Chat Noir At The Lost Estate Review
Black, red, white. Pearls and velvet. There’s only one destination: 1890s Paris. Chat Noir, the brand‑new immersive dining experience from The Lost Estate, transports guests straight to bohemian Montmartre and into a lavish reimagining of the legendary cabaret club, Le Chat Noir.
The transformation begins the moment you arrive. Head of Design Thomas Kirk Shannon’s rich velvets, lighting designer Mike Gunning’s dimly lit tables and couture by Susan Kulkarni create a world that feels theatrical and decadent. Even the waiting staff stay in character; when I blamed TfL for my lateness, they looked baffled and insisted we were already in Paris. And for the next three hours, we truly were. Dressing up in Parisian vintage adds to the immersion. Some guests crafted their own outfits, others (like us) sourced pieces from Shein or Temu, and some didn’t dress up at all — it’s entirely optional.
We are welcomed as guests of Rodolphe Salis, the real‑life proprietor of Le Chat Noir, played with hilarious charm by Joe Morrow. As master of ceremonies, he stitches together the evening’s proceedings, guiding us through a cabaret celebrating love, madness and French art across the ages. He summons a troupe of artists: Neil Kelso as magician Joseph Buatier, who had us audibly gasp when he stabbed a chosen card out of the air with a sword; Alexander Luttley as mime Paul LeGrand, reminding us of the power of physical storytelling in an act involving only a robe; Coco Belle as dancer and burlesque performer Cléo de Mérode, delivering an excellent reinterpretation of Carmen; and Issy Wroe Wright as muse and vocalist Yvette Guilbert, the standout for us thanks to her extraordinary vocal range. The performers roam between the central stage, the throne and the side platform. We were fortunate to be close to much of the action, though the roaming felt more contained than in The Lost Estate’s previous productions such as The Great Christmas Feast.
There’s no cohesive narrative, and that’s intentional — this is a homage to cabaret told in three parts: art, absinthe and anarchy. Each act has its own tone and energy, becoming progressively sillier and more chaotic. Several times we turned to each other wondering what on earth was happening. The second act, a dream‑like absinthe sequence, lags slightly compared to the others, and we noticed a few guests leave after. Don’t — you’ll miss a reinterpretation of Carmen and, of course, the can‑can.
If you embrace the chaos and arrive ready to play, you’ll have a wildly memorable night. At one point we were singing a national anthem made entirely of the word “meow”. Later, we shouted “I want you!” at the person next to us. Then we were cheering for the new emperor to lose his head. It’s artistic, playful, hilarious and gleefully bonkers.
We can’t forget the amazing house band, Les Enfants Vagabondes. Guy Button (violin), Peteris Sokolovskis (cello), Alex Ullman (piano), Will Fry (percussion) and Áine McLoughlin (accordion) perform new arrangements of French late‑Romantic masterpieces by composer‑in‑residence Steffan Rees, including Debussy’s Clair de Lune.
Throughout the evening Salis declares, “Get drunk, stay drunk.” Fitting, given the drinks included in our package: champagne on arrival, wine, a cocktail and absinthe. The menu offers seven varieties of absinthe, or you can play a personality‑based game with your server to determine “your” absinthe — a delightfully silly touch. Would you rather be a bohemian or an aristocrat? Even if the game chooses for you, you can still switch, which we did, opting for a more floral absinthe. Our two‑person drip arrived with instructions: place a sugar cube over the glass, let the water drip slowly until the sugar dissolves and the spirit turns cloudy. We didn’t love absinthe neat due to the intense aniseed finish, so we tried it in cocktails. I opted for the recommended Petite Punch (£13), while my friend chose the Punch Exotique (£16), the fruitier and sweeter of the two.
All packages include a three‑course meal. For entrée there’s a French sharing board of bread, Brie, pâté and cold meats, already on the table on arrival — perfect for people‑watching and taking in the décor. Amid the theatrical chaos of the evening, the coq au vin was refreshingly simple — tender chicken, pancetta and a rich red wine jus. Dessert was a tarte au citron — a bright, zesty lemon tart with raspberry coulis. Vegetarian and vegan options are available.
Ticket prices vary depending on day, time and package (Rail, Cabaret, Centre Stage, VIP). All include the three‑hour experience and three‑course meal; drinks and seating vary by tier. Chat Noir is booking until July 2026.
Website: https://chatnoirlondon.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostestateofficial
Written by Caitlin Neal
