Cafe de paris in London
The night life series continues, and tonight, I got the chance to party with my friends who are seasoned party goers having spent the last few years studying at London. I always feel like it's best to hang with people who know the scene and have lived in a place for a while. They can take you to places like a local would, show you the ropes, without you having to discover things yourself.
I haven't had much time to really look into the activities of London myself but I am glad that my friend has all of that covered. I'm even staying at her place for the duration of my stay so it's a very tightly knit visit with most of the ground covered.
According to my friend, Cafe de Paris is one of the most popular night clubs in central London. Situated just a few minutes walk from either Piccadilly or Leicester Square station, it is definitely positioned right at the heart of the West End and never struggles to find customers keenly waiting to visit.
Some of the nights are preceded with a Cabaret show which involves some Burlesque dancers and other show(wo)men. You can even book a table for dinner for the duration of the show and sit right in the centre for up and close enjoyment. Going in groups is always the better idea because aside from splitting the fairly costly minimum spending fee for a table, it's also an excuse to gather with friends and socialise with a larger circle.
As you can see, this is exactly what me and my friend did, and we certainly had quite a lot of fun as a result.
The layout is very neat, it's essentially two levels with a circling staircase down to the dance floor. If you are above, you can watch people dancing below. The upper level isn't a dancing area and is mostly tables and sofa's for group bookings. Sometimes there are private functions with some celebrities, in which case the upper deck is completely off limits.
Around 10pm the tables on the dance floor are taken away, the Cabaret show ends, and the dance lights and music are put on. This is around the time that non-night club people begin to leave, and the party people start making their entrances.
Drinks are steep in cost, but that's what you have to expect partying in the centre of London in one of the most popular "normal" clubs. I actually feel really comfortable in this place which is unusual. I suffer from claustrophobia which usually inhibits me from getting too crazy but the people density is very well controlled here, and that's why you'll probably see a lot of people lining up outside waiting for people to leave the club so they can enter.