For some bars, the party’s well and truly over.

[Pattaya One]

Out of all the incarnations of bars in the Covent Garden Complex, who would have put money on the final survivor (I am not counting the Arab-oriented Irony Bar for the purpose of this piece) being X-Zone, when so many illustrious names have died a death on the ground floor.

Club Boesche was the stand-out bar there for a few years, but the following bars have come and gone on the ground floor.

There was Catz which later became Toyz and then Dream, and on the other side, Babewatch which became Taboo and then Black and White and then Sin City, then Relaxxx. There may even be some I have missed.

Psst. Wanna buy a used bar?

That’s a lot of failure.

X-Zone's success is all the more remarkable because punters have to walk halfway up Walking Street, turn up a side street and then climb a flight of stairs to get there.

Obviously X-Zone has survived because it does what it does in a well-managed way, keeps punters well-entertained and has a sensible pricing policy on its drinks.

Go on. You know you want to.

All three bars on the ground floor are now shuttered and empty, and it is a sobering sight to walk past all the “for rent” signs as you go upstairs to X-Zone..

View the full article