THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Sloane Square Hotel, 7 12 Sloane Square, London SW1W 8EG. Open Monday - Thursday 5pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday 5pm to 1am
In the 1970s and ‘80s London was peppered with small discos and clubs, often in the basements of much larger buildings. In some respects The Knox offers a walk down this memory lane. Housed in the basement of the Sloane Square Hotel in fashionable Chelsea and accessed via the street or the hotel, it echoes many of the features of its antecedents. Floor level strip lighting, pin spots in the ceiling and swathes of red fabric on furniture, walls and ceiling plus some sparkling outfits behind the bar make for an extravagant tribute to the excesses of those times. Inspired by the risqué glamour of the Mutiny Hotel in 1970’s Miami, the combination of bold, red textiles and patterns also has elements of art deco and Asian traditions. But in a nod to today’s standards, the plentiful tables, liner-style bucket chairs and velvet booths are softly lit and happily more comfortable than anything I remember.
We began the Friday evening with drinks at street level at a table overlooking the square. It would be fun for people-watching on a summer’s evening, but you’d have to be happy with the traffic. The obvious cocktail choice - Disco Inferno - was a deliciously spicy mixture of tequila, turmeric, jalapeño pepper and lime, while the Pineapple Cha Cha - white rum and various fruit juices - was best described as a slushy for grown ups.
Downstairs we ordered from a menu which wanders across continents but consists largely of burgers, flatbreads and fries. The Pastelitos (£9.50), an eclectic Cuban-inspired pastry stuffed with duck and hoisin sauce with a lime and coriander dip, were delicious. Pulled pork and cheese croquettes with harissa mayonnaise (£9) were crispy and tasty. Arepas (£17), a flatbread stuffed with honey mustard salmon, paprika, mint and tomato relish with a mango slaw, promised rather more than it delivered.
But you don’t come to The Knox for the food. You come for the ambiance and the music. If you’re a fan of nightclubs and ‘70s and ‘80s disco music, this is a place for you. The evening begins with a regulation playlist, but at 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays a vinyl DJ takes over. Tracks I hadn’t heard in years took me joyfully back to my youth. Add to this a high quality sound system and you have a recipe for an energetic and nostalgic evening which will appeal both to those of us who were there the first time round and newcomers.
The staff were charming and friendly. Drinks are very reasonably priced at £15 for a cocktail, £5 for a beer and £7 to £9 for a glass of wine. And on the weekend you can enjoy curated music until 1am. So it’s a good place to round off your evening with drinks and relive those disco moves.
You will need to be a fan of red though.