Aura Club in Mayfair

Mayfair is home to London’s most exclusive private members clubs and the people that populate them reflect the values of the establishments; luxurious, exclusive and well-moneyed.

The appeal they hold really depends on the type of person you are and what you’re looking for in a night out.

The clubs pride themselves on offering a night of entertainment that could not be found elsewhere. This is the reason for their exclusivity and their insistence that you wait behind an all-important velvet rope as you are vetted for entry.

But there can be an aspect of Emperor’s New Clothes with establishments like these. Does the club warrant all the effort made by those attending and does being surrounded by well-dressed hipsters make up for the fact that you’re paying more than usual for drinks?

The design of Aura is well thought-out and the new renovation provides plush velvet decor. The space around the bar is also quite spacious with quick service despite a busy Friday night.

My companion and I ordered two beers, which were reasonably priced at £4.50. The dance area is quite small with people’s tables infringing on the space and most of the time was spent having to work around other people pushing in and trying to make their way across the dance floor.

Another part of the problem is that the music wasn’t that special: familiar tunes that weren’t heightened by the DJs in the leather-lined booth. As a result, Aura suffers from a distinct lack of atmosphere with the sense that people are just trying that bit too hard. One example of this was when one plucky young fellow made an advance to a woman on a restricted table. Despite his earnest attempt, he was given a prompt heave-ho by the bouncer placed at the front of the restricted section.

My companion and I decided to get another drink, this time going for one of the many cocktails on offer. A Mojito set us both back £11.50, which is was of a good standard. Overall, Aura offers a decent experience but little more than that. The small space of the club makes it hard to really have fun. As my friend and I were leaving, he summed it up with ‘Yeah, it’s good but it’s done better elsewhere.”

Aura
48-49 St James’s Street,
Mayfair
SW1A 1JT

Tel: 0207 499 9999