Favela Chic

The atmosphere is good for going out. But i do not reccomend it for dinner. We had a big group and go thte set dinner. 25 pounds for black beans and hot dogs in a dark mush??? i dont think so…

I went here for a birthday party with 21 other people. We were excited to spend the night in good company, in a new venue, and enjoy from chicness… too bad we only got the good company. The waitresses were very pushy about getting us to eat from the set menu, and I understand, it’s easier to serve that way. So we obliged, while some people chose to order a la carte.
When we did get the food it was served en masse, almost like we were in an orphanage, and this sensation was only enhanced by the type of food. The three course meal was started off with deep fried potato dumplings, accompanied by tasteless tomatoes mashed with cilantro. We then moved to serve-​it-​up-​yourself, immense plates of beans and rice. This was followed by fruit salad that made the one available at Tesco look like something Marie Antoinette would eat. Least I should say, it was extremely disappointing.
The food was uninspired and the serve was chaotic at best. We waited and waited for our first course of fried starch, while those who had order a la carte dined and finished, needless to say it got a little weird.
The drinks were far too expensive for their quality.
From reading these other reviews it seems like most people go for drinks and music. Please to do the same and save your money to eat for the falafel stand next door, you will be far more satisfied in the long run.

Ok, I really liked this place for what it is:
I went really early, when it was dead. I liked it in this way, and probably wouldn’t go on say, a Sat night after 9. We had the bartender all to ourselves, and I LOVE the décor, which you can’t really appreciate when the place is packed. It is kind of shabby chic meets Brazil meets Brooklyn. I had a really expensive, but DELISH strawberry Caipirinha.
So yea, totally different vibe, but almost better when it is NOT busy. Nice communal tables/​benches to sit on with group for a drink on an off night.

Great food and music! Bar is much too small (as are the shots) but the bartenders are cool and on point.
Best experience is to dine late so you have a spot and enjoy the live music and DJ.

My first experience with Favela Chic was in Paris, and I cannot recall ever falling in love so fast. I walked into a world of heart-​pounding music, table top dancing, wine glass clanking, and unpretentious fun. I swore to myself that as soon as I touched back down here I would locate Favela Chic — London. Can you guess how high and fast I jumped up and down while muffling my scream at work when I found out that it was down the street from my flat?!
I put my dancing boots on and walked over last night, absolutely giddy and ready for a good time. I walked in expecting to see and hear all that I had expereinced before but was let down. The energy and music were different, as was the set up of the venue –three very important factors. Not bad, but different.
Favela Chic –London is fantastic in its own right, though:
— The music is mainly Latin mixed in with a bit of drum and base. There wasn’t a single person in the club that wasn’t dancing. You could literally feel the music move through your body… amazing.
— The venue is beautiful with a variety of lights and high ceilings. It could be bigger, though, or there should be more control at the door as it got a bit crowded. Not too much of a problem, though, as we just moved it to the stage. ;)
— The crowd is fun. No one was rude or sloppy, and we all danced with one another.
It’s a great club, and I will probably find my way back soon. I just long for another night at the Paris location, and I am considering requesting that the club management team here put in picnic tables for us to dance on and forget every bother in our lives.

I do love Favela Chic. I can’t excuse why I haven’t Unilocaled about this place before.
Last night I got to see the more relaxed post-​work, pre-​gig side of FC. We grabbed some beers, headed outside and took a seat under one of the heaters and were instantly relaxed. That’s what I like about this place — everyone has the same idea about how to have a good time, or indeed, a relaxed time!
Come here on a Fri or Sat night though and you find a very different beast. Bring your dancing shoes, your sexy hips and your latin pout. Usually always boasting a live band to get you off your feet, this is a place to party. As Caren H put it, this isn’t a place to stand around chatting, it’s a place to be seen and to be dancing!
Get there early on the weekends, it’s worth it.

