BACKGROUND
After three decades, the Playboy Club returned to London in 2011. It was originally located on Park Lane but was shut down in the early 1980s after the gaming license for its casino was revoked.
Nowadays, membership to the club costs £850 per year (plus £1,000 joining fee) and includes access to the 24-hour gaming floor upstairs, a fine-dining restaurant, two bars, private dining space, a cigar terrace and, of course, the company of the famous Bunnies, whose job it is to be waitresses and croupiers (nothing else).
However, if you don’t want to fork out on the membership fee, you can still frequent ground-level bar, which now open to non-members.
THE BAR
Headed up by renowned “cocktail maestro” Salvatore Calabrese, it specialises in show-off signatures, libations inspired by traditional recipes, and rare classics made with vintage spirits at exceedingly high prices (from £350). A “liquid history” glass case has bottles of cognac on display.
At the back is a long counter, behind which are displayed the house pours arranged on a wall of honeycomb-shaped mirrored shelves. Positioned under spotlights (some of which can be a bit too bright), are curved, cream leather banquettes and black lacquer tables, while on the walls are grinning prints of the Rat Pack.
Once signed in at reception, I found that the place was almost empty on the Tuesday evening I visited, and – disappointingly – there was not a Bunny in sight. The bartender (who was not Salvatore), was very welcoming, though, and was keen to recommend things to drink.
Perusing the menu, I decided to stick to the more affordable end of the spectrum, wondering if anyone other than the odd exceedingly drunk banker had ever paid for one of the vintage creations. Each drink has its ingredients listed, as well as a description of what it’s like.
For example: “A champagne cocktail for all aspiring playboys,” “With its floral scents, this drink will hit you like a Cupid’s arrow,” and “Crustas are distinguished by being garnished with a band of lemon zest, and are drunk from the rim of the fruit, rather than the rim of the glass.”
After a short while, I was joined by two friends, but this didn’t make up for the distinct lack of glamour and atmosphere in the place. At around the same time, someone turned a TV on in preparation for a football match, and Coronation Street was on. It was a bit of a buzz kill… Apparently it is busier at weekends.
An area for up to 75 people can be hired within the venue. Alternatively, the whole bar can be taken over by 175 guests. There is also a private entrance on Brick Street.
THE DRINKS
There are a lot of cocktails to choose from, but many sounded a bit too sweet and unsophisticated for my liking, using ingredients such as raspberry purée, homemade kumquat liqueur, rose water, hazelnut milk, olive oil ice cream, pineapple syrup, ginger juice, nutmeg sugar, sour cherry wine or dark crème de cacao.
Above, is Salvatore’s signature, the Breakfast Martini (£14.50), comprising Bombay Sapphire gun, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice and orange marmalade.
Below, is the Spicy Fifty, another popular choice but too saccharine for me – Stoli vanilla vodka, elderflower cordial, fresh lime juice, honey syrup and chilli pepper.
The Horse’s Fizz (£16), made with vodka, Cocchi Americano aperitif wine and a hint of horseradish was fresh and light, while the Humadorita (£16) had the flavour of distant bonfires. It combined tamarind-infused tequila with grapefruit, lime, agave and smoke from a special gun. I liked it but it didn’t taste very strong, so went off-menu and ordered a classic margarita to get the hit I was really looking for.
You might be interested you know that one of the world’s oldest and most expensive cocktails (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) is Salvatore’s Legacy. It costs £5,500 and marries Clos de Griffier Vieux cognac from 1788, Dubb Orange Curacao from the late 1860s, 1770 Kummel liqueur and 1915 Angostura bitters.
Click here to see the full menu.
THE FOOD
I would suggest not ordering anything to eat here unless you are really hungry – it’s the kind of stuff you would get in the likes of Hooter’s, only a lot more expensive. In a way, I would have expected it to be more sophisticated, but maybe it’s more about American-style chow that soaks up the alcohol.
You’ll find lots of things to eat with your fingers – buffalo wings (£8.50), beef disco fries (£8), club sandwiches (£11) and burgers (£16.50) – as well as fish and chips (£20), mac ‘n’ cheese (£10), chicken Caesars (£17), seafood sharing plates (£42) and caviar (from £100 for 50g).
We had some salt and pepper squid (£8), that was more batter than squid, and the lobster sliders (£25), which were heavy on mayo. The French fries were decent, though, just regular bar food.
VERDICT
The Playboy Club has fallen out of fashion, despite its attempted revival. It just doesn’t have the sparkle I’d imagine it used to, back in the day, which is why they have opened up Salvatore’s to the public.
When full of people at the weekend, it may well be a fun place to splash the cash, but midweek it was dead so hard to judge. Connoisseurs will be curious about the vintage cocktails but few will likely pay for one. As a venue, the bar would be a good choice for a private party.
FACT FILE:
OPENING HOURS Mon-Sat from 5pm until late.
