The ViewLondon Review
If you’re in Clapham on a night out, take a detour down Clapham Park Road where you’ll find the beaming White House, one of the most popular late night DJ bars of the area – with good reason.The VenueThe striking colour of The White House makes it almost impossible not to spot. Pushing open the big glass doors, the brightness of the outside is contrasted with the darkness of what greets you inside. With low, sultry lights and an Asian flavour, you instantly feel welcomed.
The bar is square and well stocked with an almost daunting amount of alcohol. The DJ booth is opposite with two large leather sofas. If you’re not lucky enough to claim this as your own then there’s always the Sunken Area, consisting of a little room sunken into the floor within striking distance of the bar.
If you’re just coming with a couple of mates then The Long Banquette area is a good place to hang out, with black leather furnishings and polished wooden tables. In the summer months the gorgeous roof terrace is open to all, allowing for the great combination of drinking in the sun with a cool, crisp drink.
The AtmospherePerhaps surprisingly, The White House has no hint of pretension. The people that come here either want a relaxing drink after work, or a place party the night away. This is always a busy place with a young, trendy and affluent crowd.
Especially noteworthy is the attitude of the bar staff. Whilst they are dressed very smartly in uniforms and are extremely professional when making drinks, they’re open to friendly banter at the bar.
The MusicThere are various music nights at The White House. Thursdays are Kitsch Bitch with a blend of Indie, 80s, electro and funk, attracting a student, artsy crowd. On Fridays and Saturdays the club is open until 4am, the music gets more funky as house pumps out of the sound system, and it’s always packed to the rafters with people letting their hair down.
The White House has also been known to pull in the big name DJs with appearances from the Kinky Malinki crew, which seriously gets the place going with funky tunes and a glamorous party crowd. Sundays are a more chilled out affair with cool electro-house tunes.
The DrinkThe cocktail menu is immense with some nice touches such as liqueurs that The White House have distilled themselves. Prices start at a reasonable £6 and include a great mix of classics alongside house concoctions. In the Classics Respun section of the menu is an Apple and Mint Cosmo, which has subtle hints of mint that work well with the slightly tangy apple flavour – you’ll hardly realise you’re drinking alcohol. White Tiger is an interesting choice, made up of increasingly trendy Sake, Cointreau, Lichi-li, lime juice and salt, providing a warm, comforting feeling as it slips down the throat. However, the quirkiest cocktail they have on offer is one called Oh My (£6), containing Absolut vanilla vodka, Apple Schnapps, custard, sugar syrup and cinnamon. On first try it tastes just like alcoholic custard.
If cocktails aren’t your thing then their shooters start at £4 and include options like Black Samurai with sake and soy sauce. Beer comes in bottles, but as you can probably tell, the main emphasis here is on the cocktails.
The Last WordThe White House is a fantastic place to come for a taste of decadent cocktails and hot tunes pumped out of heady soundsystem. It remains one of the jewels in Clapham’s party scene.