107 Kings Road,
Chelsea,
London,
SW3 4PA
0871 971 4725
The ViewLondon Review
Mamilanji offers something futuristic and exciting in the heart of Chelsea on the Kings Road, just be prepared to flash the cash.The VenueMamilanji is located on the swanky Kings Road, close to Sloane Square tube station in Chelsea. The clubs’ main dancefloor is downstairs, with a bar and a new restaurant above, but the standout feature of this venue has to be the interior design – the booths and seating areas are minimalist-chic, but lit by bright neon lights, which adds an exciting edge. It all adds up to one of the most exciting interiors in London clubland, and even though it will cost you up to £20 to get in, at least once you’re inside there’s something to raise your eyebrows besides the cost.
The AtmosphereIts location is the giveaway as to who to expect to find at Mamilanji – the Fulham, Chelsea, South Kensington trust fund types attend in their droves, as do a number of wealthy older men. This can create a slightly OTT experience, but the worst of this breed don’t seem to have made it past the occasionally surly doormen yet, and this stops it becoming sleazy.
The atmosphere amongst the punters is friendly and hedonistic, but unfortunately this is an all too noticeable contrast to the rude bar staff, who should really work harder given then huge drinks prices. The door staff keep you waiting for an age too, even when you’re on the guestlist, and there are massive inconsistencies in the cover charge from one party to the next, so bear this in mind and smile your brightest, whitest smile to charm them.
The MusicThe music policy at Mamilanji is varied, with commercial dance, chart and a lot of garage, RnB and urban music played throughout the week. There’s definitely something that everyone can dance to here, and the music is undoubtedly the least pretentious thing about this venue.
The DrinkMamilanji is anything but a cheap night out – even the Sloanes and trustafarians need to be prepared to make a dent in that trust fund to get tipsy here! Even for the Kings Road locale, the drinks are very highly priced, with cocktails climbing as high as £20, despite there being nothing beyond the standard Cosmos and mojitos on offer. You’ll be lucky if you get a smile from the person serving it too, the bar staff seem to believe cold and unfriendly are acceptable character traits. The queues for the bar and the cloak room are sometimes long too, so arrive early!
The Last WordMamilanji stuns you on the way in, and the music and drinks are generic enough to keep everyone happy, but the staff could improve your experience with a smile now and then.