Green Carnation

I needed to touch base with my friend who was broken hearted having just broken up with his New York boyfriend just a few months after announcing they intended marriage. I told him that I would be at Soho Hotel (love the big fat cat in the entrance) at a drinks reception beforehand and that he should choose somewhere suitable to meet. I envisaged a quiet bar where he could weep gently or wail dramatically into his wine. Yeah right.

So I arrive early and take the steps to the upper level. I walked rather tentatively into the dark interior that was reminiscent of a womb with alcoves.

The walls were covered in blood-red flock wallpaper and there were chandeliers. Yes, very Oscar Wilde and decadent. There were numerous small groups of very attractive young men – interspersed with what looked like ordinary (albeit gorgeous) office workers - none of whom took the slightest notice of me fumbling around in the dark.

I found a high table and struggled onto a tall stool in a corner, trying very hard to merge into shadows. I sneaked a text to my friend and he immediately burst into the room with a smile and hug. Why can’t I recover from heartache that fast?

Anyway. It is a tradition that we mojito so I went to the small but beautifully stocked bar which was staffed by more beautiful people. Although it was just past 7pm they kindly offered to extend Happy Hour so those first cocktails were just £4 a go. Good mojito – passed our test. And at that price it seemed rude not to have several more. So we did.

Despite being a bit of a fish out of water there, I was made to feel totally at home by the staff who were all smiles and helpfulness.

People (mostly in groups although there was a Chinese couple at one point – one of whom accidentally burned her long hair on one of the tea lights) drifted in and out while my friend and I chatted away putting the world to rights.

What I liked most about the place – apart from its completely over-the-top-but-somehow-works décor and its cosy intimacy – was that the music was clubby and upbeat but not overpowering and that it never felt crowded. And that, in the heart of Soho, has to be something to be treasured.

The landscape of Soho is changing. Old favourites Ghetto and Trash Palace have moved East to Old Street and a host of other venues are faced with imminent closure in preparation for the extension of Tottenham Court Road tube station. Amidst this metamorphosis, Green Carnation promises to bring to Soho’s gay nightlife a much needed highbrow breath of fresh air, albeit with a relaxed environment where everyone is welcome. The crowd it attracts is very diverse, from young media whippersnappers to older Soho regulars.

Depending on which floor you pick and which day of the week you go Green Carnation can be a totally different experience. Choose the upstairs and you get to lounge around in an area reminiscent of an artsy members club (they have, after all taken their inspiration from Oscar Wilde), all arm chairs and chaise longues, while you sip a cocktail and listen to house music. Later on in the evening it fills up, particularly at weekends when the noise level rises and music changes to the slightly cheesier variety.

The downstairs is a little more G.A.Y. than V.I.P. There’s a dancefloor, a smoke machine, and a hell of a lot of people bopping to Hi N-R-G and pop. Having said this, Green Carnation plays host to a variety of nights, notably the Parkin Lot on Tuesdays which features the DJing skills of a teenager and her 76 year old grandmother.

The barmen are impossibly handsome, and wonderfully attentive. There is plenty to choose from the cocktail list, from Raspberry Caipirinhas to more traditional martini’s, which are delicious I must add.

Green Carnation is stylish and fun, offering something a little different in the heart of Soho.