Inspired by the glittering showgirls of sinful Las Vegas, this place features a huge tank, where choreographed divas swim, swirl and pole-dance beneath the surface, dressed in Swarovski crystals.
Creative inspiration is a precious thing. The team behind the Mandalay Room will vouch for that. When it came to the conception of this after-dark venue, these guys didn't just sit around brainstorming ideas. No, no, no - instead, owner Jason Gavin and designer Paul Kelly packed their suitcases and took a trip to Las Vegas: the party city renowned for sinful excesses and vamped-up showgirls. Well, ahem, research
is very important. The result of that work (and play) is this bling'd up venue.
Set appropriately inside the Vegas Hotel, positioned on the main strip of neon-bright Kings Cross, this club is a tad surreal. Check out the 'human fish tank' which is technically within Vegas grounds, but was installed to represent the Mandalay Room and signal its entry way. Inside the tank, aquatic divas swirl and pole-dance, dressed in Swarovski crystals.
Slip into a booth, check out the cage-dancing girls and order up a Royal Flush cocktail (Grand Marnier, Chivas Regal, butterscotch schnapps, lemon, apple and ginger beer) or perhaps a Red Light District (Stolichnaya Vodka, Grand Marnier, Jagermeister and Red Bull).
Thursdays see live bands fuse jazz together with soul, funk, hip hop and DJ house tracks. Fridays mix more live sounds with DJ tunes, blending funk together with Latin beats. Meanwhile, Saturdays are dedicated purely to house.
Andrea Tomaz
