the club after being outside, despite nobody asking me to do this.

The aggression and attitude of the staff is quite astounding. The toilets are filthy and the couches absolutely stank of vomit. I DO NOT RECCOMEND THIS HELL HOLE.

Very hot and smelly. People were clustered around the few air conditioning units.

The DJ on Saturday (08/08/09) kept on talking through the songs and cutting them off halfway- even the popular ones. Crap. VERY young crowd - average age 17 - 20.

On plus side I've given 2 stars - 1 for reasonably priced drinks 2 - for the Staff who were alright with me and my friends

This place was absolutely shocking! Went on a Monday night as thought it would be a relaxed atmosphere, how wrong could we have been!

Although this club is positioned right in the centre of Soho it was largely empty.

I can't begin to describe how aggressive the door staff were, barking instructions to us as we waited to go in, completely unnecessary as there were about 6 people in the whole club.

All this would have been worthwhile if it was any good inside but we were let down again. We danced around a bit but obviously thought the atmosphere was more relaxed than it was because the over the top 'no fun' policy was introduced and a friend of mine was asked to leave for some outlandish dance moves.

(I'll be honest; he stood on his chair for about 5 seconds during one of the songs) We apologised and explained that it was a bit of fun but we understood that it was a health and safety hazard and that it wouldn't happen again but the door staff became aggressive eyeballing us and threatening to 'teach us some respect'

All in all it left a pretty bitter taste, so if you want a chilled relaxed night out where you can let your hair down, don't bother with this place as the staff seem to think they are running a high class trendy night club for footballers and celebrities (which clearly this isn’t with one pound drinks on offer) and this alienates the average Monday night clubber looking for some fun.

whats this place like on a saturday?? been to cheapskates b4 but i wana make sure i find somewhere that plays good hip hop/r&b/bashment/funky house with a good vibe

i wont lie, i had a wikid time there last Wednesday, going again tonight. you get the odd group of 17 year olds using fake id but i couldnt care less... its a brilliant atmosphere, cheap drinks, pretty good music. best night in london if your on a budget. £10-£15 max has given me a fantastic night. i don't know why people complain about the security guards, cloak room and searching cos dont they do that nearly everywhere...
think about it..
good, glad to see ur seeing sense.
anyway, its brilliant for what it is, a nice, cheap, night out. if your up for a classy night out, or another shitty night of r'n'b and people you just don't wana be around then dont come here.
if ur up for a nice night of drinking, dancing, good music, like-minded people, then come on over. obviously if you go anywhere too much it gets tedious but im going for my second wednesday in a row tonight and im loving it

CHEAPSKATES!!!!!! Yippee!!!! Great place!!! Cheap drinks!!!!

Cant wait to go again, OK so the queue is long and it is best to get there early but can meet up with mates in the queue,

got to see some people not seen for ages, did some drinking, did some dancing, did some socialising all for ten quid!!!

what more can you want for a night out in Central London, cant wait till exams are over to go back full time every week

Only giving 1 star as I can't select no star. Bascially the worst night out in london I've ever had. Rudest staff I've ever met, quite a few aggressive drunk customers. Whole place was FILTHY.

I'm no snob, I can handle sweaty bars but this was just dirty. Unless you're so drunk you can't really feel, taste or smell anything I'd avoid this place. Sure it's cheap, but so is nailing your hand to your thigh, which is preferable to going here.

Love this club! Saturday nights are our night! Me and my partner are members after returning to this club over the last year at least once a month... probably more.The Dj is great! Plays a great mix of RnB, Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Soca, Afro-beats and more.drinks are a bit pricey, small glass of white wine £3.50 and single (small) spirit £4.50 with mixer. (don't know if it changed not bought a drink for a while).Ladies get in b4 12 for free! so then you can get a drink or two!

guys max u'll pay is £12, after 12 ladies pay the same. Its full of women at this time.... obvious! but it proper fills up by 1-1.30. Gets really tight, not well ventilated, but its not too bad you can always go out to the smoking area.also they serve food all night, never had any but it smells really good. great place of soho square, if you no ur way around London it's a 10min walk from Piccadilly circus.... go towards china town... turn kinda opposite china town, walk thru to get to soho square.

