If you’re thinking of going out for dinner and a show, then there’s nowhere better to go than London’s West End, but sometimes musicals are, well, a little old fashioned. There really isn’t anything rock ‘n’ roll about watching Mama Mia with a bunch of day trippers. Luckily, there’s an alternative, somewhere darker, somewhere where you can get a little bit naughty.
Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Volupte burlesque club. Now we have to admit this wasn’t our first visit to Volupte, we have been before but tonight we’d come especially to sample the new menu. Fabulously, the effort was taken out of deciding what to order as the new menu allows you to sample tasters of everything from the starter and desserts menu.
The starter selection was a seductive mix of chargrilled asparagus with Hollandaise mayo, barbecued mackerel which had a lovely citrusy tang and smooth chicken liver pate with rosemary bread. Before we had finished our first course, our entertainment for the evening made a dramatic entrance. Our host and compere, Lady Beau Peep warmed the crowd up with banter and songs before introducing the delightful Folly Mixtures, four equally exquisite young ladies who were not in the least bit shy.
It’s very unusual for anything to distract us from our food but it’s difficult to eat when our attention is captured so completely. We had barely finished our starters when our mains arrived, chargrilled sirloin steak with red onion and balsamic dressing with double fried chips. Anywhere which serves steak with more dressing than the entertainment is alright by us!
Luckily we had finished our meal before Lady Beau Peep returned for her second act, which consisted of her dragging yours truly from the audience (against my will, naturally), tying our hands behind our back and whipping us with her gloves while singing show tunes at us. You don’t get this with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Having been suitably humiliated, we were allowed to resume our seats for dessert, another selection of sweet treats to sample, although that could also be said about the dancers too, who had returned for a second set.
Dessert consisted of individual vanilla panna cotta with strawberry and meringue, a shot glass of sweet honeycomb parfait and a decadently rich chocolate marquise topped with a cherry. Luckily, we were left in peace to enjoy this, along with a particularly good Old Fashioned cocktail – a must for bourbon lovers. The dinner and the show are probably both best described as naughty but nice. Treat yourself to a little of what you fancy.
Volupte, 9 Norwich Street, EC4A
www.volupte-lounge.com