Industrial meets glamour at the Kings Road's latest hotspot, PUBLIC. Though it attempts to differentiate itself from the surrounding venues by giving the club more of an industrial edge, the vibe is still true to its West London roots.

The Venue
Literally minutes’ away from Sloaney havens such as Crazy Larry’s, Embargo and Raffles, PUBLIC is a new venture from friend-to-the-royals Guy Pelly, and it attempts to add something new to the King’s Road scene. It is set in a converted antique shop, in a small courtyard off the main street and, once you descend down the stairs, instead of being met with the standard brash lights and bland decor combination, PUBLIC is pleasantly surprising and quite unique for the area. The original fixtures of the building have largely been maintained, which means brick walls, arches, exposed vents and simple wooden flooring are all present and correct. It’s still sleek enough to keep the upmarket locals happy however, with comfortable leather booths and sofas, an adequately-sized dance floor and an impressively long copper bar that automatically acts as a magnet for the party-goers.

The VIP area has a more eccentric spin on it, with jars of sweeties lit by glowing neon lights in order to bring out the child in you. Plus, from a slightly raised platform, the view of the dance floor is perfect for people-watching and eyeing up scantily clad young ladies or rich suited men, depending on which way you swing. To encourage a bit of playful fun, there’s a dressing up area with a photo booth right next to it, and most of the gents seem happy to incorporate them into their outfit which means they end up dancing about in silly hats all evening.

The Atmosphere
PUBLIC has achieved its goal of trying out something fresh in the area, yet the crowd is mostly what you’d expect. From girls’ dressed up to the nines in luxury brands to those who pair jeans with Uggs, there’s every type of west Londoner here. And the same goes for the gentlemen; the younger ones wear the local uniform of jeans and shirt tucked in, and there are a few older types looking for a lovely lady to buy a drink for. If you don’t fit into these categories and you don’t have a lot of money to spend, then PUBLIC isn’t necessarily ideal for you but, on the other hand, the reasonable drinks prices and interesting decor is likely to pull in a more varied crowd than some of the other establishments nearby. Don't be surprised to see the odd royal or celeb in the house, too, as the owner Guy Pelly moves in those kind of circles.

The Music
The most important thing for the clientele here is that everyone seems to want to get well and truly boozed-up, and thus they need an upbeat soundtrack to accompany their night of indulgence. The music is mostly commercial and easy to dance to, and though some of the dance moves being thrown around may be cringeworthy or provocative, most people in attendance join in and sing-along. Over the course of the evening a few duds seem to slip in, but the crowd don’t seem to notice.

The Drink
As you’d expect from such a venue, the large sharing cocktails are definitely worth going for. Mojito Pyramid, Jagerbomb Mousetrap and Public Champagne punch are all as fun as they sound, but the Warhead, where you type in a code to access the cocktail, is decadent and delightful (it’s not cheap though: £100 for 8-10 people to share). The house cocktails are also a good option, with the Fa’fafene and Silver Angel (£8) particularly delicious. Of course most tables order bottles of Grey Goose or Laurent Perrier, complete with sparklers and pretty waitresses to bring them to your table.

The Last Word
It might not be as eccentric or daring as it wants to be, but PUBLIC delivers a good night out and is a breath of fresh air to the other options in the local area.

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