The brainchild of New York uber-hostess Amy Sacco, Bungalow 8 has come to London promising exclusivity, fine cocktails and all the fun of its Manhattan older sister – but does it deliver?

The Venue
Situated downstairs in the glamorous St Martins Lane Hotel, below the Light Bar, the London outpost of Bungalow 8 is easily reached from Leicester Square, Covent Garden or Charing Cross tube stations. Friend-to-the-stars hostess Amy Sacco and her business partner and bartender extraordinaire Ben Pundle have designed a fairly unexceptional subterranean bar, with symmetrical banquettes, a DJ booth and oversized pot plants dotted around. It’s very dark, so don’t expect to be able to star spot, and very small so very few people will attempt to dance.

The Atmosphere
Like many London members clubs, there’s a somewhat pretentious vibe at Bungalow 8 – but let’s face it, if you make it past the strictest bouncers in town you deserve to be smug. If you’re deemed A-list enough to make it in, the door staff will accompany you down into the bar, and the bartenders are attitude-free and determined to earn themselves their gratuity. The crowd (if you can see them through the hazy darkness) will be made up of London’s elite, from celebrities including Jude Law, Kelly Osbourne, Kate Moss and Will Young, to artist Damien Hurst or top designer Christopher Kane, who held his Dazed and Confused Fashion Week afterparty here.

The Music
With sets from top international DJs including Samantha Ronson (Mark’s little sister and Lindsay Lohan’s close pal), Bungalow 8 has an unusual music policy – though there are some funky electro cuts, much of what is played borders on the ironic, and you shouldn’t be surprised to hear anything from Kylie to '80s classics. It’s a fun, unpretentious sound, so just forget how cool you are and enjoy it! The music would probably be better-loved if there was space to dance - something that’s really lacking here.

The Drink
The cocktail list at Bungalow 8 is not very imaginative, but offers all the classics with a focus on that New York favourite, the Martini. Prices are the highest in London, with even a bottle of water coming in at £10, and cocktails costing between £15 and £30.

The Last Word
Bungalow 8 isn’t perfect – it’s small and dark, expensive, the music is downright odd. However, it offers a glam night out guaranteed to leave you with a feeling of superiority and the knowledge that you’ve arrived at the very top of the A-list - or at least in Bungalow 8's opinion anyway.

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