Join the Club

01 Dec 2011

In the darkened interiors of some of the world’s most glamorous supper clubs, you will discover delectable dining, world-class entertainment and the city’s hippest trendsetters. NICK WALTON recommends a few.

Increasingly, intrepid diners are seeking out new culinary and sensory dining experiences. Enter the modern day supper club, the one-size-fits-all solution to convention-snapping, boredom-bashing nights on the town.

The original supper clubs, which started in the US in the 1930s, were social destinations for local communities. From the mid-1930s to the 1940s, which was known as the golden age of supper clubs, they were sophisticated urban affairs and in the UK, this collective dining experience was often accentuated with live music. As chefs took over hosting these events and the supper club scene took on a more homely dinner party feel, meals became more daring and playful. Influenced by the ‘secret' dinner party scene of South America, where finding the venue is half the fun, supper clubs quickly assumed an underground vibe. Now, while the definition of the supper club may differ from Montreal to Miami to Melbourne, one thing you're guaranteed is a night to remember.

Time Supper Club, Montreal

Located in a 1930s Art Deco heritage building on the edge of Montreal's downtown, Time Supper Club is a local institution and opens from Thursdays to Saturdays. Here’s where the city's glitterati come to dine on classic favourites like grilled steaks and spicy crab and lobster cakes, served by the city's most glamorous floor staff, before casting tables aside and hitting the dance floor to live music. “Time is so popular because it’s unique, it’s beautiful and it’s welcoming,” says owner Thierry Havitov. “We built this club because we were fed up of going to places with awful music, no class and bad service. We built Time like it was our own private house party and nine years on, we're still reinventing ourselves.” Havitov says Time was the first to introduce true entertainment dining to Canada, combining great music, food and people. “Some people wait 365 days to celebrate New Year’s Eve,” says Havitov. “We celebrate it thrice a week.”
timesupperclub.com

Melbourne Supper Club, Melbourne

In one of Australia's chicest cities, the supper club concept has a slightly more laid-back persona. Famed for its big bay windows with views across the Parliament House and Treasury Gardens, and for its massive, well-worn couches, this popular Melbourne supper club is more jazz lounge with nibbles than restaurant with dance floor. Expect bar snacks to include foie gras, fresh Turkish bread, thimbles of caviar, home-made meat balls, hummus with sun-dried tomato and gourmet one-bite pies, matched by an extensive wine list that features a wide range of classic champagne vintages. That said, this venue has its own congregation of loyal followers so be sure to book your favourite seat well in advance.
161 Spring Street, Tel: 61 3 9654 6300