43 South Molton Street,
Mayfair,
London,
W1K 5RS
(020) 7493 1688
The ViewLondon Review
When you’re planning on opening a new members’ club in London, at some point you’ll reach a crossroads. Do you go restrained and under the radar or full on and fabulous? At Molton House they have wisely taken into account the club’s proximity to Bond Street - stomping ground of celebrities and Coutts credit card holders - and opted for the latter.
The Venue
In Mayfair, exclusive late night socialising has in recent years been relegated to the Green Park end and there’s always been an inherent problem with that. What’s a girl to do when she’s been shoe shopping at Selfridges and fancies showing off her latest red soled beauties but can’t find a taxi? Handily located in a Georgian townhouse on South Molton Street (moments away from Bond Street tube), Molton House has four floors designed to match every member’s whim. So tacky it’s somehow tasteful, at Molton House nothing has been done by halves. In estate agents’ terms it may be bijou but that doesn’t mean that they’ve held back when it comes to the decor.
Dreamt up by Nick Valentine (the talent behind Cuckoo Club, another Central London members’ haunt) his obsession with birds albeit the feathered variety continues, this time with a peacock theme running throughout the venue. The four floors of the club bear testament to just how many design ideas you can fit into a small space if you have the money and inclination to do so and the decor of Molton House is now about as far removed from the shabby chic of its former guise as 43 South Molton as an ageing hippy is from a trust fund teen.
From the ground floor reception where the walls are clad in copper, a flight of stairs leads downstairs to the club which has plenty of dimly lit seating areas, a reasonably sized dancefloor in front of the DJ box and a raised area with a long bar so that you won’t end up wearing your glass of Champagne when the volume cranks up and people hit the floor. Watch your step when heading from bar to dancefloor, however, as the dim lighting whilst seductive also makes it hard to see where you’re going. Whilst the club has been kept simply styled – the only nod to the peacock theme are the feathers in vases on each table - the upper levels of the club are far more luxurious. From an archway in reception, the stairs sweep up to the first floor where a wall featuring a peacock’s plumage has been cut away to reveal a DJ booth beneath it. To the left is a room housing a small bar behind which the mirrors are etched with a canopy of ruby red trees. Across the landing there’s another small room that appears less so thanks to all of the mirrors.
Glide up one further flight of stairs to pick your perch and you’ll discover two further rooms. To the left is a scarlet hued, low lit room with small tables spotlit by small lamps fringed with feathers hanging overhead. Across the landing in another room a gigantic crystal chandelier festooned with yet more feathers (this time in white) is certainly a talking point. Meanwhile, on the top floor the two rooms available for private hire are just as eyecatching with the walls of one decorated to look like a woman’s corset.
The Atmosphere
Molton House is a world away from the tackiness that you’ll often find in even the most expensive clubs in the capital. Where other clubs have silicon enhanced bodies poured into miniscule Lycra monstrosities, at Molton House it’s a dressier affair. Leggy supermodel types with angelic faces and husky voices that nod to rarefied educations and too many late nights and cigarettes mingle with handsome Euro jetsetting gazillionaires that don’t simply have to rely on the size of their bank account to impress. Imagine your favourite house party and a holiday in St Tropez all rolled into one.
The Music
With a DJ downstairs and another one on the first floor it’s little wonder that the atmosphere is so highly charged. A mellow soundtrack on the upper levels aims to help you unwind whilst downstairs in the club it’s all about keeping the dancefloor filled whether that calls for upbeat or down and dirty tracks.
The Drink
Just like the Cuckoo Club, Champagne and cocktails are the club’s specialty and although you could order just a spirit and mixer it would be an incredible waste of the talent behind the bar. Service is prompt and friendly although the bar in the small room on the first floor tends to be the first port of call and as a result ends up being a bit of a bottle neck. You’re best off moving on and ordering a drink at another bar or waiting for table service.
The Last Word
Molton House is ridiculously flamboyant but let’s face it, if you’re forking out for a membership when all around the headlines are screaming about a recession, chances are that’s what you’re looking for. A decadent haunt for those who don’t have to worry about downsizing their nights out.
Molton House has been reviewed by 26 users