I heard great things about this place before we headed there last night. It’s a Brazilian club/​restaurant with a huge reputation and as per the reviews below, I was expecting an even bigger line. However, we must have arrived at 10-​ish yesterday and walked straight in! We were expecting free entrance, but it was only £5 (after 9pm), which goes up to £10 after 11.
Looking at the outside of the place, you’d be forgiven for not expecting much (though the neon sign is pretty cute), however, when walking inside — it’s beautifully unique. It was a crush for sure, but I spent the first 10 minutes staring at the favela inspired décor. Umbrellas and shoes hanging from the ceiling, as well as a mish-​mash of wallpaper and murals.
We decided to share pitchers of cocktails between four of us (pretty expensive at £28 a pop though), but oh so good. Well worth it. The shots were £3 each, which are pretty reasonable as well.
The music was just fantastic, probably the best I’ve heard outside of big club like Matter for years. It was a mixture of Brazilian funk, with classic hip hop and soul tracks dropped in. We danced the night away, as did the rest of the place. I will definitely be heading there again, and I’d love to try the food.
Cloakroom at £1 per item, and pretty nice bathrooms (seeing as it’s a club). Watch the ladies on the right hand side though, the door sticks and I saw several girls get trapped!

I LOVE THIS PLACE TOO!
The line is ridiculous, but very much worth it. Awesome place to dance (except for the ladies with the ginormous handbags bumping you every 10 seconds and the groups of non-​dancers) but can be a bit crowded to walk through.
Walking in, wouldn’t have really known it was Brazilian — but doesn’t really matter. Thoroughly enjoyed the décor, all the way down to the book pages on the ceiling by the w. c’s and coat check.

This is not a review, it is a call to action! Unilocalers, please, please, please help make this place a 5 (the designation of my best places in London). I went dancing there last night and the place is a 5 – cool décor, decent drinks, great DJ, so what’s the problem? It’s the people that were there…
Come on people, THIS IS NOT A PUB! So stop standing around in a circle with your friends just yapping and drinking and instead start shakin’ it! I should be bumping into people because we are all dancing, not because you are standing around. The majority of people were not dancing at 12:30am when I arrived, and that made it lame…
So if you do decide to go, DANCE. And if you don’t dance, don’t go. Come on people, we can change this place… I can feel it.
p. s.–One review says the music goes until 3… we were there on a Friday and they wound down starting at 1:45 and we were kicked out the door at 2.

I have a handful of friends that absolutely adore it here. The décor is unique, to say the least, and the music is usually perfect for dancing and/​or just hanging out with friends. The only problem is there’s not nearly enough seating (as it’s mostly taken up by diners) and they allow the place to get far too crowded. To the point where you can barely move. The drinks are acceptable, but don’t be ambitious and order a mojito. I’ve never had a good one here.
Overall — give it a try for a unique experience, but expect your usual overcrowded clubby night out with hurt feet and minimal space

Right, for a start. Fancy calling an enterprise favela chic… That’s like slum cool. And we all know about people who want to institutionalise ghetto fabulous, it doesn’t work yeah?
So, this has got nothing to do with the favelas. Hey, they weren’t even playing Baile funk. Just some horrid background noise ‘brazilian dance music’.
It’s just far too designed for me. And I hate bars which want to be restaurants and clubs. I want to eat. And therefore, do not want to leave my table and head to the in-​house dancefloor. That’s what other enterprises are there for, so I can do all these things and actually leave the building.
I had a snack. It was ok. That’s all I’m going to say.

Crazy mixed opinions on this place. It is not a predictable night out! I have been quite a few times and some nights have been awesome and others not so good — but I think this is true of most places.
You walk in to an energised space of Brazilian sensuality meets Parisian style with flock wallpaper and enchanting memorabilia hanging from the ceiling and walls.
Favela Chic is a bar/​restaurant/​club. If you wish to eat you should book a table as on a Thursday-​Saturday you will never be able to walk in and get one, unless you are very early. Once your meals are finished the tables are removed to make way for a larger dance space! Here everyone dances the night away to a range of music including electronic funk with a hint of Brazilian! They also have different DJ’s and music events occasionally — you need to check their website.
This place is also great for drinks and a catch up. But do be aware that there is a cover charge Friday and Saturday after 9pm and the place does get very packed. However if you are up for a busy night you will enjoy! Don’t let some of the moody staff ruin your evening — they are just jealous!

