The Box - Soho, London

Since opening in early 2011, The Box has riveted the attentions of both London's glitterati and British tabloid media by offering a nightlife experience that titillates, tantalises, and, at times, terrifies. Concealed behind foreboding oaken doors manned by no-nonsense, musclebound bouncers clad in black, The Box is aptly placed on what was formerly porn baron Paul Raymond's Revue Bar on Soho's Walker's Court. Founded by Simon Hammerstein, who took Manhattan by storm with The Box's elder sibling, the London club evokes both the nightmarish and the highly erotic. The venue's design is suitably sepulchral, exuding the kind of gothic opulence you might expect in a voodoo-powered New Orleans bordello.  An evening here often plays out like a scary, sexy dream, with the MC taking to the stage to introduce a series of debauched spectacles that the audience won't easily forget. However, to ensure unobstructed views of the obscene scenes unfolding onstage, we recommend that you book a table. You won't regret it unless you have a weak stomach.