TIM BADHAM GOING OUT
ENTERTAINING clients shouldn’t be rocket science. Some good food and plenty of drink should do. However, if you want to really impress and stand out from the competition, you’ll want to go the extra mile. You can’t go wrong with the very top restaurants such as Zuma and Marcus Wareing. Throw in a chef’s table and it’s even better.
Bars and clubs are more tricky. The top of the Gherkin is amazing but other exclusive venues can impress too if you have the right connections. Shoreditch House and Home House always work but going old-school with Groucho has a certain panache. Bar-wise, Sketch fits the bill for lively and trendy; China Tang for opulent discretion; The Ritz Club for dazzling excess or for a different talking point, the energetic Circus for performers dangling over your head.
Depending on your client, throwing in some fun could work wonders. You could hire the Biscuit Pin at Shoreditch House which includes private bowling lanes, or take over the Rockingham Suite at Eight Bank and use the funky private cinema to compete at Wii games or a racing car simulator. A more traditional but decidely un-PC City Boy fall-back can be found at the likes of Platinum Lace, unveiled last week. For more acceptable late night revelry where girls bare (slightly) less for a bottle of champagne, the best clubs would be Movida, Chinawhite, Merah and Jalouse, but a table is a must if the group is guy heavy. For another level of exclusivity and a bona fide experience, a film premiere will always be remembered, even if you are not.
More interaction makes award ceremonies the perfect choice as you can talk and drink with your table in among the heart of the celebrity action. The Brits and VMA’s have the most bling but the smaller and more intimate Empire Awards and Q Awards are for those in the know, or perhaps try the upcoming new London Lifestyle Awards. For that extra bit of glamour, fashion shows make an indelible impression – just ensure you secure the after party too or they will be over in a flash. You have just missed Fashion Week but February will be here before you know it. Tim Badham is the founder of Innerplace, London’s leading providers of VIP entertainment, including film premieres, fashion shows, launch parties and members club access. ww.innerplace.co.uk.