PRICES Signature cocktails £14.50, snacks from £8.50.
CONTACT Playboy Club, 14 Old Park Lane; tel +44 (0)207 514 9000; playboyclublondon.com
Jenny Southan
However, if you don’t want to fork out on the membership fee, you can still frequent ground-level bar, which now open to non-members.
THE BAR
Headed up by renowned “cocktail maestro” Salvatore Calabrese, it specialises in show-off signatures, libations inspired by traditional recipes, and rare classics made with vintage spirits at exceedingly high prices (from £350). A “liquid history” glass case has bottles of cognac on display.
At the back is a long counter, behind which are displayed the house pours arranged on a wall of honeycomb-shaped mirrored shelves. Positioned under spotlights (some of which can be a bit too bright), are curved, cream leather banquettes and black lacquer tables, while on the walls are grinning prints of the Rat Pack.
Once signed in at reception, I found that the place was almost empty on the Tuesday evening I visited, and – disappointingly – there was not a Bunny in sight. The bartender (who was not Salvatore), was very welcoming, though, and was keen to recommend things to drink.
Perusing the menu, I decided to stick to the more affordable end of the spectrum, wondering if anyone other than the odd exceedingly drunk banker had ever paid for one of the vintage creations. Each drink has its ingredients listed, as well as a description of what it’s like.
For example: “A champagne cocktail for all aspiring playboys,” “With its floral scents, this drink will hit you like a Cupid’s arrow,” and “Crustas are distinguished by being garnished with a band of lemon zest, and are drunk from the rim of the fruit, rather than the rim of the glass.”
After a short while, I was joined by two friends, but this didn’t make up for the distinct lack of glamour and atmosphere in the place. At around the same time, someone turned a TV on in preparation for a football match, and Coronation Street was on. It was a bit of a buzz kill… Apparently it is busier at weekends.
An area for up to 75 people can be hired within the venue. Alternatively, the whole bar can be taken over by 175 guests. There is also a private entrance on Brick Street.
THE DRINKS
There are a lot of cocktails to choose from, but many sounded a bit too sweet and unsophisticated for my liking, using ingredients such as raspberry purée, homemade kumquat liqueur, rose water, hazelnut milk, olive oil ice cream, pineapple syrup, ginger juice, nutmeg sugar, sour cherry wine or dark crème de cacao.
Above, is Salvatore’s signature, the Breakfast Martini (£14.50), comprising Bombay Sapphire gun, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice and orange marmalade.
Below, is the Spicy Fifty, another popular choice but too saccharine for me – Stoli vanilla vodka, elderflower cordial, fresh lime juice, honey syrup and chilli pepper.
The Horse’s Fizz (£16), made with vodka, Cocchi Americano aperitif wine and a hint of horseradish was fresh and light, while the Humadorita (£16) had the flavour of distant bonfires. It combined tamarind-infused tequila with grapefruit, lime, agave and smoke from a special gun. I liked it but it didn’t taste very strong, so went off-menu and ordered a classic margarita to get the hit I was really looking for.
You might be interested you know that one of the world’s oldest and most expensive cocktails (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) is Salvatore’s Legacy. It costs £5,500 and marries Clos de Griffier Vieux cognac from 1788, Dubb Orange Curacao from the late 1860s, 1770 Kummel liqueur and 1915 Angostura bitters.
Click here to see the full menu.
THE FOOD
I would suggest not ordering anything to eat here unless you are really hungry – it’s the kind of stuff you would get in the likes of Hooter’s, only a lot more expensive. In a way, I would have expected it to be more sophisticated, but maybe it’s more about American-style chow that soaks up the alcohol.
You’ll find lots of things to eat with your fingers – buffalo wings (£8.50), beef disco fries (£8), club sandwiches (£11) and burgers (£16.50) – as well as fish and chips (£20), mac ‘n’ cheese (£10), chicken Caesars (£17), seafood sharing plates (£42) and caviar (from £100 for 50g).
We had some salt and pepper squid (£8), that was more batter than squid, and the lobster sliders (£25), which were heavy on mayo. The French fries were decent, though, just regular bar food.
VERDICT
The Playboy Club has fallen out of fashion, despite its attempted revival. It just doesn’t have the sparkle I’d imagine it used to, back in the day, which is why they have opened up Salvatore’s to the public.
When full of people at the weekend, it may well be a fun place to splash the cash, but midweek it was dead so hard to judge. Connoisseurs will be curious about the vintage cocktails but few will likely pay for one. As a venue, the bar would be a good choice for a private party.
FACT FILE:
OPENING HOURS Mon-Sat from 5pm until late.
PRICES Signature cocktails £14.50, snacks from £8.50.
CONTACT Playboy Club, 14 Old Park Lane; tel +44 (0)207 514 9000; playboyclublondon.com
Jenny Southan 
