Hidden away in the heart of Soho, Bureau is a members’ club with a difference. Applying a fine dining slant to your bar experience, the unique approach to the menu and music choice is worth checking out – if you can get in, of course.

The Venue
Bureau is difficult to find even when armed with a map – and that’s how they like it. This club isn’t designed to be the kind of place you just stumble across, rather somewhere you seek out. Hidden behind a small metal gate down a narrow, tiny alleyway is a door. That’s all that belies its positioning.

As soon as you step through the doors of Bureau you know you’re in the right place as a sleek, dark stairway takes you down and opens out into a simple reception area. This is strictly members only so there’s no getting in without a member accompanying you or a swish club swipe card in your hand. If you’re lucky enough to get past here you’ll walk into a surprisingly large, airy basement bar that’s aiming to be relaxing and cool rather than trendily downtrodden.

The colour scheme is dark and brooding, almost too much so – expect black walls, black ceilings and dark wooden flooring; however, its kept from becoming too claustrophobic with clever design touches and furnishings. Large white leather open booth seating surrounds a large central space, kept very open plan. There are also a couple of cosier alcoves. Vaulted arches are stylish and help to create a feeling of space and large mirrors line the walls, tilted slightly downwards and tinted so you don’t feel like everywhere you look there’s a reflection. Designer stools with interesting leaf-like patterning in green also surround the tables and keep the lines simple and clean. The bar itself is funky, but you’re unlikely to get too close to it with the table service provided. A major feature are the Swarovski crystal chandeliers that gently turn on the ceilings, creating a rippling light effect on the black walls similar to water, which is pleasantly relaxing.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Bureau is laid back and relaxed with none of the pretension you may expect. Flash the cash City types are kept away and like-minded, mainly media professionals converge here. There’s no dress code and you’re as likely to find jeans and trainers as you are designer dresses. Surprisingly young, the crowd is attractive and friendly, out to escape the uncomfortably crammed-in bars that line Soho’s streets. Celebrities are also members here so there’s a strict no photography rule that is enforced at all times. However, as far as rules and regulations go, it’s all very chilled out and the senior staff make a point to get to know their members and are clearly friendly with their guests. The bar staff are especially worthy of note. They have all had illustrious careers including many awards for mixology and know their craft. The professionalism is evident as is their expertise.

The Music
The music policy here is definitely a talking point. Every member is given their own swipe card when they join, which keeps personal profile data, based on an enrolment form. On this form is a section that asks for each member’s favourite music track list no matter how eclectic or unusual. Each night, the cards of everyone who arrives are swiped in and a computer logs the music choices of all the members present. This is fed through to the DJ who selects tunes from this playlist, so you could end up listening to everything from Faithless to Justin Timberlake or Marilyn Manson to Kylie. If the choices are particularly obscure then members are invited to bring in their own copies of the tracks to be downloaded onto the system. This means you’re guaranteed to catch at least a few tracks at the weekend that really rock your boat.

The Drink
Every drink – from the spirits to the wine and Champagne – have been hand picked from blind taste tests by a selection of senior staff and renowned sommeliers and mixologists. Many of the selections are boutique brands and they have some rare examples of the highest quality samples. For example, the house Champagne is the respected Audon Dampierre priced at £55 a bottle. There’s no increasingly trashy Cristal on the list and no drink companies have sponsored the bar to push their bottles, everything has been chosen purely based on quality. The Ruinart Blanc de Blanc is a particularly delicious Champagne, being crisp and delicately sweet on the palate. They are also one of a handful of specially chosen venues to offer Salon (for £350 a bottle), which is only stocked at such venues as Claridges.

However, the real gem of the drinks menu at Bureau is, ironically, not written down. Why order from the menu when you can have a drink totally personalised to your specific tastes. You pay for the base spirit plus £3, which tends to work out to an average cost of £9. The mixologist will question you about what spirits and flavours you like to ascertain your personal needs. They’ll then make some suggestions and, together, you’ll create a new and exciting concoction. Best of all, this data is stored on your membership card, creating a personal profile of your favourite created cocktails so you can request them the next time you visit. The skill that goes into these bespoke cocktails is impressive and it’s a fun interactive skew on the usual drink ordering process

The Last Word
A strict membership policy means that many people will miss out on the intriguing personalised Bureau experience. However, if you are lucky enough to get in then it’s well worth checking out.

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