The Dead Doll’s Club – New Restaurant/Bar Opening

The Dead Doll’s Club describes itself as ‘basically just a really nice pub’, which really doesn’t do justice to the discreet members club on Hoxton Square. Having been there before for a masquerade ball, but not really explored properly, this really felt like a second, first time and what a different experience.

Ushered up to the second floor, a small crowd of people gathered around the new bar and scattered about around tables it became clear that this was going to be an entirely different night. The new space has given the club substantially more space to play with, so much so that people continually seemed to stream in and out without ever seeing the same face twice.

The new bar was churning out drinks as fast as its staff could manage and offered a selection of classic cocktails, spirits, wine and beers. Opting for an Old Fashioned for myself and an Aviation (gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice) for my friend, we discovered that the cocktails were the perfect blend of strong and well mixed. The drinks menu can be found here.

The new restaurant/kitchen features a mix of pop-up restaurants and what they call the ‘Picnic in the Conservatory’, which is a selection of delicious small plates. Having tried several of them, I can voucher for the food being beautifully cooked, fresh and very appetising. We had some of the largest mussels I’ve ever eaten, the sour dough, chilli oil and olives and also the rare beef fillet with horseradish, which was perfectly cooked to the point of being real, melting in the mouth beef.

Food done, we explored a bit more and found there are a raft of hidden away rooms perfect for events, or group bookings, which are available for hire (details here) and pleasantly separate enough that you could feel like you really had the place to yourself. Everywhere is done out in lovely murals, polished silver candelabras, glass and mirrors. Lending itself beautifully to the slightly gothic feel and low light the place is done out in.

Finally, and well worth mentioning for when the days get longer, warmer and lighter, there is The Terrace right at the top of the building looking out over Hoxton Square. This the finishing touch that really makes the Dead Doll’s House the ideal venue, regardless of time of year, occasion or appetite. It is somewhere I would happily go back to and feel vindicated in doing so.

Membership details for the Doll’s House can be found here, they are also on Twitter and Facebook.

By Peter Churchill