If you like the idea of clubbing in Mayfair, in a place that attracts such A-listers as Samuel L Jackson, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss but are wary of pretension then Taman Gang is your answer. A top quality restaurant is just the icing on the cake. This place blows its competitors out of the water.

The Venue
Taman Gang has one of the most envied addresses in London, based as it is on Park Lane. However, this belies the fact that it’s actually located mere steps from Marble Arch station, handily situated on the Central Line. And this is a good thing if you’ve spent ages on your hair, it’s raining hard and you don’t want to ruin your Jimmy Choos.

The venue is instantly recognisable from the two flames that burn either side of the doorway, a sexy, eye-catching way of announcing its presence. Just inside the door, past one of London’s friendliest doormen, is the reception area where you can either pay to get into the club or give the name of your table booking if you’re dining. A gorgeous member of staff, dressed to the nines, will take your coats and usher you down the stairs. And it’s here you start to really get a feel for the venue. A small stairway winds its way into the earth, with attractive cream brickwork with authentic looking etchings of dragons and other Asian-inspired imagery setting the scene. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the decadent world of Taman Gang unfolds. A large room is unfurled as you immediately come across a bar that runs along the left hand side, large enough to comfortably cope with the continuous demand for cocktails.

The space here is very well utlilised. Almost circular in shape, to the left are some slightly hidden away booths (no doubt favoured by celebrities looking to keep a low profile). There’s a central floor space flanked with comfortable plush sofas with small tables that comfortably seat two. Raised above this on a dais are further tables and chairs, but these are more equipped for diners with further sofas and small but comfortable soft chairs sandwiching gorgeous beaten bronze tables. Behind here are yet more tables, traditional in their design, catering for parties and groups. There’s also a quieter booth area towards the back with an attractive large lamp overhanging the table. The whole set up is open plan and the basement style works well. A large Buddha statue is the centrepiece, with further Buddha imagery adourning the walls. More of the Asian-style imagery is carved into the brickwork that dominates the walls and large brick pillars are scattered about. The colour scheme is opulent with creams, browns, reds and golds all coming together. The dimmed lighting works in tandem with the decor to create a sexy, powerful venue that’s softened with candlelight. It could have so easily come across as cheesy and try-hard, instead it works perfectly and is sophisticated and thoroughly appealing.

When the club starts to kick in come 10pm, the tables and chairs are smoothly whisked away, immediately creating plenty of space for dancing. It’s surprising to see, and those dubious that a quality restaurant could ever compete on the London club scene will soon have their doubts laid to rest.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Taman Gang changes over the course of the night. Early evening, this is a high-quality restaurant, offering a romantic den for couples and groups to enjoy the Pan Asian cuisine on offer. The atmosphere during this time is surprisingly laid back, in contrast to many stuffy Mayfair restaurants. The staff are gorgeous, immaculately dressed and genuinely friendly and service is hyper-efficient. The background music is loud enough to create an atmosphere, playing chilled out tunes, but doesn’t encroach on soothing tones of conversation.

Come the late evening – from around 10pm onwards, the mood starts to shift towards a more upbeat party vibe as the club kicks in. The music slowly begins to raise in tempo and your toe will start tapping beneath a perfectly pressed white napkin as dance tracks begin to play. People slowly start to trickle in dressed in club wear. Diners can look on from a safe distance whilst they finish their meals. By 11pm, the tables are whisked away, leaving the sofas behind (so you needn’t worry if your feet get weary) and the music hits full tilt. There is still a limited waitress service for drinks, but the bar starts to fill up; although the bar staff are adept at keeping wait times to a minimum. The people are unpretentious and just out to have a good time; thankfully, WAG wannabes, Z-listers and the cheesy crowd that infects so many similar clubs in Mayfair are glaringly absent here. Hair extensions and fake tan is at a minimum and, although you’ll see plenty of mini dresses and flesh on show, it all has a tinge of sophistication, keeping it firmly on the right side of tacky. With a £20 entry fee (£15 guestlist), it’s probably a better idea to come in early for food and drinks and settle in for the evening.

The Music
The music at Taman Gang is definitely one of the big plus points of the club - eclectic has never been so accurate a description. One minute you’ll be singing along joyfully to Grandmaster Flash’s White Lines, the next you’ll be throwing your hands in the air to Ibiza dance tunes. Then the RnB and hip hop kicks in so you’ll be grinding your way down to the floor. The next minute you’ll be air guitaring to Guns and Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine. This is no cheesy club, so although it’s a mix of commercial tunes, there’s no Shakira and not even the slightest whiff of Enrique. It’s all kept on the right side of fun.

The Food
Whilst some club-restaurants fail to deliver on quality, Taman Gang proves you can do everything and suffer nothing. Originally just a high-end restaurant, it’s a relief to see the menu has not suffered, and they offer some of the best Pan Asian food the capital has to offer.

