Truth is, it used to be, that in your teens and twenties your friends would call and you’d all arrange to go out for a few beers. Nice. A pub, a bar, dependant on occasion and company, and day of the week.
Bars, in my case feeling a bit more ‘weekend’ than weekday for some reason.
From the bars excitement, adrenalin would propel us to the entirely more energetic pursuits of clubbing into the morning light. In my early years these clubs were pretty bleak and nothing more that late night drinking discos, owned by the over-fed car dealer from the town. Nasty really.
Then clubs had a makeover, driven by music and fashion. They became cooler, more designer, less glitzy and their badges were worn with pride and honour. A social label for a generation.
I loved this change. I was part of it and a cog in clubbing’s relentless move upward and onward.
For me it was the feeling of being up when all the suburbanites slept, in what I saw as there dull and lifeless beds. I was in my twenties and was driven by an urban dream of lifestyle. Of living a life that didn’t exist in a 9-5 sense, that had no regard for traditional night and day constricts, that mashed up fashion, style, money and aspiration,that was lived ‘downtown’ and not ‘uptown’.
For me cool didn’t and probably couldn’t exist amongst the wealthy and monied. Young money didn’t exist in this pre-dotcom era and money was either inherited or earned over time and through compliance. Cool always lived downtown. In fact I remember thinking that, unless you were a rock star, you were either cool and credible or rich. Rarely did the two exist together, if at all.
Whilst all this was being played out in my head, in the mid 90s, I was unaware that the digital age was dawning and this view would be massively smashed, this reality changed.
The late 90s and naughties was a revolution and a revelation. Dotcom fever hit and the rules changed. Clubbers and DJs were now running companies, corporations were wrong footed and out of step with a new world. Money flooded the markets and pockets and aspirations bulged.
Hedonism on a daily scale never seen before.
Lives changed and with it, lifestyles and wants. The breakdown of the traditional working hours for many, changed and this changed going out. Social media changed the way we communicated and now fifty friends could be mustered in a moment. Sociability swept the nation and going out was seen as the barometer of your standing. Bars boomed, pubs got posh and restaurants popped up, literally, everywhere. And here we are. In this brave new world. Jaded by the speed of change, breathless by our consumption but always looking for the next big thing to enjoy.
And of course, it’s here. It has arrived and is making itself heard amongst those able to access it. Vibe dining is the label but in essence it is simply the natural next step in the journey. A mash up of high-end and indulgent dining with serious yet unashamed clubbing. A place you can call home for the night. Where you can hang with friends for a number of hours and satisfy all social requirements. Some can dress up and look like movie stars, others can dress down and chill. Some can eat because they’re hungry and others play with the food. Some can cocktail and instagram, others can wine and savour. Some may just want to beer. It’s got it all for those who want it.
Cool design, luxury and edginess living side by side. Designer styled cuisine for the modern mister and miss. And then, when all is done at the table, when the sweet lady has sung, mister DJ turns up the energy and twists the funk button. Dance like no one cares, all over the tables and chairs, let the music take you and make your midriff move. With the dining done, it’s time to get some ‘vibing’ done.
In a world where time is the true currency for many, vibe dining venues are the new ballrooms and bar rooms. Places that invest as much in their kick-ass sound system as they do in their kitchens. They understand that getting your rocks off is as important as turning your rabatta grill on. That the perfect cocktail quenches more than thirst.
They let very busy people have a very intense party. Giving them a space to rent for the night, with friends and invest together in a great restaurant occasion, a grown up clubbing experience and a party that stays in the memory, at least until the next time.
This has been the inspiration behind my design for MNKY HSE, the new Vibe dining restaurant in Mayfair, London, that opened last month.
Vibe dining is a full night out for those who have been clubbed out, dined out and gone out for the last couple of decades and now want to do it all together – in one place!
