The Griffin is a down and dirty strip joint that offers a pleasing contrast to the flash bars and private clubs of trendy Clerkenwell. It looks a bit spooky from the outside but once you're inside it's all seedy fun and stag parties.

The Venue
Blacked out windows and a burly bouncer give the nature of the Griffin's business away and its facade is peeling and Victorian. It's quite a small venue, narrow with the bar running down the left. Furniture is sparse and the overall effect is slightly shabby and very masculine. Stained carpets, sport playing on plasma TVs, dusty lighting and a couple of fruit machines complete the air of a no-nonsense boozer.

The stage is small and mirror-backed and the ceiling is scuffed from the girls' heels during their gravity-defying tricks and turns. There is a medium-sized side room reserved for private dances, more hushed and secluded. Several mini podiums are set in corners where punters can enjoy a more intimate experience, although there isn't any facility for a complete one-on-one. There's also a large smoking area round the back which is surprisingly pleasant and well kept.

The Atmosphere
Raucous and rude. It's a classic ‘pound in a pint glass’ set-up at The Griffin, and if a lengthy stay is planned then prepare to part with a lump of cash and come with lots of change. The girls wander around the bar, pint glass proffered, at ten minute intervals and not handing over your quid could get you turfed out. Standard strip club etiquette dictates cough up regardless of wanting to see a dancer get freaky with a pole. Private dances are £10 before 5pm and £15 after.

On the weekends, especially on a Friday night, it's heaving - you will have to really jostle for space in front of the stage. During the week it's a bit less hectic. The girls come in all shapes and sizes with ever more imaginatively revealing outfits, painted like dolls and pretty much naked. The dancing itself is very professional, the girls are all secret acrobats with surprising upper body strength that allows them to do all manner of bendy tricks. They leave absolutely nothing to the imagination and you can expect explicit, close up nudity. An unusual take on the striptease is the faceless deep-voiced DJ who comperes and gives a running commentary on the dances. Sometimes funny, sometimes just a bit weird.

The clientele is predictably mostly male but women are welcome, too. It's a mix of suits, older men, students and stag parties. Apart from the hardcore spectators whistling and shouting in front of the stage, a lot of the crowd seem content to just chat over a beer and watch the sport. The staff are helpful, jolly and not bad on the eye either and the manager makes sure there's no trouble.

The Music
Chart, and thumping RnB fill The Griffin but as each dancer chooses their own track to get down to, the tunes are mostly dictated by them.

The Drink
On tap there's Amstel, Kronenbourg, Fosters, Heineken and Guinness. The bottled choice includes Becks, Budweiser, Cobra, Stella and Corona. Pint bottles of Bulmers are an option and for the alcopop lover there’s good old Smirnoff Ice. Spirits are what you'd expect, an average selection of vodkas, whiskies, gins and rums. Shots include Tequila, Sambuca and Aftershock at average pub prices of £3.50-£5. For wine drinkers there's a mediocre range of Sauvignon Blanc, Soave and Pinotage for about £14 a bottle. Bubbly ranges from £40-£120 for Piper and Dom Perignon respectively.

The Last Word
For the strip club connoisseur The Griffin is standard working man's haunt. It’s good value if you want to see exotic dancing up close as there's no cover charge. For the amateur it's a fun if very risque alternative to your average night out.

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