My first ever brush with the supperclub experience took place in London when one of my smartest friends invited me to his birthday celebration at the Notting Hill-based outpost of the hotspot. It was at the time still such an underground secret that even the generally extremely knowledgeable London taxi drivers had no idea where it was, what it was or how to get there. Thankfully with a little help, I finally arrived just in time to partake in one of the most memorable nights I have ever enjoyed in London.
With such a high bar having already been set, I was naturally a bit reluctant to lay odds that the LA edition of supperclub The Restaurant would match the experience. Would we dine on sprawling beds large enough to accommodate a party of 6? Would a parade of bodyguards escorting a smiling Katy Perry push past me as I exited the loo? Would there be entertainment that would compare to supperclub London’s menagerie of cirque performances, aerial silks artists and the large man with the operatic voice dressed in a purple sequined unitard bellowing songs from The Lion King? Would it have the same visually exciting aesthetic and vibe that has made the supperclub phenomenon a destination in cities as diverse as Amsterdam and Istanbul? These and many other questions floated through my mind as I approached the Hollywood Boulevard entrance to supperclub The Restaurant. And I have to say, with the exception of that big fellow in the purple unitard, I found that supperclub LA was comfortably in league with its sister venues around the globe.
From the complimentary welcome cocktail shot (a refreshing blend of Sake and citrus notes) to the performance artists who wore lampshades on their heads (and very little else) to the be-wigged and be-dragged hostess dressed as a tub of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” the spectacle unfolds from the first moment guests set foot in the cocktail reception that precedes dinner. Then, as the clock strikes eight o’clock, the dramatic, all white dinner / club space is revealed and the show (as well as the meal) begin in earnest.
As I was there with the holiday season approaching, Executive Chef Guus Wickenhagen was debuting his Thanksgiving-themed November menu from a massive open air kitchen that acts as a backdrop for the evening’s performances. In fact, the kitchen actually serves as a kind of stage in front of which an eclectic mix of acts including everything from belly dancers to a menacingly large white snake keep the audience rapt while the kitchen delivers course after course.
Speaking of courses, on the menu for the evening was an Asian Duck and Shrimp Salad, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Goat Cheese, Seared Beef Tenderloin and a gooey Pecan Tart with Salted Caramel Sauce. But don’t commit that line-up to memory because the menu like the entertainment program at supperclub changes regularly, which is part of the reason fans return time and again in whichever city they happen to be visiting.
One of the unique things that I particularly like about supperclub The Restaurant in LA was that The Writer’s Room, the legendary Hollywood watering hole that has been a fave of everyone from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Rudolf Valentino, is just next door. So if guests don’t want the full on club evening that takes over supperclub after dinner, they can always pop into the neighboring Writer’s Room, where classic cocktails are concocted by master mixologists. Oh, and for the diehards, it bears noting that the entertainment from supperclub continues (sometimes right on top of the bar at the intimate The Writer’s Room), ensuring that in true LA fashion, the show does indeed go on.
Find out more and book reservations at supperclub The Restaurant at www.supperclub.com.