Lío London
A one-of-a-kind entertainment and dining experience bringing a touch of Ibizan glamour to the West End in the prestigious Café de Paris building, Lío London has just opened its doors at 3-4 Coventry St, London W1D.
Breathing life back into one of London’s most iconic and historic nightclubs, Lío London offers an immersive show featuring artists, acrobats, singers and dancers, including new and existing Lío performers, in their first Lío London residency.
The approximately 700sq m venue is located within the basement and sub-basement of the classical Cafe de Paris building. The interior includes approximately 500 sqm front of house and 200 sqm of kitchen and other facilities.
The project was carried out for Pacha Group and curated by Pacha Group’s longstanding Creative Director Joan Gràcia. Award-winning Spanish architectural design studio Lázaro Rosa-Violán oversaw the transformation of Lío London. Main contractors were WFC; architects were MJP architects.
Guests can start and end their night at Lío as the venue transforms into a nightclub where resident and international DJs perform, in addition to well-known Lío club nights – bringing the inimitable Pacha spirit to London’s nightlife scene.
María Cañizares Rivas, senior interior designer at Lazaro Rosa Violán said: “Lío’s is an unforgettable experience – a sexy, sensual and modern reinterpretation of cabaret – which seamlessly combines with Lío’s signature cuisine.”
With space to seat 200 for dinner, Lío’srestaurant carries the Mediterranean spirit of Pacha and combines it with the flavours of the world and its destination.
The menu is complemented by wines selected by head sommelier Romain Audrerie who has previously worked with Andre Balazs as both Head Sommelier for the opening of Chiltern Firehouse, and later Global Wine Director for Balazs’ properties.
The restaurant, like the show, is full of surprises, with the team blending seamlessly in with artists and guests.
During the project, great care was taken to preserve the heritage elements of the Grade II listed building, which is renowned as one of London’s most prestigious events venues and nightclubs.
The design also features mirrored ceilings and a moveable DJ booth that is central to the space, with the original 1924 elegant double-sided staircase cascading down either side. Guests can either be seated in the heart of the action on the original ballroom floor, or on the wraparound mezzanine with a bird’s eye view of the performance.
María Cañizares Rivas commented: “Key elements of the interior include the two bars to the rear the main space, as well as the DJ booth that is concealed during the shows and moves to the front of the club nearer to the guests during the nightclub phase.”
British multi-media artist Jan Erika was commissioned to bring the venue’s feature curved walkway to life with 18 hand painted doors. Her large-scale figurative designs, inspired by the silhouette and lines of the human body are elegant yet daring – much like the show itself.
Speaking of the challenges of the scheme, project leader Sergi Brocal of Lazaro Rosa Violán said: “The building’s Grade 11 listing was one of the main restrictions that we had in terms of design, as some of the original elements couldn’t be removed or replaced. The building’s location too made the fit-out process quite complex, as it is in one of the busiest parts of London and site access was therefore not easy.
He continued: “Working on the project was an amazing experience and also a great responsibility. Lío is a very high profile name in the hospitality industry, and Café de Paris is an iconic building in the heart of London. Creating an interior to strike the right balance between both of these elements was extremely challenging – but also very rewarding.”
Sanjay Nandi, CEO of Pacha Group said: “Bringing the Lío brand permanently to London is a major step in our expansion plans and solidifies our commitment to growth as a group. With London now joining the ranks of our Lío venues in Ibiza and Mykonos, and soon Mallorca, Dubai, Las Vegas and Miami, we are excited to add another venue which not only supports the group’s ambition to be the industry leader in ESG, but continues to offer our customers even more world-class nightlife experiences.”
