Embassy London is well known on the celebrity circuit, based as it is in the heart of one of the richest areas in London – Mayfair. Expect Ferraris outside, an expensive restaurant and glamorous attendees enjoying a quality night out.

The Venue
Embassy London is located a short walk away from Green Park, past other famous bars like Mahiki. You’ll know what to expect from the expensive car-lined street, and it doesn’t disappoint – this is good.

Upon entering, you’re met with a beautifully presented venue. The bar area is attractive and, surprisingly for a venue of this calibre, there's a good selection seating to choose from. The decor is opulent throughout, with club-like lighting and a chilled party vibe. Past this area is the restaurant - beautiful white tablecloths, lots of mirroring and tables placed next to the large windows, make for a relaxed and beautiful dining area.

Downstairs is the club, which is where all the action takes place. There’s a VIP section raised over the main club in a mezzanine style that has a large glass frontage allowing you to peer up and try to spot who might be in there. The club is surprisingly small, but the space is put to excellent use. The bar is big enough to allow for everyone to be served in relatively quick time, and there are a few tables to chill out at. There are also a few tables overlooking the dancefloor, which can be hired and are pride of place if you’re planning a special occasion. The dancefloor itself is large for a venue like this, and appears double the size thanks to a mirrored wall. This is an excellent touch and creates an airy feel uncommon in so many London clubs.

The Atmosphere
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this club might be uppity and pretentious, however, you couldn’t be further from the truth. The staff are friendly and polite and full of smiles and there’s a great mix of clientele.

In the restaurant, you can expect older diners enjoying a special meal out, groups of friends, people in business meetings and those enjoying a romantic evening. The vibe is one of quiet conversation, interrupted by gentle peels of laughter. The staff here are attentive and make sure your glass is always topped up and you’re not left wanting. However, they’re not overly knowledgeable or passionate about the food and you may find yourself getting two different answers to the same question, depending on who you ask. Still, it’s all service with a smile and they muddle through.

The bar sees the pre-party crowd arrive from about 9pm, and the atmosphere is one of people out to have a good time in a non-rowdy fashion. And this continues down into the club. People are shockingly friendly, and its not unheard of to strike up conversations with total strangers. There are the usual scantily clad, WAG wannabes, the die-hard RnB lovers and those who do the party circuit, but there isn’t the bitchiness that can accompany such a mix. The vibe is definitely not one of a meat-market, and you can happily walk around in your hottest outfit and not feel like you’re on display. What is especially good is the strict door policy keeps away any trouble and you feel safe. They also stop the club getting crammed to the point of suffocation and, although the space fills quickly, you’ll always have room to boogy on the dancefloor comfortably, and there’s no sweaty feel to the air. Always a bonus!

The Music
You can expect tune after tune of crowd-pleasing songs to be belted out of the excellent sound system. The music is pumping enough to really hit the dancefloor, but not so loud that you can’t have a chat at the bar without going, “WHAT, WHO?” every five minutes. Everything from RnB classics to old school house music and chart favourites get everyone moving. There are a plethora of sexy guys and gals who hit out shapes on the dancefloor and the DJ reads the vibe perfectly, steering clear of cheesy tracks that make everyone groan and hitting out more of what gets everyone piling in. You’ll be defied not to dance till your feet hurt!

The Food
The food at the Embassy London is good. However, it doesn’t really warrant the price – being as it is at the same level as many good restaurants. You may feel a little stiffed, although try the Menu du Jour for more reasonable option.

The starters on the a la carte include a great choice and you’ll be hard pushed not to find something to take your fancy. Dishes include a simple scallop dish, which is nice, but just not mind-blowing, and at over a tenner it isn’t kind on the wallet. The scallops are a little too moist in the centre, but they are full of flavour. The foie gras is another fine choice, which is delicious, but without a bread accompaniment is a little too rich and fatty with nothing to detract from the strong flavours. You won’t be overly disappointed as it’s all decent grub, but the price is a little high.

Main courses, sadly, are more hit and miss. Grills include a veal escalope, which may be too salty for many palettes and is a little disappointing. But try the steak as it’s truly delightful. Tender enough not to need a steak knife, and perfectly pink in the middle (depending on how you ask for it to be cooked) the beef is full of flavour and the juices will fill your mouth. The sides are also excellent value for money at just £3 each you can really bulk out your meal. Mashed potato, green beans and shallots and spinach are all perfectly cooked and really well thought out to go well with the mains.

Sadly, the desserts are a real disappointment. At a whopping £7 a dish, a simplistic approach would have been more apt. But a dish of peanut butter parfait with salted caramel ice cream misses the mark. Certainly inventive, it just doesn’t work and the flavours contradict each other.

If you’re not in the mood for a full pre-clubbing dinner, you can also sample Embassy’s cooking at lunch. They offer an express menu where certain dishes can be prepared quickly so the mainly suited-and-booted lunch crowd can wine and dine as fast as possible, should they request it. Although prices are probably too dear for most walk-ins, the Mayfair daytime customers will eat it right up.

Starters include a rich but delicate chicken liver parfait (£11), served in a sorbet-like scoop, with crisply toasted slices brioche and a mellow and sweet pear chutney. The salmon gravadlax is fresh, vibrant in taste and coloured nicely by beetroot, ensuring an attractive starter to the meal, and the apple horseradish chutney is a delicious accompaniment, bringing a light and sweet horseradish kick to the plate. From the mains, the lobster tagliatelle (served in a small size for £15 and a large size for £24) is made up of well-cooked pasta and decently-sized chunks of tender lobster; however, the sauce is surprisingly spicy and comes close to overpowering the subtly sweet flavour of the meat.

The corn-fed chicken breast is cooked well, and assisted nicely by some fluffy and aromatic couscous, but the promise of a spicy harissa doesn’t transpire, instead being replaced by a limp and disappointing onion sauce overloaded with saffron. Desserts (£7), however, are undeniably indulgent and presented beautifully, with a light, fluffy and perfectly pink raspberry souffle accompanied by a creamy marscapone ice cream, and an impressive chocolate fondant with tonka bean ice cream. The fondant is cooked to perfection with a crisp, almost chewy exterior giving way to a soft, deliciously sweet chocolate sauce that slowly oozes onto the plate, whilst the nutty tonka bean ice cream is a nice complement, as is the caramel lattice biscuit enticingly placed on top.

The Drink
The drink is where Embassy London really excels. There’s an excellent wine menu, with a great range of well-priced bottles to choose from. Especially recommended is the Gavi de Gavi, a truly delicious white wine that comes in at around £30 a bottle. It’s well worth the money and is crisp and slips down the throat oh so smoothly. Magnificent. Whether in the bar, restaurant or club, the cocktails are an absolute must. The choice is huge and they all pack a big punch whilst being really delicious. The servings are a little small, but the alcohol isn’t skimped on and you’ll be merrily on your way after just a couple. At about a tenner a pop, they’re not extortionate for a venue like this, and for such an excellently prepared and presented drink, it’s well worth every penny.

The Last Word
Embassy London really deserves its reputation for being one of London’s most glamorous clubs. You’ll be hard pushed not to spot a celebrity, and you’ll feel like a valued customer thanks to the friendly staff. If you want to kick back and have a great night out all under one beautiful roof then this is the place to do it. The club is especially excellent.

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