The Cuckoo Club Review

Today I want to give you my take on one of London’s most famous nightclubs. But it’s not the kind of review you might be thinking of. The Cuckoo Club review I’m going to share is of a different part of the club experience than you’ll expect.

It’s not often that I eat dinner at a nightclub. If my evening plans involve clubbing, I usually have dinner elsewhere, then head to the club for dancing.

In fact, I don’t think I knew any clubs in London had restaurants. But then I got invited to have dinner at The Cuckoo Club in Mayfair by the club’s PR agency.

The Cuckoo Club is located on Swallow Street just off Regent Street near Piccadilly Circus. I’d been there several times with groups of friends, but had never seen a restaurant in the dark purple space.

Apparently that’s because it’s on the top floor, not in the basement where the larger club is located.

Pre-Party

But before I even sat down for dinner, I enjoyed some starters and cocktails at a nearby restaurant that wasn’t a club at all.

My group of bloggers and PRs met at Patara in Soho, a Thai restaurant that generously provided us with blue martinis and pear cocktails to kick off the evening.

Patara also furnished small bites of chicken satay, summer rolls, and other delicious morsels to line our stomachs.

The Cuckoo Club Cocktails

Not long later we were whisked off to The Cuckoo Club in taxis and arrived in time for more cocktails before dinner.

The bartender made up some very creative creations. The one I tried had everything from rum to tobacco, and was finished with a lemon peel.

The Cuckoo Club Dinner

For dinner at The Cuckoo Club in Mayfair, we sat down at a long table in the dining room.

While the low purplish lighting gave the place a bit of a club-like feel, the music was turned down to a level at which I could still hear my dinner companions. As the restaurant filled up, a live band played in the background.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from club food, but my expectations weren’t high.

I ordered asparagus with bacon powder, crouton, and slow-cooked egg to start, and homemade spinach, pine nut, nutmeg, and ricotta ravioli on bok choi as my main.

The starter was beautifully presented, and the asparagus was fresh and cooked just right. The bacon added a decadence to the dish and the crouton some nice crunch.

I could have done without the egg, which was a bit too runny for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the food.

The main course was a large portion, and the pasta was bursting with spinach and ricotta filling. The pine nut and nutmeg added some nice fresh flavor to the dish without overpowering the other ingredients.

I didn’t think I had room for dessert, but the chocolate option called to me. It was another big portion.

The ice cream with chocolate shavings was good, as was the crisp, round circle of chocolate next to it. I couldn’t help feeling that the dish was missing a main event, though.

Overall, the food was better than I had expected, and the atmosphere was sufficiently restaurant-like to not feel like I was having dinner in a club.

After the meal I spent more time talking and socializing with the others in my group until the restaurant atmosphere dimmed and the club atmosphere took over.

I had a 7am wake-up call the next morning, so I couldn’t stay for the dancing.