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Category: Jazz & Blues [Edit]
93 Dean StreetSoho
London
London W1D 3SZ
Neighbourhood: Soho
020 7494 4955
- Nearest Transit:
-
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern)
Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central, Victoria)
Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
£
- Good for Children:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat
- Coat Check:
- Yes
5 reviews for The Black Gardenia
All Reviews
This is a cute little place in Soho that doesn't look like much from the outside. When I say little I mean little. The dance floor is tiny and the bar is not well stocked. My friend ordered a jack and coke and they had run out.. on a Saturday night no less. The drinks are a little pricey at £5 but they are all doubles so you don't feel too bad paying that. I heard there is also a £5 cover charge at the door but we got there pretty late so they didn't charge us. We were able to find seats for the 3 of us when we got there which is unusual in a bar this size.
The decor is the shining glory. It's like a Cabaret meets 1950s glam. It's one of those places where you wonder where they get all that useless crap to fill the wall space.. in a good way. The music was good but was more like oldies but goodies than jazz which I was expecting. The service is good and the retro style of the bartender with her 1950s garb and bright red lipstick added to the experience. I am definitely coming here again next time I am in town.
This place reeks of decadence, with its lavish retro, 1940s style decorations, outrageous costumes and frequent cabaret evenings, The Black Gardenia can be quite an experience. Music revolves around blues and jazz and the main feature is undoubtedly the performance space featuring a free-standing piano where various performers will strut their stuff. The place is quite dingy but you can't really imagine it being any other way, you almost wish that the smoking ban was lifted just to make things even more hazy.
Many of the clientele and all the staff at this wonderful venue really make the effort to dress up adding to the authenticity, it's a million miles away from the street outside. Drinks are reasonably pricy but not too overboard.
The Black Gardenia is near the top end where Dean Street meets Oxford Street. The club is where Push bar used to be and is announced by a black awning that hangs over the entrance. Outside the front there are usually a few people sitting, standing, smoking and talking.
The club is 1940s themed and whilst the dress code isn't militantly enforced there are usually a good amount of people who've made an effort. The club is on the basement level and quite pokey with one room with the bar and another with the performer's stage and room for standing. It is a little claustrophobic but the mixed aged crowd is friendly and there is a really good spirit about the place. The bar staff dress up properly and are all wonderfully attractive. The owners of the club occasionally sing and when engaged in conversation are charming and affable. In keeping with the theme the music is primarily jazz and there are usually live performers, the dates and details of which are displayed on the window.
A charming place deserving of some time and I would encourage people to make an effort on the dress front.
I have been here a few times now and have totally different experiences each time.
The first time I came here was for a friends hen night, so as you can imagine there was quite a few of us and as it is a pretty small bar we filled the place up along with the others that had been there already.
The music you will hear here will most definitely be jazz or the likes as it is a 1940's themed bar. The crowd are a mix of jazz people and an eclectic mix of people dressed in rockabilly and 1940's attire.
Now the second time I was here there was a jazz band playing, it was mid week and I was in town catching up with a pal I hadn't seen in ages and we had a great old time in here dancing and chatting to people.
The last time I was in here unfortunately was not so positive, the barmaid was really rude. when I asked her for two glasses of wine she asked me if I wanted small or large to which i responded large, 10 minutes later she proceeded to kick everybody out which was absolutely ridiculous. I mean who serves a customer a drink and kick them out 10 minutes later. I was not impressed. However this was my only negative experience so I still like it and would totally recommend it just watch out for that barmaid.
The sort of place I dreamed would exist in London before I actually discovered it, The Black Gardenia is a sort of mixture between cool 80s new-wave New York club, and Prohibition-era gangster hangout. It's absolutely tiny and pretty rackety, the fact that it's in a dank basement makes it even cooler. Music tends to be jazz inflected or cabaret although I've been to indie nights there before too. Either way, it's the perfect venue with the slight sleaziness that I always think Soho should be full of but actually isn't.
