The Ghost Club in Farringdon

Let’s face it: no one wants to go out in Kensington anymore. This is possibly why another Ghost, a new sister club to its Kensington counterpart, has been opened in a spacious Farringdon basement. The jury’s still out, however, on whether this place quite works.

Ghost sticks to a spectral colour scheme, centering around black overlaid with white graffiti spray and tinged with the odd splash of red and blue lighting. The space is comprised of a dance floor, bar area and VIP lounge, the most aesthetically successful part being the bar. Here, the high ceilings and long black marble-topped bar overhung with black glass chandeliers all make for an imposing room, whereas several alcove seating areas provide secluded spots for a drink and a chat, although intelligible conversation is barely a possibility with the music so oppressively loud.

Stretches of exposed brickwork sparkle with the reflection of the occasional rotating disco ball and the graffiti murals break up the monochrome interior quite nicely in places, especially in the case of the rather nice oversized astronaut.

This is a cocktail bar and an after club more than anything, and although the intent is to fit into the ‘edgy’ category, the vibe seems to speak to a smarter trendy type, rather than the arty east London crowd. The dance floor area is beset by a few too many nauseating lights, especially after a few cocktails, but what really fails to set this place apart from the competition is the music, a generic percussive fug of the kind heard too many times in far too many places.

However, perhaps indicating Ghost’s attempts to please a wider, less clubby audience, they’re wisely embracing a key trend by putting on burlesque classes for beginners, in the shape of a monthly Corset & Diamonds party. Ladies who dare to dress up in the vein of burlesque glamour get free entry and their make-up done, after which guests can watch a couple of professionals perform and then learn a few moves themselves.

Hopefully Ghost will sanction an appropriately quirky, on-trend soundtrack to accompany it all. With these types of events, where venues are going out on a limb to accommodate new styles of going out, atmosphere is key, and it will be interesting to see whether Ghost can sustain an authentic glamour event in this slightly amorphous space.

To summarise, this is a nice-looking venue with polite staff, but the management will need to work hard to differentiate Ghost from the competition, as it is, so far, missing that little bit of soul.

Ghost
113-117 Farringdon Road
Clerkenwell
EC1R 3BX

Tel: 020 7278 2301