To remix an old saying: if you are tired of Volupte, you are tired of life. This tantalising burlesque supper club will entertain you with its mesmerising dance, circus and cabaret acts.

The Venue
Discreetly tucked away and yet within easy rich, Volupte is a wonderful treasure box of retro extravagance. To titillate your mouth and mind, there is a bar on the ground floor. You can order your first drink here while you peruse the programme and make up your mind if you want to pay the entrance fee into the basement club. Passing up the opportunity would definitely be a mistake so, once you have taken in the dark floral wallpaper, the wooden bar and the retro decor on the ground floor, head for the stairs and descend into the boutique club.

Past a velvet curtain, you will find yourself in a surprisingly small space: the kitchen and stage area are at the very back, while the rest of the room is occupied by small tables. The decor is slightly rough around the edges, a detail which adds to the atmosphere rather than detracting from it, and it includes contemporary elements like the elaborate wall murals and vintage tributes like images of Bettie Page and other starlets, grandma lampshades or a display of old bottles, shoes and other pre-1950s paraphernalia. Additionally, a kitsch semi-private booth is like something out of the Little Mermaid and this adds to what is a vivid vision.

The Atmosphere
Effervescent as champagne and yet smooth as velvet, Volupte has the smoky atmosphere of a decadent Moulin Rouge-esque venue but none of the seediness. Here you should definitely expect the unexpected: it is a burlesque supper club (try to actually eat before the show starts or you may end up dropping food everywhere) but burlesque is definitely not the only act on the bill. Vaudeville comedy, fire eaters, snake enchanters, circus performers, hula hoopers and even aerialists are all at home here. Tuesday is usually the opening night of a show running for one week. If you are lucky you will run into the very very dark, funny cabaret of Joe Black and Mr Pustra with special guest Marcella Puppini (of the Puppini sister, don’t you know?). But every other act is almost guaranteed to entertain. Lady Kamikaze of Black Cotton Club is a regular guest DJ here so you will have genuine period tunes spinning all night long.

The environment is intimate and dimly lit but you can’t fail to notice the attention paid to attire by the performers and the guests: Singapore Sues wear their best vintage dresses (pre-1950s please) with matching accessories (elongated vintage glasses a must), while the gents don 1940s oufits comprising of waistcoats, dapper trousers and bow ties. The effort is supposed to add to your own night out rather than to fit in with the crowd so feel free to wear whatever you can feel comfortable in.

The general atmosphere here is, in fact, rather casual. There is no deferential, stiff service from staff. In fact, you may think the attitude is a bit too casual but in reality places like Volupte are a family-like environment for those working there and this extends itself to the punters. In fact the atmosphere is remarkably similar to the Au Lapin Agile, a small, ancient cabaret venue in Parisian Montmartre, which can be considered the forefather of venues like Volupte.

The Food
The menu is concise so it doesn’t distract your attention too much from the show, but it is not void of creativity or interesting twists.

The starters (£6-£8) mix different cuisines and inspirations in a very successful list. You can pick from the likes of beetroot cured salmon with pickled cucumber and sweet mustard dressing, seafood tempura with aioli, smoked chicken terrine with dried apricot chutney and others. The vegetarian option is a delicious market salad with asparagus, sun blushed tomatoes, artichokes and quail’s eggs. The portion is generous and the salad is well dressed with light olive oil. The artichokes are fresh, fat and very well cooked while the tomatoes are the perfect balance between chewy and soft.

The mains (£12.50-£28) include classic British meat dishes but add a twist. The pan-fried chicken breast is served with garlic dumplings and spring greens; the pot roasted lamb rump comes with crispy polenta and spinach; and the roasted sea bream is served with celeriac and pear puree. The grilled Herefordshire fillet - served with tomato, water cress and peppercorn sauce- justifies its lavish £28 price-tag because the meat is wonderfully tender, juicy and incredibly tasty. The suggested mash potatoes are the ideal side dish: creamy and fluffy, they absorb the juice so well you will want to lick the plate. The sugar snap and lime risotto is even better. The flavour is just divine and the lime single-handedly lifts an often bland dish into a gourmet experience. It is also rich in layers thanks to the minced sugar snap, pea shoots and shaved Pecorino cheese on top. The mixed vegetables side dish should be ideal to add some vitamins, but unfortunately it is slightly inconsistent. The carrots, steamed in thick slices, are undercooked in comparison to the well-done broccoli and cauliflowers. The desserts (£6-£7.50) are just as good in avoiding trite recipes. Highlights include the mocca Bavarois with coffee and whisky sauce, vanilla semi freddo with poached rhubarb and white chocolate panna cotta with strawberry soup. The latter comes served in a small portion, elegantly placed in the middle of a large white plate, surrounded by a fragrant sea of pureed strawberry. The panna cotta itself has a great consistency and it is very pleasant, although the white chocolate is slightly understated. The vanilla semi freddo is served just as elegantly and the poached rhubarb is intriguing to the eyes as well as on the tongue, while the vanilla is smooth, sweet and rather addictive.

The Drink
Burlesque, dimly-lit cabaret, girls and boys dressed as it was 1934, Volupte is made for cocktails. Predictably, the list is long and structured, including over eighty concoctions (£7.50-£9.50) leaving no cocktail-type unexplored. Need help? Try one of these: Marilyn Monroe (Perrier Jouet Champagne, Calvados and grenadine); Guilty Pleasure (vanilla vodka, dark cocoa and strawberry liqueur, fresh strawberries and chocolate puree); Chilli Jaffa Cake (orange vodka, chilli-infused Mozart Black and chocolate puree); and the wonderful Dietrich mocktail (cherry, strawberry and raspberry purees mixed with cranberry juice, £5). Alternatively you can go retro classics with an old fashioned Singapore Sling, Mai Tai, Dixie Collins, Pisco Sour and many others. A few shooters (£4.70) are also available.

Champagne is another staple here and, surprisingly, a whole bottle will not cost you a fortune. Mumm Brut starts from a very acceptable £40 and Tattinger and Bollinger are competitively priced at £50-£60. Obviously things escalate for the infamous Cristal (£290). Spirits cost £5.50-£11 (escalating to £19 for high-end brandy), although the selection is long and comprehensive, especially in the whisky department.

Wine and beer are slightly understated in comparison, but you can still indulge in either should the mood take you.

The Last Word
Volupte gets it right on many levels: the food is very good, the cocktails are ideal for the occasion and the entertainment is top quality. Add to this a sultry atmosphere infused with underground ideas and niche performers, and there’s no doubt that Volupte is one of the best retreats from mainstream London nightlife, something which seems banal in comparison to the excitement on offer at this supper club. Recommended.

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