I am a big fan of Cheapskates as its particularly handy when we finish work at 10.30 (yes there are some non students in the clientele), there is just enough time to get there in time for 11pm. That said we went on the 17th September and the queue must have been about 200 feet long by 11pm. The bouncers were trying to usher the queue so that all the other bars and cafes would not be mobbed by the line. The end of the line incidentally was at Manette Street. I have never seen anything like it in all my years of boozing in Soho. I walked down to the door and the doorman quietly informed me that the club was already packed. Amusingly as some girls left the club at the same time, I asked them what it was like inside. One of them said "its a nightmare, Its a f*~&@$g c@*k fest in there". This bought about a large cheer from some of the girls yet to gain entry to the club .

We gave up after half an hour but the other 200 hundred odd people clearly wanted to tough it out in the vain hope of gaining entry. They must have hung on over an hour as they were still there when we returned at 12.15 which was when the bouncers closed entry, much to the chagrin of the now very ugly crowd. I do like going to Cheapskates as it has such a great atmosphere and the cheap drinks make it a viable evening. However it seems a little cruel to the punters by making them queue all that time without a hope in hell of getting in. Still a queue that length is the best advert for a club night. Oldest trick in the book eh?

I'll hold my hands up, wednesday's cheapskates night is my guilty pleasure! I see a lot of people have been complaining about having to put coats in the cloak room, but why would you want to wear your coat in the club unless you have a real desire for ultimate dehydration!! the security are alright, and you have to remember that they are dealing with fairly large crowds so the odd stressful encounter is understandable! basically, its 80p for a vodka and mixer (how can you complain!?) followed by music that you feel comfortable making an idiot out of yourself to! if you take yourself too seriously then this is not the place for you, but if you dont mind letting yourself loose with cheap drinks, a bit of sweat, and a fairly hefty portion of cheese, then get yourself down here on a wednesday! i cant guarantee you'll enjoy work the next day but you'll be having a great time until your alarm rudely awakens you!

Went there last nite with a group of mates, with the knowledge that the music (mostly indie/pop/dnb stuff) wasnt really my scene im more into rnb hip hop, but was feelin open minded. The staff unlike many of the reviews I read here, werent all that bad tbh, quite friendly, the interior was a bit shoddy but 80p drinks! A bit too crowded tho, and pretty hot, so all in all a 'decent night out' but by no means great, go only for the cheap drinks and if ur with a lot of friends

RUBISH!

I went to cheapskates one time.

Firstly you have to pay £5 to get in. Then when you get downstairs they search your bag like you are a criminal! (makes me think what type of people go there?)

Then they MAKE you put your coat in the cloackroom-which of course there is a fee for. There are two moody bouncers that dont let you in until you have done this.

Then you pay £1.50 for a drink which I think is mearly coke with a splash of alcohol.

Really NOT worth it. Never again!

As a general guide, Cheap$kates is a hectic, friendly event with cheap drinks, friendly atmosphere, a social gathering of like minded students and friends, it is even busier when both sets of students are in town at the same time i.e. the Londoners who are coming back to London for breaks from their Uni's and those that have not left London Unis who actually live elsewhere, on these nights the queues can be long for everything but it is a case of no one is there at 9.15pm and then everyone sort of beams down from where ever and lands on the doorstep at 9.16pm, everyone seems to have the same idea! This of course causes some queueing but where ever possible people are quickly in if they have the right photo ID, have their change ready to pay, not carry too much when going through search area, dont have lots of items to put into the cloakrooms, know exactly what they want when they reach the bars etc, etc, dithering ALWAYS causes delays so be prepared and you should get through quick enough.

The reviews here about the police, I dont remember ever seeing police inside the event and when they are outside you must bear in mind that Moonlighting Nightclub is surrounded by other clubs it is very rare that police actually attend to Moonlighting Nightclub.

I've only ever been to Cheap$kates at Moonlighting, but every time has been a good night out. It's a good student venue - bit crowded, bit sweaty, the decor's nothing to make a fuss about, but that's the whole point really. The student crowd in there is very friendly and laid back, every one is just there to have a good time.
The drinks are stupidly cheap (80p for a spirit & mixer) but as soon as you taste it, you'll know why. But it does also mean that there are no qualms when it comes to buying other people drinks/having someone buy a drink for you.
The music is definitely better than most student nights. I also found the bar staff to be friendly and I've never had a problem with the door staff.
The only way to avoid the long queues is to get there early. If you get there by 10-10.30pm, it is a bit empty, but it means you get to sit down and drink with your mates for a bit, plus the bar staff wait on you hand and foot before the club starts to fill.
All in all, if you want a cheap unfussy night out, go here. That's what it's best for.

