A slice of the Caribbean wid DJ Derek in W11

Right first things first. I am not edgy, nor am I trendy, alternative or a hippie in any way. I like routine and I like to be within my comfort zone, I like generic radio1 pop music and staying on the safe side of fashion. I do not indulge in class A drugs, go to raves until 10pm the next day and would most likely feel like a sore thumb at an art gallery opening night in Shoreditch on a Thursday night.

Having said that I am also very keen to try new places within the SW and even W borough of our capital city for the sake of a more varied and interesting blog. So Notting Hill Arts Club was the venue of choice last Saturday night and having squeezed myself into a new pair of coral jeans (the outer limits of my 'trendy' wardrobe) I joined 4 boys and a girl and headed West.

Notting Hill Arts Club is an institution within W11- it's proved consistently popular and has cemented itself as a must visit venue in London. They have an ever changing line up of musicians, singers, songwriters and DJ's to suit all musical tastes. Whether you are a reggae, funk, soul, grime or techno lover there is a night for you. Luckily for us we were there to witness something of a Legend; DJ Derek.

DJ Derek is a 69 year old gentleman (YES 69 that's not a typo!) who is a regular favourite DJ at NHAC. Originally an accountant Derek decided that number crunching was a life wasted and so moved to Bristol to play reggae music despite never having visited Jamaica. He has since adopted an authentic West Indian accent and become an institution in the London reggae scene.

I have been fortunate enough to visit a few Caribbean islands and have been present for the annual Antiguan Carnival. From my experience of the Caribbean I believe that NHAC is as close as you can get to the real deal while still being in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with the exception of Notting Hill Carnival obviously. The music was enjoyable, the drinks were not extortionate, the staff were jolly and the crowd were welcoming, even to a Fulhamite like me. All in all a very fun evening but the star prize really has to go to DJ Derek who stole the show.

6 is the Lucky Number...

Chateau 6 has a notoriously bad reputation following one extremely unfortunate incident that took place a couple of years ago. However, in my opinion that reputation is long gone and Chateau 6 has come into its own, filling a key gap in the Fulham Broadway nightclub market. Embarking on yet another fun filled Friday night out with a handful of girls in tow I headed up the road from my flat to the Broadway suitably fuelled with white wine.

Having purchased a fantastic ‘deal’ on mylodeals.com we had secured ‘free’ entry before 11pm and a ‘sex on the beach’ on arrival. We were not made to wait and found ourselves propping up the bar with our sugary delight in hand before we knew it. Chateau 6 is very conveniently located in the heart of Fulham Broadway and is leaps and bounds above its competitor watering holes. The staff were friendly, the dj was pumping out some absolute old school r+b classics and the drinks were that noticeable fraction cheaper than the kings road neighbours.

The layout of the club allows for drinking and chatting by the bar, space for shape throwing on the dancefloor and the holy grail; a heated smoking roof terrace. The club is not pretentious and doesn’t attract the ‘you’re not allowed to sit down unless you’ve spent £1000 on a table and buy 6 bottles of vodka’ crowd and so is engineered perfectly for a big group of girls, as we were. The majority of the other people were under 30 fulhamites who were looking to have a few drinks and a wholesome good time on a Friday night. This place is by no means edgy, trendy or suitable for the achingly hip Shoreditch crew, but for the cheesy good time girl Fulham crowd it hit the spot perfectly, and it’s stumbling distance home! It also does a good happy hour on a Thursday night if you fancy a cocktail post work on the way home.

www.chateau6.co.uk

Mewsing around Mayfair

I first encountered Mews of Mayfair when a good friend of mine had her 21st in the private dining room (unfortunately) a good many years ago now. Although we stuck to a (delicious) set menu and didn't spend much time in the main bar, I was struck by the location of the venue, hidden away in a narrow little side street Mews just off the elegant hurly-burly of New Bond St. I felt like I was entering a tiny little segment of Victorian London and have been back on a few occasions since to visit their sumptuous ground floor cocktail bar.

Having never before visited the main dining room, I was excited when a Toptable Spotlight offer dropped into my inbox advertising a £50 food voucher in return for a mere £20 of my hard earned cash. I eagerly booked in for my birthday dinner and told my boyfriend that my contribution was made, and that he could spring for the rest (well, £50 towards your own birthday dinner is pretty generous isn't it?)

After a drink in the dark, opulence of the ground-floor bar (more on that later) we moved up the first floor dining room, which was a soothing yet chic haven of crisp white linen and leather banquettes. Although the tables are really close together (the space is quite small, but the staff are very attentive about getting people out from behind their tables in a pretty ladylike fashion!) the space still felt luxurious and the service was impeccable. Having splurged our 'free' £50 on a bottle of champagne we settled down for the serious business of ordering. I had the Dressed Crab and Avocado, whilst the boy had Organic Gravadlax with Grain Mustard Dressing (both £8.50). The portions were a bit on the small side but presented beautifully and absolutely delicious. Perfect to whet our appetites for the main course of Chateaubriand, Snail Bearnaise and Portobello Mushroom with a healthy side portions of chips and Spinach (£55 for two people). Pairing the bearnaise with snail was an inspired idea, and the flavour and texture of the portobello mushroom complimented it perfectly. The meat itself was done rare, just as we like it, and was melt-in-your-mouth gorgeous. If the starters were small, they whet our appetites for a fairly sizeable maincourse, which made the price seem more than reasonable.

A note also about the service: our waitress was brilliant. She judged us perfectly, and indulged our (usually terribly) jokes, whilst being terribly good-natured without being obtrusive.

Having enjoyed a really first-rate meal we moved down to the ground floor bar. I absolutely adore this venue. At the centre of the low-ceiling is a huge chandalier, and the banquettes and chaise-longues are oversized and opulent in their dark purple velvet. I felt like I was in a hidden Victorian opium den (in the best way possible). The outdoor seating along the narrow mews road adds a lot of character also and the bar is always buzzing. The cocktail list is extensive and imaginative. On this occasion we drank the Rose and Grape, and the Mutiny Mews. On previous occasions I've also had the Mews Berry - which remains my firm favourite of their selection.

It sounds a silly point to labour (and I have indeed had a Twitter conversation with Mews about this - said I know) but the toilets are great as well. Honestly, the best smelling loos in all of London. Decorated rather nicely too...

Anyhow, the whole experience makes for a really great evening. It feels luxurious - a mixture of elegance and opulence - without costing a fortune. An evening spent hopping from restaurant to cocktail bar to downstairs lounge makes for a very pleasant evening indeed.

Mews of Mayfair

10 Lancashire Court, New Bond St, London W1S 1EY

10/10

All images taken from the Press Office Section on the Mews of Mayfair website