This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
News
Private members club Dorsia arrives in Chelsea
New private members’ club Dorsia is due to open its doors in London next month. Combining a private club and bar with a standalone restaurant open to the public, the South Kensington venue is named after the fictional restaurant in cult film American Psycho.
Dorsia has been created by Nick Andreen and Fraser Carruthers, both formerly of nearby high profile nightclub Boujis among other venues.
Following a £2.4 million refurbishment, the Georgian townhouse features restored period details alongside “contemporary, quirky touches” and a series of artwork from the Whisper Art Gallery.
The private members’ club is located in the basement, which has been divided into a number of eclectically designed spaces. The members-only bar is on the ground floor, while the 40-cover restaurant is on the first floor.
The restaurant menu has been compiled by head chef Alexander Baillieu, formerly of London catering and events first True Deli. His focus will be modern European dishes made with seasonal, local organic ingredients.
The cocktail menu has been put together by Thomas Gillgren of Sketch and Fredrik Olsson of Kosmopol, who are also directors of the Chelsea Academy of Bartending.
Pointing to the proliferation of private members’ clubs in Mayfair and the West End, Carruthers observed: “We thought Chelsea needed one too.”
Aiming to appeal to “professionals”, he anticipated that “locals from the South Ken area will be our bread and butter”.
Commenting more generally on the current state of London’s nightlife scene, Carruthers said: “It’s been difficult the last couple of years to be honest, but we’ve noticed that people seem to be going out more again in the last few months.”
However, he added: “I think clientele expect more from a club than just showing up and being charged 20 quid. You have to offer a bit more and we’re well positioned to do that.”
Previously known as the Hudson Club, the building provided the location for Jimi Hendrix’s first UK concert, Tom Jones’s celebration of his first number one hit and, allegedly, the last sighting of Lord Lucan.
Gabriel Savage, 24.05.2011