As you might expect, this is a Brazilian restaurant /​dance bar with a shantytown theme — I’m fairly surprised it hasn’t yet been closed down by good old British political-​correctness. Whilst the interior decoration is impressive and fascinating in its own way — and obviously well-​appreciated by the clientele (you can often see people pointing things out to each other), I can’t help finding it a little too contrived — just a bit too Shoreditch.
Until recently this was only an evening venue, and it still serves tasty Brazilian cuisine until the party starts properly, but is now open at lunchtime too and has a covered outdoor section — which will no doubt please the smokers and those who go outside to cool down (it gets pretty hot inside sometimes). Music is generally good for getting people dancing, so prepare to throw your finest shapes — and beware the flailing limbs of over-​zealous others.

Though I don’t particularly appreciate the name it’s certainly apt. Favela Chic is located within the heart of Shoreditch yet it’s as divorced as you can get from the standard trendy bars and clubs of this area. Inside you will find a mixed crowd of Brazillians and South Americans in need of a little home comfort and various revellers who’ve wondered in from the street. The whole place has a wonderfully fun atmosphere which is reflected in the rather eccentric décor.
Drinks here are absolutely delicious (the mojito’s are to die for) but are sadly incredibly expensive. The DJ, perched on a platform above the main entrance, will play on alternate nights a collection of funk, jazz and beats. Food-​wise there is an ever-​changing range of Brazillian favourites that will set you back about £15 a head.
This place is a great find and a breath of fresh air in an increasingly predictable area.

Favela Chic is a crazy place, the sort that you imagine up and really want to go to, injecting a Brazilian vibe into the streets of Shoreditch, which i think do need a bit of revamp at the moment.
Firstly, the food is amazing Brazilian fare, worth getting to the club early for. You can get Bahian food which I don’t think you can find in many parts of London, the fish dish is served in massive portions. You can also get meze style foods… aubergines, haloumi etc. Yummy and interesting!
The setting is a cavernous warehouse which gets sweaty and heaving, I didnt even manage to get into the club once because the queue was so long. The décor is really cool an eclectic a mish mash of carnivalesque styles, with a bit of Latino chic. I think the name of the place pretty much sums it up. This place is a good alternative to go to if you are getting fed up of all the general stuff going on at the moment. There is always a huge variety of music too, particularly fun is the Baihan funk and Worldy stuff! And of course, you must drink the exotic cocktails, although they are pretty pricey.

I’ve had some fantastic nights out in Favela Chic, but the music and the crowd can be really erratic, ranging from cheese-​rock to funk and world music. The music goes on till three, and really hots up around 11, which is when I would recommend going out for a night of dancing. It is free entry before nine, but its probably not worth sticking around for that long if you’re not eating.
The décor is really fun and eclectic — it reminds me of a ballroom designed by Latin punks — with some Christian motifs and hanging paper mache. The large jug of Caperinia packs quite a punch between four, and costs a hefty 28 pounds — too many rounds will definitely leave you feeling woozy the next day. But then there’s the weekend to recover!

Favela Chic isnt’ as bad as some make it out to be. Ok you will probably over heat, you might not understand why there are so many foreigner and why there’s no real direction to the décor and the DJ set. Its all one big huge mind f&*@
Just forget about it, Friday, Saturday is rammed, full of culture, vibes and attitude, expect bar ladies serving on the bar and later on in the night dancing on them! Expect some cult classic Hip Hop, R’N’B, chopped up and stir fried with World Music, Beats, Breaks, Salsa, and various sounds.
Wednesdays is a night dedicated to private promoters and has seen the likes of MIAMI BASSLINE, and DJ KESH’S SPACE INVADERS nights on wednesdays! All in all I have fun times in here with my friends but not so much with the locals as theres no real common ground to converate with! An OK experience…