256-264 Old Street ,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC1V 9DD
(020) 7253 3558
The ViewLondon Review
Club Aquarium dares to shed the super trendy facade of Shoreditch by laughing at itself. Don’t take it too seriously and you may just enjoy yourself.
The Venue
As you may expect from a club called Aquarium, you get a gentle underwater feel from the pink and purple hue of lighting that intermingles agreeably with white fabric draped in half moons across the ceiling and the general blue wash. There are two dancefloors, a lounge and four bars to explore, with enough seating and surfaces on which to rest your bum and pint whenever you feel like it.
The lounge at Club Aquarium is decked out with printed walls and leather sofas, there is a private garden for smoking and during the night a swimming room is opened up; complete with L-shaped pool and bubbling Jacuzzi. Apart from the too-small toilets, it’s a great setting with lots of little discoveries to be made.
The Atmosphere
The only word to aptly sum up Club Aquarium is wild. The hens and '70s-'80s crew on a Saturday night ensure the crowd are closer to their thirties than their twenties, and you can be sure they’re all there to ogle the hot male strippers in the Adonis Cabaret or disco dance it up on stage later in the night. Revellers the rest of the week are generally horny, game for a laugh, and they’ll talk to anyone, so meeting new people here is an effortless endeavour.
This place never sleeps; after the usual shindigs of the area there are often afterparties here at the weekends, which will take you well into the late morning of the next day. Nightcap anyone?
The Music
Carwash on a Saturday night is all about '70s and '80s disco grooves, so dust off those bellbottoms and feel the fever. Those not donning fancy dress are not admitted. Depending on which other night of the week you go (the promoters are in rotation) you’ll be treated to dirty electro, minimal or funky house and techno beats, except on a Friday when eastern European music and commercial pop reign supreme. Here the genres are set in stone so it’s worth checking ahead before deciding which night is your night.
The Drink
The cheapest beer is of the bottled variety and comes in at around £3.50. Alcopops cost £4 and the longer shots range from £5 each. These aren’t the best prices in London but you come to expect it of the area and here it won’t ruin your night. One of the bars sells cocktails and if you’re part of the Adonis Cabaret on Saturday you’ll get one free just before the show.
The Last Word
There are plenty of memorable nights to be had at Club Aquarium and no two will be the same, so if you’re waiting for something funkier to come along, don’t hold your breath.