Jack Solomons Club, a new Soho speakeasy bar will launch on 1 December in the basement of 41 Great Windmill Street, bringing a dose of old school glamour to W1.
Inspired by the legacy of Jack Solomons, an iconic Soho character whose boxing gym was located here throughout the 1940s and 50s; Jack Solomons Club will encapsulate the spirit of the colourful world he inhabited – if Jack Solomons had a bar, this would have been it.
Jack Solomons Club’s entrance will be through a hidden door accessed via an after-hours street-side deli. The sound of the live band playing at the bar will indicate that guests are heading in the right direction.
Descending the stairs, guests will pass a glass wall peering into the neighbouring kitchen’s butchery chamber before reaching the basement and are surprised by the scale of the subterranean speakeasy cocktail club to one side, and dance floor to the other.
A vast space, licensed for 390 people and with seating for 150, Jack Solomons Club will be a Soho destination to dance late into the night. Wednesday to Sunday evenings will see live bands, DJs, special one-off events and guest appearances entertain until the early hours.
Jack Solomons’ tipple was Scotch. Specialising in whisky with an extensive list, Jack Solomons Club will serve a sophisticated contemporary cocktail offering, starting from £12, with a nod to important characters in his life: Nipper Morris (a Solomons promoted bantam weight fighter) will be made with Glenfiddich 12 year, plum syrup, lemon juice and egg white; Black Jack (his favourite greyhound) will consist of Laphroig, maraschino liqueur and lime juice, while Old Guard (the nickname for Charlie Rose, a journalist of the time and Solomon’s personal nemesis) will mix Woodford reserve bourbon, bitters and apricot brandy.
The drinks list will sit alongside a menu of bar snacks and small plates inspired by Solomons’ early spell as a fishmonger, with dishes to include ‘Crab Croquettes’, ‘Hot Smoked Trout with Horseradish’ and ‘Rocky’s Fish & Chips’.
Whilst the new venue might have the feel of a members club, people from all walks of life entered Jack’s office on this location and likewise his club will have that same Soho essence, welcoming the great and the good, miscreants and misfits through its doors.
