Mouth watering meals at supper clubs, brunch with strangers, hanging out at word-of-mouth dance clubs, game nights of Rebel Bingo, head banging to heavy metal music. These are the entertainment options that you have when you take part in London’s vibrant underground scene.
Whether you’re a local or a visitor of the British capital, you will find that these under-the-radar entertainment options offer a novel experience which may not necessarily be what you are used to. But it’s that novelty, freshness and newness of the experience which is causing these establishments to make waves within the business industry of London which consists of the traditional bars, dining establishments and pubs.
The Growing Popularity of Supper Clubs in London
Chilled soup made of garlic, almonds, white bread and sherry vinegar. Treacle and preserved fig tart served with vanilla ice cream. Spicy crab cakes with tomato salsa or guacamole. Milk bottle flower vases filled with jelly shots. This is but a sampling of the menu that you can choose from when dining at one of the underground supper clubs in London.
A few years ago, there were only a handful of these unique dining establishments within the city. Today, however, there is close to 100 supper clubs, some examples of which are following:
- Fernandez and Leluu
- Joginder’s Supper Club
- The Underground Restaurant
- The London Foodie in Islington North
So what exactly is it about these underground dining establishments which made them such a huge hit in London? Aside from the succulent menu choices, the dining experience itself is unique in such a way that you can enjoy meeting new people. Rather than having a tired waiter take your order in a traditional restaurant, you can be welcomed by the hosts into a non-restaurant environment where you can enjoy a dinner party with virtual strangers.
If you’re open to sitting next to relatively unknown individuals while enjoying casual dinner conversation, then you should definitely try booking yourself to one of these dinner parties. For some, the meals take on the atmosphere of a huge, boisterous family dinner.
Let’s take an underground supper club called The Old Hat Club as an example. Here, the hosts offer guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed, slightly quirky dinner party right in the garden of their London flat. You will be welcomed to a lush space where there’s a wood-fired oven running – and expect to have loads of fun and a sumptuous meal.
Depending on the individual supper club that you will visit, you can either sip one of the in-house cocktail mixes or bring your own bottle if alcohol is not provided by your host. Most of the owners of these supper clubs say that more than making a quick profit from the unique dining experience that they offer to customers, their aim is to reinvent the wheel.
They would like to show the world that British people do know how to cook and host dinner parties where guests may be virtual strangers to each other – but still have a grand time while enjoying good conversation and great food.