The Play Room

As quickly as it began, the brief craze for Burlesque has died down again, just in time for London's first dedicated burlesque bar to open its glossy doors.

But the failure to hit the crest of the fashion wave may not effect this extraordinary bar, which really feels far more like an episode of Jeeves and Wooster than anything from the modern age. The zebraskin and leather of a current style bar mix with the grand pianos and elegant Art Deco light fittings of a 1920s nightclub, and it all comes across as the epitome of glamour.

The food was a little bland, but the cocktails were magnificent, and the service snappy, friendly, and beautifully turned-out. Some of our fellow-drinkers were dressed in 1920s suits, spats and trilbys, others were in more modern clothes, but all of them oozed style. Clever, open-plan design, and an entertaining Burlesque floor-show helped create a convivial atmosphere.

While most bars in this price range - and it is seriously expensive - aim to attract City-workers, tourists or celebrities, you feel that The Play Rooms is aiming for a slightly more discerning crowd. Whether there really are enough Bright Young Things with independent incomes in London to keep a fabulous place like this going remains to be seen, but for the moment, this is London's coolest bar, and if you want to see and be seen, this is the place to do it.