Fluid Bar has now closed
Fluid Bar- Farringdon, London Bar Review
40-42, Charterhouse Street, London, EC1M 6JN
Fluid Bar, now a Clerkenwell institution, calls itself 'an excellent lubricant for social interaction'. This, we think, depends on the kind of social interaction you want. If it's quiet conversations and a subdued night out, then this is not the place for you. However, if it's a party you are looking for, you'll certainly find one waiting in Fluid.
And this is the impression I got immediately from the cocktail bar/sushi restaurant/dj bar combo. In fact before I could even see the place, I could hear Fluid. The thumping house music carried well across the street, and the bar was immediately recognisable by its glowing, semi-Japanese typography and bold promises of sushi. The Land Of The Rising sun it was not, but there was certainly something of an Eastern vibe to its arrangement.
When we arrived at 9:30pm ish on a Saturday night, it wasn't too full, though the DJ/Events Programmer, Alex, was already in full swing. I don't think I've ever seen anyone having so much fun behind a set of decks before, though he did stop periodically to chat with guests, and made time to welcome us warmly when we came to say hello and find a seat.
After finding a seat and a vantage point to taste cocktails and consume the vibe, we took in the subdued craziness that was Fluid. Here's the details...
Bar Music Sushi on the door sign sum up what to expect at Fluid Bar
Ambience and decor
Drawing some inspiration from the hip metropolitan sushi bars you'll find in Japan's urban areas, Fluid's atmosphere was cool and ever so slightly Bladerunner-esque by construction. There was a kind of Eastern-Cyberpunk feel to the place, with the design all heavily japanese letters and what looked like blown up cuttings from manga cartoons. This was combined with some retro arcade machines for full effect. A little too subtle for 'geek chic', but a really nice touch all the same. There's a small dancefloor and set of decks within spitting distance of the bar, and that's where you'd usually find the owner.
Fluid is split onto two levels, and downstairs was the dance floor proper. The volume here was even louder, the sound system (a 'TurboSound') packing more bass and punch than upstairs. In fact you could almost feel it in your bones as you descended the spiral staircase down to the bottom floor and fought your way through the crowd, which is the only way to get to the toilets (which were found down here).
Clientele and Atmosphere
The word I'd use to describe the atmosphere at Fluid is 'playful'. The lively music and funky decor supported this, and so did the clientele that night; a youthful and slightly silly crowd who seemed to be making their own fun in the already wild atmosphere of the place. No 'city types' or aloof trendies to be seen.
In the time I was there I saw a procession of hard-partying, kinda drunk looking people wearing identical paper masks, and many ladies dirty dancing on a dwarf percussionist, who would later join the DJ onstage for a quick set, wearing a ludicrous flowing blond wig. And yes, the little guy had rhythm.
The Japanese/Tokyo inspired interiors at Fluid Bar
Food and Drinks
We didn't get to try any of the food, unfortunately (it was a little late for that) - but we did work our way through a selection of imaginative and contrarian cocktails served up to us by the drinks genius/guy who oversaw the rest of the bar staff.
We tried a number of different cocktails with names like Tokyo iced tea, Rockapolitan, Strawberry mule and Mortal Combat. Each was excellent, with some being more fruity than others. My favourite was the Tokyo Iced Tea, which was garnished with a raspberry and contained, amongst other things, Japanese sencha tea leaves, making it ever so slightly bitter. I've never had anything like it before but would now like more!
The downstairs club room at Fluid bar for a night of unforgettable partying
Music
Musically, this place is dance all the way - house and deep house to be exact. Apparently they do play other stuff, but we'd shown up for Artizan music's bi-monthly deep house session, and that's exactly what they were going to give us. And they did!
Upstairs, where we spent most of the night…the dwarf percussionist was performing funky salsa rhythms alongside the surely tireless DJ/Events Programmer.
It's the kind of place where you come for loud dance music, or go home disappointed. Know this in advance and everything should be fantastic, should you choose to visit (and you should!).
The fun Japanese arcade games at Fluid
Summary
Fluid is definitely good fun, and as someone with an interest in Japanese culture, I thought it was quite cool that they'd managed to sprinkle it into the atmosphere without taking it too far.
My only critique would be of the music, more specifically the volume. It's a great place to have some creatively designed cocktails and hang with friends but half the time you will have no idea what anyone is saying to you. Sadly, there's nowhere you can go to fully enjoy the drinks on offer and have a conversation, which is what I am all about. Perhaps mid-week would be the best time to chill out and enjoy the cocktails and conversation!
However if you want to communicate purely by a system of hand signals and facial expressions, all whilst letting loose to hours of thumping dance music, then this could be the place for you.
My guest's thoughts were similar: She enjoyed the faultlessly friendly staff (even front of house), adventurous cocktails and drawf percussionist. She wasn't too keen on the lack of somewhere to sit quietly.
Still, we thoroughly enjoyed Fluid, and would like the chance to sample more of those cocktails. We will definitely return (perhaps with ear defenders) or try it out mid-week when it is less clubby. Fluid is somewhat of a hidden gem and don't blindly run to Shoreditch for a great Saturday night of clubbing before you have sampled what Fluid has to offer.
Budget: Happily Affordable
Pre-designs: Last night of mad debauchery before marriage, impulsive late night caffeine bender, post breakup reanimation with friends, dancing and loud music
Service: 5/5 (arigato!)
Reviewer: Jack Xij Oughton (@koukouvaya)
