47 Frith Street,
Soho,
London,
W1D 4HT
0872 148 1992
The ViewLondon Review
Though in essence it’s a combination of industrial boiler room and school disco (minus the orange squash and, at least before 2, most of the rampant tongue tusslers), this tiny bar/dancefloor combo still manages to pull off a certain flavour of South-American cool.
Crammed above Ronnie Scott’s, the smoke-fugged room throbs with hip Latin sounds and the bar is thronged with smouldering Banderas-alikes tossing their dark manes. Peeling-postered walls flank a chequered dancefloor that can't hold more than about 30 people and the clapped out strobes are a little Ritzy’s disco, but despite the routine green, red and hairy crevice flashes the place has a certain sweaty charm.
Hulking Latino hombres in open-necked shirts and polka-dotted chicks who really know how to move bring out the wobbling wallflower in all newcomers. But these enthusiastic groovers won't let the smattering of self-conscious types nurse their sangrias in the greying alcove by the Ladies. Thought merengue was an elaborate dessert? No problemo, gringo, you'll be whipped round the dancefloor by a sultry Peruvian before you can gasp 'testosterone'.
For those who are sambaed-out, moth-eaten couches next to the miniscule bar are ideal for drunken collapse. But avoid the Tardis-style loos, which are full of lippy-wielding females and preening Hasslehof-esque greasies all vying for a cracked communal mirror.
The music’s the throbbing Latin rhythms, upbeat contemporary samba and big hip-wiggling salsa you’d expect, and is guaranteed to keep you moving until you're too Tequila-soaked to swing. The rattling sound system appears to have been ringed from a model T Ford and Bush gramophone in a Brazilian sweatshop in 1964, but still kicks the proverbial.
Details:
Fridays & Saturdays, entrance to the side of Ronnie Scott’s.
From 10pm – 3am. £7 approx.
Salsa, Cumbia, Punta & Merengue with top Latin DJ Julian 'the Duke'.
Includes a free salsa dance lesson from 10pm-11pm.
For more info click here – or check out their website here.