12 New Burlington Street,
Mayfair,
London,
W1S 3BF
0871 971 4762
The ViewLondon Review
Sexy, stylish and sophisticated, The Burlington Club offers its customers unusual music, an intricate food menu and cocktails to die for.The VenueThe Burlington Club is located on the rather salubrious New Burlington Street, just off the upmarket Saville Row and Regent Street, a short walk from Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus tube stations. No silly hidden entrances here, instead, The Burlington Club is proclaimed in large white letters on a stylish, black-painted frontage, making it easy to find.
Spread over two floors, the venue is divided into an upstairs bar and a smaller basement room. Upstairs, Jimmie Martin has come up with a theme that is much how you imagine a Parisian brothel to be – black painted walls and floors, bright red lights, faux baroque furniture, black chandeliers, and messages such as ‘Simon Says’ (as a reference to the boss) scrawled on tables and walls. Artwork here changes monthly, as the venue operates as a forum for new artists to display and sell their work. Downstairs, the feel is a little less sensual, with a vast light display dominating the smaller area.
The AtmosphereThe Burlington Club oozes glamour from every inch of its stylish interior, but its door policy is refreshingly egalitarian. Open during the early evening to all, it becomes a members or guestlist only affair after 10pm, although they’re happy to add new faces to the guestlist if they want to try it out before committing £300 to becoming a member.
Attracting an eclectic mix of the well-dressed and well-to-do, the Burlington manages to keep away the more staid pinstripe-suit wearing, Mayfair club goers, instead filling up with a thirtysomething, arty, creative crowd that has included celebrities such as Jude Law, the Scissor Sisters, Gwen Stefani, and Tracey Emin. The bar staff are determined you should enjoy your evening, and will chat to you about your day while mixing a superb cocktail, or filling you in on the details of upcoming events at the venue. Music changes here nightly, though the policy is to pursue the alternative, so you could find yourself listening to anything from African drumbeats to electro or salsa – this is commendable, but can be a little hit or miss, and the area to dance in is very limited when busy.
The FoodThe food menu here excels where so many London clubs fail – ambitious ingredients and plenty of choice are combined with cheap prices (for the Mayfair locale). If you fancy a snack to pick on over a cocktail, the calamares with spring onion and aioli is divine, with melt-in-the-mouth batter and fresh squid or, if you’re hungry, try tuna tataki rolled in aubergine served with lavender, or Nippon duck - a warm salad with courgettes, asparagus and crispy rice noodles. Priced between £4 and £12, there’s something here for every appetite and budget, and the tapas-style menu is executed with flair and precision. Not to be missed is the ‘Dessert of the Year’ nominee of pear soup - a lightly spiced cold pear consomme, served with frozen red wine sorbet and vanilla ice cream.
The DrinkEach cocktail has been designed by the management with a view to offering organic ingredients wherever possible, and there’s plenty of choice with 70 on the list. The Calcutta is refreshing with vodka, Earl grey tea and organic lemon and raspberry juice. However, the eponymous house speciality is the one to go for – Bison Grass vodka, sugar, lime, organic apple juice and fresh mint make the ‘Burlington’. Priced at just under a tenner, the cocktails aren’t cheap, but this is Mayfair and they’re certainly no more expensive than other clubs in the area. There’s a long wine list, too, again with considerable mark-ups, and if you really want to feel glam you can order a bottle of Cristal or any one of 21 other Champagnes from the list. You must not miss the sparkling vodka, either – this is one of the first bars in London to stock this, and it makes an interesting shot to try with your friends.
The Last WordApart from the occasionally inaccessible music, it’s hard to fault The Burlington Club – the cocktails and food are flawless, but what really makes your night here will be the bar staff, who really are dedicated to making sure you enjoy yourself. Well worth the money.