The King of Ladies Man is the tucked underneath The Breakfast Club’s first jaunt South of the river. Though this is The Breakfast Club’s 5th venue, it is the second one that houses a fully functioning cocktail bar. The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town was the first offering, and with its almost legendary popularity The King of Ladies Man would have to provide something special to usurp its sister.
The Venue
The venue is split into two areas – The Breakfast Club and The King of Ladies Man. The Breakfast Club’s role is to serve up the diet destroying food it is known for; with The King of Ladies Man serving as the speakeasy cocktail bar. You can enter through an old laundrette, towards the back of The Breakfast Club, or street side entrance in the day and early evening. The King of Ladies Man’s design takes inspiration from a 70’s shag pad – but instead of the brash disco design that dominates this decade, The King of Ladies Man has gone for a more elegant approach. The walls comprise of dark-brown, wood paneling; with a well-lit golden gleam resonating from the bar. Notable features include naughty 70's magazines, flamingo paintings, 70's memorabilia and gold lame curtains – all in all, a well designed cocktail of 70’s chic and decadent design.
Entry to The King of Ladies Man is through an old 80's laundrette.
The Atmosphere and Clientele
The King of Ladies Man seemed to have every demographic covered. There were couples, parties, dates, solo drinkers, after work drinkers and pre-club drinkers – all of varying ages and backgrounds. The bar had a lively atmosphere and was perpetually busy throughout my visit. Despite this, there was never a long wait at the bar, and the excitement of being in such a cool and unique bar created a very friendly atmosphere that exuded from both the staff and the clientele.
The King of Ladies Man has a cool and elegant decor throughout.
The Food and Drink
The cocktail menu is a black book (quite literally) of disco drinks, classic cocktails and signature creations – all served by Hawaiian shirt wearing bartenders. The standout cocktails for me were the Pina Collada, the classic dry Chase Vodka Martini (easily the best example of this I’ve ever had) and the signature Sand in Your Pants (vodka-based Taboo, blue Curaçao, Xante pear liqueur, lemon and Prosecco). Pulled Pork sliders, ‘mac ‘n’ cheese pot noodles’ and chipotle king prawns were in place to alleviate hunger and are served until late. A highly knowledgeable and friendly bar team made quality drinks, with every single order. Such professionalism is hard to find, and we were very impressed.
The King of Ladies Man salutes some of the 70s' best products.
Summary
Given the monumental success of The Breakfast Club in Battersea (queues of people down the street, for weekend brunches), it could be quite easy to overlook the gem that sits next door – but just one trip to The King of Ladies Man is more than enough to guarantee an unforgettable drinking experience. Clapham is not exactly wanting for bars, but it is quite clear there is only one true King, and long may he live.