Starters include a choice of small plates, tempura and sushi, costing anywhere from £4.50 to £12 a portion. Perfect for sharing, it’s recommended you sample three or so starters between two diners. Highly recommended is the beef and foie gras gyoza with nameko mushrooms and teriyaki dressing (£7.50). Coming as four plump little parcels, the delicate casing does nothing to detract from the rich filling. Even if you’re not usually a fan of foie gras, this will impress as it’s not as sickly as many versions of the dish. The sauce works in tangent with the gyoza, adding a delightfully subtle sweetness. For something more substantial, the soft shell crab tempura with yuzu mayonnaise (£11.50) is more impressive size-wise and equally delicious. The batter is light and allows the flavour and soft texture of the crab to come through. There’s a smattering of chilli included in the batter and rather than being overpowering it works to add an extra dimension to each mouthful. The yuzu mayonnaise is sublime; creamy with a subtle, flowery undertone, it works well with the tempura. Finally, for sushi fans, the mixed sashimi with new Asian dressing (£13.50) is a must. Strips of salmon, sea bass and tuna are stunningly presented on a long white plate with wasabi and pickle on the side. The fish is incredibly fresh and works well with the dressing, which tastes like a rich soy sauce. It’s also light enough that it won’t bulk you down for the mains.

Main courses are equally impressive, and are divided into meat, seafood and vegetable dishes (vegetarians are very well catered for here). However, it’s the fish dishes that really stand out. Baked black cod mirin glazed with miso (£23) and a side of jasmine rice (£3) is a real highlight. The large piece of cod is simply presented on a large dark plate. The cod flakes at the touch of a fork and is light, fresh and delicately sweet, although it’s not recommended for those who dislike sweet and sour dishes. Alternatively, try the Chilean sea bass with chilli bean salsa and choi shoots (£24.50) with a side of stir fried sugar snaps, broccoli and choi shoots (£7.50). The sea bass appears more complex in its make up compared with the cod, but it’s equally simple in its flavour. The fish is again cooked perfectly, with several small pieces, de-boned, flaking effortlessly and almost melting in the mouth. It’s not a hot dish, with the choi shoots adding a slight textural crunch and underlying grassy flavour that works particularly well. The side of the crunchy sugar snaps with the soft broccoli and choi is the perfect marriage of dishes and it’s recommended you share your plates with your dining companion to make the most of the full spectrum of flavours, a practice that’s encouraged here.

Finally come the desserts. The warm chocolate pudding with green tea ice cream (£7.50) is particularly good. The pudding is gooey with a rich chocolate sauce that isn’t sickly-sweet, and the soft pudding is so light it’s practically a souffle. The green tea ice cream is creamy and fresh and works well with the dark chocolate in a well-thought out dish. The mochi vanilla and honeycomb ice cream with strawberries (£6.50) is less inspiring, although still tasty. The ice cream comes in small slabs, almost like an ice cream bar, and has sweet, crunchy honeycomb encapsulated by creamy light ice cream. However, the strawberries are actually one small strawberry cut into quarters, and although its tartness works well with the sweetness of the ice cream, you could do with a couple more. Still, it’s hard to fault such a well put together, perfectly executed menu. If you just want to come in for a drink then there is a cheaper bar menu with versions of the restaurant food offered.

The Drink
The drinks at Taman Gang are as good as you’d expect, but just be aware there is a different menu for the restaurant and the club – the restaurant drink menu being unavailable after 11pm.

The restaurant menu is vast, offering a huge array of wine, ranging in price from £23 to £320. The menu is well separated into whites, reds, roses, and Champagne, divided by country of origin, including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and America. Ideally, there are quite a few varieties that you can purchase by the glass, with at least one option on offer from each country. Highly recommended is the Montagny 1er Cru, Domaine de Montorge for £35, grassy in flavour, it’s soft and palatable with a soothing kick. Surprisingly, for a bottle of French wine, it actually works well with all of the Pan Asian food sampled, and is a great all-rounder to enjoy with a meal. When indulging in dessert, it’s recommended you try the Coteaux-Du-layon, Clos de Sainte Catherine Baumard Loire from France for £9.50 for a 100ml glass. Delightfully sweet, it slips down the throat nicely and is almost warming. If you’re out to celebrate they also have a very reasonable bottle of Champagne for just £40 (Beaumont des Crayere), which is also available for £8.20 a glass. This rises to the ever popular Cristal at £380.

Their cocktail menu is long and inventive if you prefer one of their mixes to wine. The list is lengthy and is divided into flutes, shorts, longs, martinis and shots, all reasonably priced at an average price of just £7-£8. The classics are all present, but it’s a shame to try them when there are so many new cocktails to sample. Highly recommended is the Jewel (Frangelico, Chambord and cream), presented in a martini glass with a raspberry, it tastes more like a raspberry trifle than an alcoholic beverage, and slips down a little too easily. If you prefer something with more of a kick then the vodka martini with a twist; strongly alcoholic in flavour, it will really pep up your night out.

However, after 11pm the cocktail menu shrinks drastically in size to just a handful of simpler options (to help aid congestion at the bar) and they increase in price to £11, more in keeping with the clubs of the area. Bottles of spirits are popular in the club and, inevitably, every time the expensive bottles are sold they come out with sparklers flying (although, thankfully, no cheesy music!). Also keep an ear out for the gong, which declares that one of the £60-£230 cocktails have just been sold, such as the cleverly named All Gong Pete Tong (Snow Queen, Passoa, Fraise de bois, pineapple) or the pricey £230 Mexican High (Patron Rasposado, 100 per cent Agave served with all the trimmings needed for tequila).

The Last Word
Taman Gang proves that with attention to detail you can have it all. Whether you’re dining, drinking or clubbing, this is an impressive venue that far surpasses its competition. The perfect all-rounder.

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