Lost Society

It's not difficult to believe that this decadent, chandelier-filled arena - home to London's louche pleasure-seekers, to drinking and dancing - once played host to a banquet held in honour of Queen Elizabeth I and her alchemist ally John Dee. Now Art Deco in style, a collection of solid beams buttressing the walls provides an architectural reminder of a time when the building took the guise of a 16th century barn and manor house frequented by the party-loving "Virgin Queen". A varied, yet cohesive, gorgeously decorated, cluster of rooms have since evolved to make up the interior. From the Conservatory to the Crystal Ballroom, the Library Bar to the Oriental Lounge, theres a lavishly decorated space for whatever mood youre in. Outsid, a secret garden - perfect for escaping the crowds on hot summer evenings - echoes back to the bars Elizabethan heritage, evoking images of secret trysts and clandestine exchanges. Madrigals and mead may well be a thing of the past but this place still hasn't forgotten its party roots. From Thursday through to Saturday a collection of mix-mongers spin a variety of breaks, hip-hop, funk or whatever else to an appreciative, laidback crowd, while a quick glance at the brimming bar demonstrates a commitment to providing a cosmopolitan array of liquid refreshments. Primarily a bar, food is of a high quality considering - head to the Black and White Room if youre feeling peckish. Catering for modern tastes, modern standards and modern manners, Lost Society still manages to capture the flavour of its historical past and as, such, is one of the most unique evening venues in London.

Best for:
Secret gardens and ghosts, Elizabethan banquets and barns, Art Deco designs, cocktails, conservatories, funk and hip hop.