7/31/2019 72-76 Brunch Clubs

1/4

62

feverafernoonafernoon

fever

SaturdaySaturday

078-082 Underground brunch clubs.indd 72 22/05/201

7/31/2019 72-76 Brunch Clubs

2/4

mezemagazine.co.uk

Picture the scene: you took it easy

Friday and just ell asleep in ronto a movie. Its Saturday morning

now, you woke up scarily early and

your champagne levels are at a

dangerous low. You do a quick

calculation and its possibly more

than 36 hours since your last mojito. Youve walked

the dog, taken those jeans back and dropped o the

dry-cleaning. That new clock rom Graham and Green

is counting your lie away in anxious little tocks. Unless

you get out o the at in the next ten minutes theres a

real danger the big questions o lie might start tugging

at your conscience: What is goodness? Is there a god?

Is it Brian rom Family Guy? Is the unexamined lie

even worth living?

Thankully, beore you reach sentience, theres

always brunch with its garrulous weekend

supplement attitude to lie, its sensible approach toruit juice (bucks zz), and its even more sensible

attitude to vegetables (bloody mary). When the chips

are down, brunch that pubnpapers all-day breakast

is the key to a chilled weekend.

But cut to 3.30 that same aernoon. Youre grinning

like a loon. The DJ has just dropped a small bomb, the

wait-sta are pouring lakes o champagne and vodka,

those pretties you were talking to are on the

danceoor with their hands in the air, and a burlesque

girl is sparking an angle-grinder o her knickers. A

quiet ry-up it aint.

A day party in London? Its amazing, says a sunny

blonde caught decorating the bar. I love it!

Its the atmosphere, the people, its a great way to

enjoy yoursel, very hedonistic, agrees her riend, a

skinny boy rom Wales in shorts, aviators and not

much else. Midday marauders. Daylight throbbery.

Dea in the aernoon. Fasten your seatbelts ladies and

gentlemen; this is the new brunch.

Back in 2009 The New York Times reported that acouple o meat-packing district restaurants, Bagatelle

and Merkato 55, had been taking Saturday brunch to a

remarkable level o indulgence and expense.

Champagne-led braggadocio saw big spenders

ashing $2,500 or a jeroboam o Veuve Clicquot just

to hear the DJ drop the Superman theme in their

honour as a caped waiter got hoisted over the crowd

to deliver the zz, complete with sparklers ring on all

cylinders. As a smirking Wall Street celebrated its

government bailout, the Times noted, On any given

73

A wave o secret brunch clubs is

turning the weekend inside out

The new brunch hasput the clocks forward

and kidnappedSaturday night

078-082 Underground brunch clubs.indd 73 22/05/201

7/31/2019 72-76 Brunch Clubs

3/4

7/31/2019 72-76 Brunch Clubs

4/4

hope they deem you worthy.

The dierent party organisers ollow roughly the

same ormula: a theme, a sit-down brunch with ne

ood and lorryloads o entertainers, ollowed by a

concentrated our or ve hours o ull-on clubbing.

The soundtrack is house music rom socialite DJs like

Sam Young, Guy Laurie and Klaus de Macedo (Boujis).Once the tables are cleared a solid eort is made to

start the party with a bang. Not least by means o rapid

lubrication. At Bacanal there is a careully stage-

managed transition when the

entertainers reach a climax, the DJ

kicks in and scores o pre-ordered

bottles o vodka and champers

arrive en masse.

Celebs are just part o the scenery models, actors,

designers. Youll see Melanie All-Saints DJing, Made

In Chelsea aces ufng their lines. And ootballers

really love the new brunch: they can get into all

sorts o mischie and still tell the coach they had an

early night.

Such is his passion or the party, Diego has recently

quit his banking job to run Bacanal ull-time (in both

London and Milan). I love it, he grins. Its like takingSt Tropez or Ibiza and bringing it to London. Its the

highest buzz I could ever have.

He even brings in his own specially strengthened

urniture to make sure people can dance on the

tables. When it comes to the brunch, London is

leading the way.

76

Bacanal

bacanal.co.uk

Past venues: The Collection, The Box, IlBottacio, Nozomi, JustCavalli Milano

Next party: June 16, KensingtonRoo Gardens

How to get invited:Register on theirwebsite and await a phone call

Love Brunch

welovebrunch.comPast venues:Supperclub, Sanderson,

Kensington Roo GardensNextparty: TBC

How to get invited: Join their

Facebook groupBest for:Dancing and celebs likeChelsea Davy and Sienna Miller

Veni Vidici

venividici.com

Past venues: No 5 Cavendish Square,Frankies Knightsbridge

Next party:TBCHow to get invited:Register on

their website

Best for:Epic amounts o champagne

Brunch drunk

WordsFrank Broughton

078 082 Underground brunch clubs indd 76 22/05/201