Cocktails and clubbing at music industry hangout Tape London
From Justin Bieber to Jess Glynne, top names have already performed at new members club Tape London. Created by and for people in the music industry, the venue in Hanover Square in Mayfair has been purpose-built on the site of former club Jalouse as a space for musicians, producers, labels and other professionals. It is not only a place for dining and drinking but has a nightclub with a licence to 3am and a state-of-the-art sound system from D&B Audio Teknik as well as a fully-equipped sound-proofed recording studio.
At the heart is Little Tape, a 150-capacity late-night lounge bar, offering food and drink, presided over by club manager Sharif Ansar, previously at Geisha at Ramusake in South Kensington and Mahiki Dubai. Cocktails are a mix of classics and music-inspired twists such as the cleverly punned D’Peche Mode, mixing Ketel One vodka and crème de pêche topped with Veuve Clicquot champagne, and the Morning Glory which combines Bombay Sapphire gin, Grand Marnier, lemon juice and orange marmalade.
The bar features a baby grand piano, guitars and musical equipment for all members to use, while the walls are adorned with memorabilia such as Paul McCartney’s original contract for Live and Let Die, Kurt Cobain’s denim vest, a hand-written poem by Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry’s Cherry Red Gibson 335 guitar.
Music has inspired Tape London’s striking interior design by bar and club specialist Tibbatts Abel, from artwork painted on the walls to a gramophone pendant light in the stairwell in a burnished metal finish. In the 250-capacity nightclub, cluttered antique copper pendant lights bring a warm amber glow, while mis-aligned stacked boxes create a stunning back-bar display with colour-changing lights that is non-symmetrical and full of energy and movement. In the VIP area, rich brown chesterfield-style banquettes are set against characterful aged timber panelling with heavy velvet drapes with antique gold fringing. This is juxtaposed against LED dance podiums with a black mirror backdrop.
The lounge, which offers a view into the recording studio, is decorated with ghost sign-style artwork on the brickwork as a nod to times gone by, giving a distressed but homely and welcoming look. The bar has a luxurious deep-buttoned upholstered front in an aged-effect steel blue leather, with an ebony lacquered timber bar top, all set against illuminated black mirror bottle shelves.
The exclusive venue has quickly become a regular in the celebrity and party pages but the team, including nightlife entrepreneur Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, are keen to stress it was set up as a second home for people who make music. Another of the collaborators on the club is legendary Atlanta-based producer Dallas Austin who describes it as “my home in the city”, adding: “The venue is exactly what London needs.”
Tape London, 17 Hanover Square, London W1S 1HU
Tel: 020 7659 9080
www.tapelondon.com
Behind the scenes
Design: Tibbatts Abel
Main contractor: Sanderson
Lighting: Chantelle Lighting
Furniture: Inn Gear
Bric-à-brac: LCT Interior Solutions
Updated February 26, 2016 with new club manager’s name.
