If you’d told me that I’d be in a seven-story house on Poland Street dancing the night away like a 16-year-old in the lounge of ‘a friend of a friend’ last Wednesday, I would’ve laughed and thought it not possible in this day and age. Soho's packed with award-winning bars, members' clubs and historical pubs, not a replica of your nan’s gaff during her cat plate era - until now, that is.
The brainchild of internationally renowned musician Stormzy and hospitality legends Cream Group, House Party is a raucous concept bar that provides a raw and nostalgic experience; resident DJs place their Pioneer decks on kitchen counters, red cups akin to the ones in the movies are encouraged and you don’t have to worry about the mess on the carpet.
House Party Soho tickets are RSVP-only. You can queue, but mum and dad might get home by then.
It’s set across seven unique floors that have clearly been designed with a lot of attention to detail, from the pornographic posters on the child’s bedroom wall (whose age remained dubious as the bunkbeds and wrestling imagery really threw a spanner in the works) to the Jenga blocks and card games in the treehouse.
Not only is it a fantastic place to spend the night, if you RSVP of course, but it also doubles up as a live music venue, with artists like Trippie Redd and Sean Paul playing sets until 1am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, then until 3am from Thursday through to Saturday. Exploring the house was by no means a small excursion, as I wound up and down floral, carpeted stairs, peering round corners into rooms with retro games consoles, and karaoke havens fitted with costume areas. A particular favourite was the Joey and Chandler coop, fitted with lazy boys, a private mini fridge and an 1800 phone which you could dial for fresh, New York-style pizza.
Some would say he's all hands on decks in the kitchen.
I found bars dotted about the space in quirky locations like wooden display cabinets and built into the basement garage, crowned with empty tins of Dulux paint. Here was where Stormzy’s retro 90s black BMW was parked too - fronting the numberplate ‘P4RTY’, it was the perfect photo opportunity for me and my friends, as we draped ourselves over the bonnet to the sound of 00s hits.
There are other little nuggets to experience, such as the fact you can connect your phone via Bluetooth and play your own music in any room, as well as a secret side mission that wins you free drinks. However, I found myself spending the majority of the evening in the kitchen, watching in disbelief a guy swung from lampshades wearing a t-shirt that read ‘I love money not you’ on the back.
A hidden treehouse? Mario Kart? Bean bags? Count us in.
Acting as an intersection between the post-pandemic nightlife scene of nightclubs and relaxed venues, this haunt is certainly one-of-a-kind. And in true fashion, I returned home that night with a sore voice from yelling, brief deafness in one ear and a swirling feeling in my stomach from having accidentally mixed a gin and tonic with beer: the ultimate house party experience in my books.
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