Thursday night clubs provide an ideal atmosphere to let loose and dance. Additionally, they’re an invaluable opportunity to meet new people and socialise with old ones while also giving you the freedom to forget your worries!
Night club food menus typically feature a full bar with cocktail, wine and beer selections as well as dessert menu options that can include an a la carte selection, static, du jour or cycle option.
An influential restaurant or bar menu can be invaluable to customer retention, so its design must be thoughtful. Kelley Jones will share invaluable insight into menu creation, pricing strategies and other helpful advice at this year’s Nightclub & Bar Show.
Alcohol
Most Thursday night clubs specialise in alcohol service only and do not offer full food menus for customers to enjoy. Drink menus typically feature an extensive list of mixed and straight alcohol drinks such as Cosmopolitans, Martinis and Screwdrivers along with classics such as Gin & Tonic or Long Island Iced Tea; other mixes could be Cosmopolitans, Martinis & Screwdrivers as well as exotic varieties like Vodka Rum & Tequila from “the top shelf.”
Furthermore, most clubs will usually offer their customers beer & wine alongside these beverages to complement these beverages! Alcohol menus should provide complete liquor list prices as well as short descriptions for each drink offered on this menu.
Mixed Drinks
Nightclub bars feature a whole variety of mixed drinks to satisfy the manifold palates. Some classic cocktails feature traditional flavours, while others boast modern touches. All are composed of one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic mixer; many can even be served over ice for practical and aesthetic reasons.
Fresh fruit is a popular way to add flair and brightness to drinks, from bars serving berries or edible flowers for added flair to adding citrus zest for an unexpected pop of flavour in any drink. Fresh ingredients add an interesting dimension that doesn’t overshadow other flavours within a drink’s structure.
All of these recipes are easy to prepare. Many require only two or three simple ingredients that can easily be found at any grocery store, and utilise basic bartending techniques like stirring or shaking a martini; you could even use a Mason jar as an effective cocktail shaker!
Beer & Wine
Nightclubs often feature beer and wine on their drink menu in addition to cocktails. These beverages tend to be cheaper to serve, making them an economical way of pairing well with bar food items – for instance, pairing white wine with fish, or red with pasta can enhance their flavours further.
Nightclubs usually stock various kinds of beer and wine on tap as well as bottles. Speciality cocktails, like the Cosmopolitan or Martini, may also be offered; popular choices are Long Island Iced Tea and Jack Daniels and Coke cocktails. Finally, these establishments may also provide flavoured shots which contain small portions of straight alcohol.
Appetisers & Snacks
Many Thursday nightclubs may only offer limited appetiser options, yet these dishes can help sustain patrons between drinks. These small dishes can add additional flavour and texture to complement their beverage menus, such as spinach artichoke dip with chips or cheesy nachos with beef, chopped tomatoes and cheese; chill salad, marinated grapes or even nutty nam prik may be ideal options to offer patrons sustenance between drinks.
Bar owners can get creative with appetisers by experimenting with various flavours and presentations of appetisers at their clubs, like canapes topped with caviar or deviled eggs, which make for delicious light snacks to pair with alcoholic beverages or act as potential aphrodisiacs. Bruschetta is an antipasto made up of garlic-rubbed bread slices; canapes feature small pieces of bread or puff pastry wrapped around something tasty such as deviled eggs for canapes; while these light snacks serve both purposes beautifully at clubs!
Finger food
At cocktail parties during Prohibition-era cocktail parties were increasingly popular and so was an array of finger foods, known as hors doeuvres, such as lobster canapes, caviar rolls and shrimp patties as well as sweet selections like fruit cocktail cups and marshmallows. Easy crowd-pleasing favorites like chips and salsa, hummus, cheesy spinach dip, and artichoke dip can also make great crowd pleasers without needing extensive culinary skills or kitchen space to prepare them!
Food that pairs well with music & alcoholic drinks & requires minimal fuss to consume makes for ideal nightclub fare, especially shareable items like tapas. According to Kelley Jones, vice president of marketing for Club & Lounge Institute, sharing can increase check averages and extend guest stays by as much as 20 percent; especially when served in bite-size pieces that guests can consume quickly. Furthermore, providing a range of options means guests will find something suitable to their palate is also key.
Desserts
Now no menu list would be complete without desserts. Desserts don’t just complete your meal – they also set the scene! Here is a selection of NYC’s delicious sweets to round out any meal experience.
Baccarat Bar’s palatial room may be best known for its exquisite collection of Baccarat crystal chandeliers and art, but they also serve up some delicious snacks. Their savoury offerings include silver dishes of very tasty olives and spiced nuts; but what really stands out is their dessert: Baba covered in genepy with an impressive assortment of mignardises is worth visiting just for that treat.
ChikaLicious alumni Maya Sittisuntorn and Eugenio Mauro Pompili showcase their fine-dining expertise by serving an impressive assortment of sweets that showcase their fine dining skills, from an apple and pineapple dish with moscato to a cranberry strawberry souffle. But their crowning glory is an indulgent coconut sundae featuring layers of coconut pudding, whipped cream and palm sugar-sweetened topping topped off by lotus root-shaped sesame tuiles!