pure 100% shite
the drinks are cheap on cheapskates night - because you are buying £5 a bottle vodka -

mostly reggae bashment and a 10 % mixed - music good - that is not my complaint

security are wankers - talk down to you shove you out of the way like you are not even there - only care about keeping very few happy

always police outside at sometime in the night

queue will be hours long no matter what night - minimum wait time i have seen is 25 mins - thats being nice

cloakroom queue just as bad

always a queue for drinks - 10-15 min wait minimum

and the manager is THE devil woman - vandictive useless and stuck up her own arse - thinks she is a celebrity and if you do not agree she will let you know how much of a bitch she can be


avoid at all costs
i go to 6 clubs a night after work and trust me there are 100% better
the 1 star is for the music and NOTHING else

went last night...got in no id required (well i wasn't asked for it) ...decor could be redone. reminds me of sean pauls get busy video...like a party in the basement! good vibes, no beef...juss a handful of sticky fingered old men followin ladies with everything on show (not unexpected)...music = 95% bashment + dancehall ...the rest was split betwen slow jams, hip/hop (the commercial stuff) and funky. drinks are overrrrpriced (a 'shot glass' sized rum and coke is £4!) good place to dance...overall quite decent.

OK, my night out at cheapskates was without doubt the worst night out I've had to a club EVER. There was no queue on arriving but the bouncers ignored us until I put my foot on the step to enter when I was firmly pushed backwards by a hand in my chest accompanied by a grunt of ID. Inside, the bar served dubious drinks in premium bottles and I had scorn poured on me by the barman for asking for a little more mixer than the literal dash he had provided. The first DJ played a mash of all the recent indie pophits, then the 2nd played all the same songs in full. My female friends had girls start on them in the toilets, and the entire club was best described as 'sticky', not just sweaty, this was the dried sweat from the previous week as well. To top it off, the bouncers were consistently vile all night, the rudest, most obnoxious security I've ever encountered, and I come from Croydon. If you like listening to really dull indie songs (twice) and waiting 20 mins for 80p drinks of cheeeeeeap spirits, all while being treated like an unwelcome intruder, then this is definately the place for you.

There's a lot right with Cheapskates on a Wednesday night - cheap drinks, music that strays from the standard cheesy RnB you can expect at most student nights and on the whole a friendly crowd. On the basis of last night however, there is also a lot wrong with it.

The queue to get in was astronomical unless you were an attractive girl, in which case you walk straight in. It's pretty frustrating watching people walk straight to the front of the line when you've been waiting ages, this is a student night not a swanky up-its-own backside footballers club.

The bouncers are heavy handed and rude. The search on the way in was disproportionate - I understand the importance of security at nightclubs but the bouncers at clubs like Fabric seem to manage to conduct searches without causing offence to the punters.

We queued for over an hour to get our coats at the end and, as is inevitable if you ask drunk people to stand in a queue for such a long time (and not for the first time that evening), fights broke out and the police had to be called.

The bar staff were aloof and would push you out of the way before bothering to ask you to move.

There is only provision for three men to pee at any one time. Ridiculous for a club that size.

And don't by 'tequila' from the girl who walks around selling it. It's diluted massively and a complete con.

It's a shame because this has the potential to be a great night. The blonde lady running things was nice and apologetic for the problems that had arisen but the rest of the staff need an attitude change, just because the clientelle are students doesn't justify the rude service.

So on the whole, I'm not surprised the place has some good reviews because I enjoyed most of the night. But the significant drawbacks, especially the hours spent queueing, are enough to make me think twice about going again.

I've been to Moonlighting on a Wednesday a few times and have had an absolute ball. Long queues but well worth it if you can get in but be prepared for disappointment if you're unlucky enough not gain entry.



Always packed by 12pm, very modern indie to start with then changes to more traditional towards 2 ish. I staggered out at 3.30am and the music had just finished. The whole night cost £30.00 as the Moonlighting bar is so cheap.

I went to Moonlighting on the Saturday and it was very very good, although it does feel like an inferno - more air conditioning? The DJs were great and the drink prices were alright. The atmosphere at Moonlighting was very much alive!

Moonlighting does get horribly hot, and the staff, bar the lady who collects money (who is lovely), are all vile. The door staff are rude and abrasive, and force you to cloak room your coat and bag despite protracted inspections of both. Also, I was refused tap water in there and told only the (rather pricey) bottled water was available!



But Moonlighting is actually a wicked night, the DJs are usually ace and the punters are, for the most part, young and attractive, and not afraid to pull shapes on the dance floor. If it weren't for the dodgy staff, this place would earn full marks.

The DJ at Moonlighting is buff. That's the only reason I go there. Moonlighting is a good place to go and the tunes are okay and it's local.