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Electric Bird Cage
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By Sharon O’Connell
The distinctively theatrical hand of bar and club designer Shaun Clarkson - responsible for Covent Garden's Denim, La Pigalle and countless other opulent interiors - is strikingly evident in his latest bar design. The Electric Bird Cage is clearly intended to be a style destination per se, rather than just a watering hole and its decor - a mix of contemporary Chinoiserie and Jeff Koons-ish kitsch - exudes the kind of idiosyncratic taste that has become Clarkson's trademark.
Visitors are greeted at the entrance before being ushered in to the main room, which is dominated by a dramatic, black and cream carousel bar beneath a high and elegant red stucco ceiling and featuring matching banquettes and cushions ranged around the matt black-painted walls, plus glass-topped turquoise tables with companion wicker stools. Guarding the entrance to the elegant, larger rear room (closed on quiet nights, as when we visited) are two huge, snarling panthers cast in black polymer, and beyond them, a display case full of painted wooden birdcages.
On a relaxed Monday evening the staff outnumbered the customers, but there was Barbara Windsor: downstairs in the women's toilets, her youthful monochrome portrait in a triptych that looms over two turquoise seats cast in the shape of upturned hands.
The drinks menu - which offers everything from green tea to beers, wines, champagnes, premium spirits and exclusive cocktails - is as imaginative as you'd expect of such a classy joint. Alongside the classic mint Mojito, there's also a coriander version, while the Frozen Vanilla Honey Bee (Absolut Vanilla, Kahlúa, Bailey's, honey liqueur Bärenjäger and vanilla ice cream) proves the venue's eccentricities aren't restricted to décor. To eat, there's a mix of oriental nibbles and dim sum. The sole sour note is struck by the music, a grisly (if mercifully quiet) mix of Café del Mar-style 'chill-out' and Chinese coffee-table pop. Even Babs would know that's far from hip.Time Out London
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Details
- 11 Haymarket, Piccadilly, SW1Y 4BP
- Area: Piccadilly
- Tel: 020 7839 2424
- Category: Bars & Pubs
- Travel: Piccadilly Circus tube
- Times: Open Mon-Wed 12noon-11pm; Thur, Fri 12noon-4am; Sat 5pm-4am
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I was born in London and have travelled the world a little, but not enough as I would like. Living in Sydney for a year was a definite highlight...
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wowowowo nice place!!
The drinks are not that spicy cocktail verrrry good.
Ill go back 10/10
Who would go to this kind of bar on a Monday night? Many places do unusual nights Mon-Thurs, this is hardly typical of a Thurs/Friday/Saturday night.
Fantastic! Amazing decor, heavenly cocktails, great music and DJ's. All a perfect night. Definately a 'Classy Joint'.
Just awful, don't go. I have to agree with the comments about the staff especially the bouncers. They are appalling to the point of comedy. There are so many other good places to go nearby, just don't take the risk here. hopefully it won't last long. I wish we'd vote with our feet and not allow places with such bad service to stay in busness, you just can't be so rude and stay in business in London today - surely?!
Pretentious. The interior is now dated and gave me a headache. It also looks a little worn out/ scruffy now. Nice bar staff though.
Please Please Please do not waste your cash /time on this place. I booked my sisters 30th birthday party 7 weeks in advance . 5 days before the party they confirmed the guestlist to only be told the day before they could only allow 10 people from my guestlist of 25 !!. To make things worse the manager Yassin would not return my calls to explain why they did this to us the day before !. Do not trust this place with your booking.
I would love to review this place having tried to visit it one Friday night.My friends were in there drinking and I went over to meet them, intrigued as I'd never heard of this bar before.On arrival I was told to wait outside whilst the clipboard girl dealt with a small group of people. When it was my turn I explained that I was joining a group of friends who were already inside and they had left my name on the door. She checked the list but couldn't find me and called the head-doorman who then denied me entry.I explained to him that I was on my own and meeting friends,but was told quite bluntly that I wasn't going in.Even ringing my friends on their mobiles to come out and vouch for me did very little and on questioning, the doorman told me that I wasn't coming in, because the management had distinctly told him not to let people like me inside.I'm not really sure what he meant by this comment, but it is pretty insulting.I go out regularly in London, to many bars, some of them exclusive, and have never had any problem getting in anywhere in my life. I suppose these things have to happen eventually, so I decided to investigate further the experience of being denied entry to a bar and began to question the doorman to find out what it is about me that they don't want in there.He wasn't very forthcoming with his reasons, but then he is hired for his physical stature and not his intellect.I did try to explain to him that by not letting me in he was putting me in the rather embarrassing position of ringing my friends and asking them to leave so we could go elsewhere and drink.He remained stubborn as all ignorant people do when faced with reason and so my loyal clan of ten were forced to walk out of there and we went to the Kingly Club instead, where by the way, we had a lovely evening.At the end of the day I'm not going to beg a place to take my hard-earned cash and especially not a second-rate bar in Haymarket
Attended a birthday party on Saturday evening.
The place was small, seating very limited. The dance area was cramped and to get to the bar in the dance area was a real mission as there were too many people in such a small area. Prices were outrageous en selection very limited. £4.50 for 250ml Peroni!! Single Spirit and mix £8.00-£9.00!!
Not recommended unless you like overpriced cramped venues.
I recently attended a birthday party at the Electric Birdcage, and had an incredible night, at this venue which was new to me. Cocktails were expensive but worth the price, bar staff was knowledgable about drinks, waitresses were friendly, and the music particularly in the back bar was good all night. I had heard a rumor that the waitresses wore air hostess outfits, but those were no where to be seen.
Went on a Saturday evening to recce for a possible birthday party venue, the place wasn't exactly packed to the rafters and it was easy to see why. Pretentious staff "greeted" us and initially claimed they had no record of our booking before eventually finding it at our insistence. Why would a venue be so rude and unwelcoming to guests when it evidently needs all the customers it can get? I'm assuming this is a misguided attempt at appearing "exclusive", someone needs to tell them that this is the HOSPITALITY industry.
The lavatory attendant was spectacularly unpleasant and in your face, shoving some glamorous catering Blue Roll at me to dry my hands whilst apparently being unable to maintain the basic task of keeping the cubicles stocked with loo paper and sighing heavily at the inconvenience of having to fetch some.
On a more positive note, the dim sum was tasty and reasonably priced but overall the place has a horrible atmosphere and is completely up itself. I'll be surprised if it's still open in a years time. WON'T be booking for the birthday!