Mo*vida enters its third phase and Soho gets yet more wine
Last week one of London’s heaviest hitting hotspots relaunched for its third incarnation, revitalising itself to remain fresh and keep pace with the capital’s highly competitive entertainment market. Mo*vida has become a global brand and after opening an installation in Dubai it has enlisted the help of Sammy Chams (Maddox, L’Arc Paris) to conduct an extensive refurbishment in line with the aesthetic of its international sister club. Spread over an expansive 13,000 square feet with a total capacity of more than 400, Mo*vida manages the tricky feat of remaining intimate despite boasting four different rooms and four different bars. A 25 metre video wall running the length of the main room adds an impressive touch and is best viewed from the VIP area opposite. Its reinvention, refit and relaunch every three years has helped it to maintain its iconic status. If you like your clubs full of popping champagne corks, beautiful people and pumping sound systems, you should reacquaint yourself.
Mari Vanna opened last month and has already become popular with the fashionable Knightsbridge set for its sophisticated Russian cuisine and eccentric style. They’ve now opened a lounge bar downstairs which is an intimate affair tucked underneath the main dining room and features the same quirky adornments of matryoshka dolls and trinkets the main restaurant has become famous for – it’s a bit like drinking in a glamorous version of your grandmother’s house. On Beak Street in Soho, efforts are underway to launch yet another of the fabulously successful Vinoteca wine bar/shop/restaurants. Vinoteca consistently offers an excellent way to enjoy a relaxed bottle of great wine without a hefty mark up. This new venue is spread over two floors with solid oak flooring, exposed brickwork and iron-framed Crittal windows. Finally, look out this weekend for the newly relocated Amika coming to South Molton Street in Mayfair.
Tim Badham is the founder of Innerplace, London’s leading entertainment concierge service. www.innerplace.co.uk.