CLUB V
It was only a matter of time before the VIP room trend took over and spawned its very own nightclubs. Yorkville's new Club V at 88 Yorkville is designed to woo the swish moneyed crowd into swilling fancy martinis and joining its exclusive roster.
Now, this is not the kind of club that offers a gym, a screening room or a library. What it offers, instead, is an alternative to the area's posh hotel bars and, um, Hemingways -- and an international concierge service, à la the British company Quintessentially .
Consider the next couple of months a preview period. After that, payment of a one-time $2,000 membership fee will be the only way to slink inside -- and secure entrée into like-minded spots in Paris, London, or wherever the jet set jets.
The subterranean spot, designed by interior designer Irfan Bukhari (Budo, Red Drink, Fluid and Nectar), is all blond wood, glowing pink tiles and delicate pink-and-white orchids floating in vases lit from below. Five hundred miniature disco balls reflect the light. And a private patio will be ready, as well, for this Thursday's grand opening. It all looks like a fashion shoot, right down to Salon Jie's fashion styling of the leggy all-female staff.
"It's a super-girl bar," says sommelier and mixologist Steve Campagnolo. "It's all about the ladies. We won't ram the place with people. No one is going to step on their pumps or spill their drinks."
He is the man behind an ambitious cocktail list that features super-fresh juices, infusions of lemon grass and ginger and the like. (Even at $16 to $20 a pop, it's not actually called a menu; they call it a "drinks program," don't you know?)
For the moment, the club is open to the public. Visit now, and you can at least pretend you're thinking about coughing up the dough.
TRALEE PEARCE - The Globe and Mail
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