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If you’ve been on instagram recently then you’ve probably seen The Lost Estate’s Paradise Under The Stars pop up on your feed. But if not, then let me tell you all about it. Paradise Under The Stars is an immersive 1950’s Cuban experience set in a tucked away venue in a residential part of West Kensington in London. Based on Havana’s Tropicana nightclub, this Cuban cabaret brings to life the glamour and Caribbean spirit of vintage Havana with its immersive theming, energetic dancers, live music and Cuban cuisine.
Paradise Under The Stars London Review
As a fan of latin music and immersive experiences, The Lost Estate’s latest offering caught my eye. I purchased the tickets for my husband’s birthday and we travelled to London on one of the hottest days of the year, in fact the temperatures in London that day were on par with Havana. It was a great excuse to dress up. The Lost Estate’s website requests ‘summer formal evening attire’ so I got to wear a dress that I haven’t worn in a while.
I had booked the Classico ticket, which as well as the cabaret performance also included a 3 course meal. There are four tiers of ticket price, starting at £69.50 per person.
The venue
We arrived at the venue early and there was a small queue of people outside waiting to go in. Upon entry through the first set of doors, you are immediately transported to a retro style airport check-in desk, complete with a flight departures board and vintage travel posters. This is where the immersive experience begins. The “airline employee” gives you your boarding pass for Havana Clipper Airways flight from Miami to Havana and wishes you a great flight. As a self-confessed travel nerd I absolutely loved this touch. Even more so that entry was staggered so each party got their turn to be at the check-in desk without a bunch of other people spoiling the ambience.
We then arrived at the beautiful bar where the acting continued from the next member of staff.
“How was your flight?” she said,
“Short!” responded my husband.
We were then shown to our table at Club Tropicana. And considering I had only purchased second tier seats where we should have been at a shared dining table, we had our own little table for two right at the front. We were near enough to count the sequins on the dancers costumes, that’s how close we were!
The venue itself was atmospheric with lights, palm trees and, of course, stars. There were a few ‘Tropicana’ neon lights which people enjoyed taking their photos with too. Our table was already set with a bowl of banana chips and a mojo sauce to dip them in.
The drinks
The drinks menu was extensive but it was the separate cocktail menu that really caught my eye. There were tropical cocktails such as Mai Tai and Pina Colada, plus Cuban cocktails like Mojito and Cuba Libre. Unfortunately our waiter informed us that as there was no crushed ice we wouldn’t be able to have a Mojito or a Havana Especial that day. Boo. I opted for a Pilgrim, which was a gin based cocktail with cherry rum, honey and ginger syrup and lemon soda. I also later had a Frozen Daiquiri. Both cocktails were expensive but nothing unusual for London.
The food
The menu has been designed by chef Ash Clarke as “vintage fine dining meets Cuban soul food”. Our starters were presented to us before the performance began. Nick chose the carne/meat menu where as I had the vegetarian option. His was a cod and prawn ceviche, where as mine was a palm heart and watermelon – both in a flavoursome marinade and a shared bowl of tortilla chips.
The mains were mojo marinated chicken breast for the meat eaters or cheese croquettes for the vegetarians. Both served with yellow rice. The dishes were tasty but a little too heavy on the coriander for my liking, so be wary of that if you’re not a coriander fan (dietary requirements are catered to if advance notice is given).
Dessert was a tropical flan with mango, coconut and pineapple. The perfect end to the meal. All of the dishes were small in size, however I found that they were much more filling than they appeared. I was satisfied (although there’s always room for another cocktail!).
The performance
For starters, let it be known that many of the cast are Cuban. The choreographer, Luanda Pau is the daughter of the legendary original Tropicana choreographer Domingo Pau. So you know this is the REAL DEAL. And both of them were in the audience while we were there.
The cast is made up of a live band, a male and female singer, four dancers and an emcee. Let me tell you that they were all fantastic. The emcee told a story of Cuba and although I didn’t fully follow the story, she was spellbinding nonetheless. It would be easy for me to say that the dancers in their bedazzling costumes stole the show, but every member of the cast delivered.
My favourite parts of the show were the beginning and the end. There is a love story in the middle part of the show which, although beautiful, was kind of like the calm between the vibrant, toe tapping spectacular. Plus everyone loves the mambo.
Paradise Under The Stars lasts over 3 hours and includes an interlude. And at the end of the performance, guests are encouraged to get up and dance. We joined the conga line which was fun too. But don’t worry, if you prefer to leave the dancing to the professionals, there’s no pressure to join in.
My final verdict on Paradise Under The Stars
The whole experience was really well brought together. The tickets aren’t cheap so I had high expectations and other than the excess coriander and lack of crushed ice, I would say my expectations were exceeded. If you like your experiences immersive and a little bit quirky and you want a taste of Havana in London, then The Lost Estate’s Paradise Under The Stars ticks all the boxes.
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