hotting up

Richard Branson’s club, 100ft above Kensington High Street, is best known for its
outdoor space — an acre and a half of themed gardens complete with oak trees
and a flowing stream where fish, flamingoes and ducks play.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a drink here could be a little on the chilly side
at this time of year, but don’t postpone your visit until summer. In winter, the Tudor
Garden is transformed into a charming winter grotto and a plush heated marquee
becomes the Tanqueray Live Lounge, decked out with cool and contemporary
dazzling pink chairs and a small stage with twinkling lights.

Here, through to spring, you can listen to live music on Friday nights plus live jazz
on Saturdays, while sipping all manner of tasty Tanqueray gin-based concoctions.
Inside the main building, the club kicks off around 10pm with a good mix of funky
house, R&B, soul and dance. With a ‘no effort, no entry’ dress code, expect to
brush shoulders with a sexy, sophisticated, well-heeled crowd.

Most VIP areas are divided by sleek fringed curtains, with the most coveted one
being the Moo room, decorated in cow hides and pink patterned wallpaper. One
floor above the club, the Babylon Restaurant offers stunning views of the city.
With good food, live music and a club where resident DJs promise to keep the
party going until 3am, what more could you want for a top night out?

T: 020 7937 7994. www.roofgardens.virgin.com