Chat Noir! Review: A Lavish but Lengthy Immersive Dining Experience
If you have recently traveled on the Piccadilly Line during evening rush hour, you may have noticed fellow passengers wearing feather boas, bowler hats, and other Belle Époque attire. They were likely heading to Chat Noir!, the latest immersive dining show from The Lost Estate, the creators of the popular festive show The Great Christmas Feast. This new production transports guests to 1890s Paris, specifically Le Chat Noir, the legendary Montmartre nightclub that pioneered cabaret as we know it today.
Stepping into a nondescript warehouse near West Kensington tube station, visitors find themselves in a sumptuous, low-lit cabaret bar. The design is meticulously crafted, featuring Art Nouveau elements such as Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen's iconic feline prints on the walls and swirling Paris Métro-inspired patterns on the banquette seating. The attention to detail extends to the authentic 1890s adverts in the program.
Chat Noir! revolves around the nightclub's grand reopening after renovations that made it one of the first venues in Paris to feature electric lighting. The plot is well-researched, seamlessly blending a diverse array of Belle Époque references and characters. The music includes works by composer Erik Satie, who was a resident pianist at the club, and regular visitor Claude Debussy. Performers include celebrated illusionist Joseph Bautier, 1890s It Girl Cléo de Mérode, and mime artist Paul Legrand. Joe Morose stands out as the charismatic proprietor Rodolphe Salis, while Issy Wroe Wright impresses with her operatic voice as singer and Toulouse-Lautrec muse Yvette Guilbert.
The three-course French feast, designed by former Gordon Ramsay Group chef Ash Clarke, feels authentic without being overly challenging. Adventurous diners can opt for supplements like escargots and herb-crusted frogs' legs. It is advisable to place drink orders promptly upon seating to avoid long waits once the performance begins.
However, the on-stage action could benefit from tighter pacing. At three and a half hours, including two intervals for service, the show is lengthy and would be improved by trimming each of its three acts. The middle act, an absinthe-fueled fever dream centered on a literal Green Fairy, lacks narrative structure. Despite the cast's heroic efforts, the final act drags after two and a half hours of drinking sazeracs and eating pâté.
The main complaint remains the high prices charged by The Lost Estate. On press night, a private booth for two cost £239.85 per person, which includes a glass of champagne, three pre-dinner canapés, and an after-dinner digestif on top of the standard three-course tickets that start at £129.85. Additional drinks can quickly add up, with a carafe of vin de table at £28.50 and a traditional absinthe fountain starting at £17 for two. For comparison, a three-course prix fixe dinner and a bottle of wine at Brasserie Zédel in Soho costs around £90 with tip, while a top stalls seat for the Olivier Award-winning Cabaret is about £200. Sharing a bottle of Moët during the show adds £90, and nightcaps at the Savoy's American Bar cost around £100 with tip, still leaving enough for an Uber home. Alternatively, budget flights to Paris and dinner at the Moulin Rouge might cost not much more.
Value for money is subjective. If you have the cash, enjoy a novelty night out, and love dressing up, Chat Noir! will likely be a great time. Just be prepared for an absinthe hangover and a mild fear of checking your bank balance the next morning.
Details
Address: The Lost Estate, 9 Beaumont Ave, London W14 9LP. Tube: West Kensington. Price: £124.85-£224.85. Runs 3hr 30min.
