Informal British supper clubs
On a balmy summer Sunday, Tim Scorer and his girlfriend, Emma Jarvis, welcome brunch guests to their spacious London flat.
After greeting them, the couple direct visitors to the garden - a stunning space outfitted with a wood-fired oven - for cocktails and mingling. It looks like a typical gathering of friends, except none of the guests has ever met the hosts.
DINNER AT HOME
Scorer and Jarvis run The Old Hat Club (oldhatclub.com), one of London's latest underground restaurants. These supper clubs, which grew from a handful a year ago to close to 100 today, are becoming a favored way for London hipsters to satisfy their exacting palates. They are part of the British capital's vibrant underground scene.
Venetia Norris came across the Old Hat Club while searching the Web for a place for her and girlfriends to meet for brunch. "I thought it sounded like a fun idea," Norris said, as she sipped a cocktail.
Other European cities, including Paris, have versions of underground supper clubs. The concept also has a strong foothold in Latin America.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Most London clubs charge $30 to $155 a head. Beyond a welcome aperitif, the clubs don't serve alcohol, so guests are encouraged to bring their own. Tickets are available online and tend to sell out well in advance.
Each of London's supper clubs has a distinct personality - but all aim to make friends out of strangers and reflect the city's rich, multicultural makeup.
WHAT'S SERVED
Fernandez and Leluu, run by Uyen Luu and Simon Fernandez - a young couple in London's Hackney ward - has a cosmopolitan vibe (fernandez andleluu.co.uk). Few of the well-heeled patrons are over the age of 35, and the club has become the darling of some of the city's most prolific bloggers.
The menu takes its inspiration from Luu's Vietnamese background and Fernandez's Spanish heritage - with traditional English comfort foods thrown in for good measure. Dishes such as tangy beetroot dip and Cambodian spicy steak salad paired with chips have become so beloved that Luu has posted the recipes on her blog.
Meanwhile, Joginder's Supper Club in Angel (jogindersupper club.wordpress.com) takes on the atmosphere of a large family dinner. Guests - a mixed group of 20-something bohemians, journalists and middle-aged professors - sit in the garden at a long table. Spontaneously, they swap seats to talk to others.
Meanwhile, the lovely smell of coriander wafts through the space as guests munch happily on traditional Indian finger-foods such as vegetable samosas.
Rani Baker uses recipes from her Indian mother and relies on her daughter to help with the cooking. The primary satisfaction the Bakers get from their supper club comes from interaction with strangers. "It's just a hobby, really," daughter Saira Baker says. "We just enjoy cooking and meeting people."
