Pacha
Category: Nightclubs
Location: Terminus Place, Victoria, London SW1V 1JR
Contact: 0845 371 4489
Short info: Pacha is the shamelessly glamorous antidote to London's gritty clubbing scene. Their stated intention has always been to recreate the Ibiza experience in London, a policy which extends from their line-ups of top European DJs to the stinging prices on the door. Located in a historic 1920s building behind the very unglamorous Victoria Station, Pacha is dripping with glitterballs and chandeliers, and the building has original oak panelling and an elegant stunning stained glass ceiling. There's a gallery overlooking the main dance floor, and a second dance area with its own sound system, plus a terrace in the summer. The crowd is stylish and beautiful, and you will definitely need to dress to impress here.
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Fabric
Category: Nightclubs
Location: 77a Charterhouse Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 3HN
Contact: 020 7336 8898
Opening times: Fri 21:30 onwards, Sat 22:00 onwards
Short info: Built on the site of a Victorian meat cellar, Fabric continues to boast the most sensational line-ups in the capital. Its global reputation is founded on diversity and willingness to showcase new talent alongside its brilliant residents, planning its nights around great music, rather than flying in superstar DJs. Feel the bass bleed through the speakers buried in the floor and recline in style on the famous bed seats at one of their top regular nights. FabricLive on Fridays is regularly rammed and draws some of the biggest names in breakbeat, drum'n' bass and electro. Saturdays are a more glamorous, house-orientated affair with the cream of the world's DJ talent, while Sundays offer spectacularly fashionable gay nights. Because its such a famous brand, Fabric gets horribly crowded sometimes, but the best acts usually don't come on until 3am, when the tourists have gone and the hardcore clubbers have space to party.
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KOKO
Category: Nightclubs
Location: 1A Camden High Street, Camden Town, London NW1 7JE
Contact: 0870 432 5527
Short info: KOKO offers a great mixture of live bands and club nights that have put it at the heart of the Camden nightlife. The huge stage, broad balconies and plush upstairs bars are a reminder of its former role as the Camden Theatre (which originally opened its doors in 1900), and the deep red colour scheme, chandeliers and gilt molding give it a decadent air that matches the rock stars who grace the stage. It has an illustrious rock 'n' roll history, having hosted The Clash and the Sex Pistols in the 1970s, and The Eurythmics, Madness and Madonna in the 1980s. It became a much-loved scuzzy rock club in the 1990s, before being restored and reopened in 2004. In July 2010 came the addition of a huge 850 square foot roof terrace beneath the venue's iconic illuminated sign, open every Friday throughout the summer, free for non-ticket holders from 5.30pm-10pm (unless there is an early show).
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Cable
Category: Nightclubs
Location: 33A Bermondsey Street, Bankside, London SE1 2EG
Contact: 020 7403 7730
Short info: Since the closure of clubland stalwarts The Cross, The Key, Canvas, Turnmills and The End, pessimists began to see London's glass as well and truly half empty. But the recent influx of clubs popping up south of the river - and in particular, like Cable, underneath the arches near London Bridge - shows that the glass is clearly more than half full, as a new generation of nightspots rises from the ashes. Located in the Bermondsey Street tunnel nearby London Bridge tube, the 1000-capacity Cable is spread over three archways (each with its own bar) and two dance floors (with a bespoke soundsystem by European sound specialists Nova). Just half an hour short of a full 24-hour licence, the club opens until 6am on Fridays and 8am on Saturdays. Cable's doors only opened in May 2009 but it has already built up quite a faithful following and a good set of residencies, including Bugged Out. Watch this space.
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Proud2 at The O2
Category: Nightclubs
Location: The O2 Arena Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0DX
Contact: 020 7482 3867
Short info: In the sad shell of the Millennium Dome, a superclub was born, going by the name of Proud2. Sporting one of the world's most powerful audio sound systems, heaps of high tech art lighting and a Body Sonic dance floor (meaning that the floor moves with the music). This ambitious project was the brainchild of the nightlife experts who brought us Proud Camden; they took over the 2,600 capacity Matter club space, drenched it in decadent gilded glam, smothered it in chandeliers, soaked the walls in art deco and flung open their doors to throngs of eager partygoers. Proud2 is more akin with the type of clubs you might find in the Balearic Islands and, in hopeful anticipation of steamy summer weather, it is also the proud owner of London's largest outdoor smoking area. Which comes complete with its own bars, food vans, heated beds and state of the art parasols. Proud2 comes with all the superclub trimmings; a sterling lineup of world class music and wallet-draining prices to match.
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Egg
Category: Nightclubs
Location: 200 York Way, King's Cross, London N7 9AP
Contact: 020 7609 8364
Short info: The fabulous Egg nightclub was well prepared for the smoking ban, with a fantastic garden and terrace which make it London's finest summer clubbing spot. Egg is spread out over three floors and each one has its own distinctlook and feel. The ground floor has an industrial look while the loftbar area is much sleeker. Well-programmed nights of house, electro and dirty beats attract a wild polysexual crowd. It's at its most hedonistic for the Sunday morning after-party Breakfast at Egg, when North London's wildest clubbers converge to watch the sun rise and keep the rave alive.
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Ministry of Sound
Category: Nightclubs
Location: 103 Gaunt Street, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6DP
Contact: 0870 060 0010
Short info: A massive sound system, huge dancefloor and a staggering roster of big name DJs has made sure of Ministry of Sound's place in clubbing folklore. The opening night back in 1991 heralded the explosion of superclubs across the UK. Boasting a crisp, clear, thumpingly loud sound system, and some of the best house DJs of the era, the club attracted thousands of hedonists south of the Thames every weekend. This giddy ascendancy was subsequently translated into various record labels, a clothing company and sister clubs across the globe. Of course, success on such a scale never lasts, least of all in clubland, and the buzz around the venue had stagnated by the late '90s. Thankfully the last few years have seen the brains behind the operation quit resting on their laurels and sort it out. A welcome refurbishment of the interior and a creative injection into the DJ line-up means that Ministry is still well worth a look.
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