Nightlife
With so many elements working in its favor, why has Istanbul’s Supper Club, unlike its global counterparts, been plagued by so many problems? Sebastien Mitchell spoke with the club’s newest manager who is determined to put the place back on the map.
With a colorful 15 year history behind it, the Supper Club, which originated in one of the last free ports (Amsterdam of course) in the ever more homogeneous, sandblasted and spot lit open air museum called the EU, the place should’ve been an immediate hit here. It’s fitting that it’s found a home in Istanbul beside the Bosphorus given that the place, which has opened shop in cities as far afield as Singapore and San Francisco, is owned by a former sailor. The sea faring Bert van der Leden and later textile magnate must’ve loved the romantic utopianism of the place because he saved the place from certain financial ruin, but kept the vibe that the bohemians and artists who established it created. He sums up the concept behind it quite simply:
“Freedom is the keyword…It’s a mix of food, music, performances, art, our staff…and you (my emphasis). An evening…has been successful if all your five senses have been tickled.”
Tickled senses? Hmmm. It sounds like one of those borderline sleazy S &M bars you come across in Michel Houellebecq novels. However, rest assured, though the place is sexy, I wouldn’t call it necessarily a den of sexual iniquity. However, it is definitely stimulating in a variety of ways. Perhaps the success of the original club was due to its notoriety. One punter, who asked to be identified only as “Anonymous Dutch Supper club Patient” told me one of his anecdotes about the place. Drunk as fuck and having more fun than the law allows (well, actually Amsterdam isn’t exactly a model of oppression, is it?) he arrived at the club and promptly lost his mates. On entering the bathroom to relieve himself he forgot it was unisex:
“I thought I was hallucinating. A beautiful blonde girl was there with her top off and she was making out with another girl (Nightlife Ed’s note: Easy does it all you heterosexual guys out there and stop salivating!), who honestly looked like she’d just come from a W magazine photo shoot…I think they nodded me over, but…”
Well, as you might have guessed, our “patient” never enjoyed his potentially exciting ménage-a-trois. As Willy Shakespeare put it, “Drink provokes the desire, but takes away the performance.” I sense the prudes out there already getting ready to turn to another section. However, you needn’t worry about anonymous sex in unisex bathrooms here in Istanbul. First of all the bathrooms here aren’t unisex and the only warning to heed is stated on the SC web site where it tells people in search of a traditional restaurant with “lazy taste buds” or who are “scared of new experiences” to go somewhere else.
This writer once showed up there for a meal with a group of friends from the Istanbul Street Style team. We were invited to dance and sing by a striking black transvestite halfway through the meal. Unlike at Cahide, where the transvestites tend towards the plump and off-putting and their brand of camp is just plain not funny, the performers at Supper Club are notable for their glamour. As the blurb on the World’s Best Bars points out, it’s a hip restaurant and lounge. “The dining area walls are white and you relax on beds whilst you eat (N. Ed – no shoes allowed), drink and enjoy the live shows.” This season looks more hopeful than most with the formidable Amjad Dinawi at the helm and determined to turn things around. We caught up with him recently:
There has been a lot of mismanagement over the last few years at Supper Club. What makes you think you can turn the place around?
I think every club can be turned around. You only need to have a complete vision for all the details. You cannot ignore even the smallest things. It is a kind of like creating a work of art and you need to have passion. In my case, the concept of SC is associated with art and with the F&B (Food&Beverage) business, and in Istanbul you can find high standards in both these areas. Because of this I believe that the SC concept can be successful.
You've successfully managed the SC in Rome and Amsterdam, where it all began. What makes trying to manage the Istanbul SC such a challenge?
To be successful at any job I you must love the work that goes into it and have the passion. I fell in love with the SC concept the first time that I entered the amazing one in Rome. After two years working there I had the chance to go to Amsterdam once a year to train in the place where the SC was born. Believe me - there is no place in the world that can give such happiness and joy by combining entertainment with dining. I learned a lot from the directors and managers in Amsterdam…So Amsterdam was a school for me. If I could just reach the right people and could present the concept with its real Identity, people will see how the club takes off.
The owner of SC, Bert Van Laden, sounds like he would like to turn every evening there into a unique 1960s style "happening". Why has it been so difficult to attract your Istanbul customers to such unpredictable evenings?
Because no one has been able to get the message out. SC is basically is a space for multi-sensory experiences, but people here have not been able to figure out whether it is a lounge, a restaurant, a club, a performance space or something else. In fact, it’s a place that combines all of the above. My Turkish team and I are now focusing on presenting the place’s unique identity to the public for the first time.
In Amsterdam and other SCs around the world, VJs are a regular part of the experience. Do you think the Istanbul SC, and the city in general, has been slow to pick up on the rising status of VJs as regular fixtures at quality clubs?
VJs and live visuals are one of the basics elements of the SC experience and it as our customers enjoy immersive environments, the idea of dynamic projections should be a no-brainer…I think if they knew the value of live video mixers, they would be racing to add it to their venues.
One of the Istanbul SC's managers admitted he didn't even know what a VJ was!
It is good that he admitted he didn’t know. I think Istanbul needs to take the restaurants and the clubs’ management more seriously. Being a restaurant manager in Rome or London or Amsterdam (we are talking about a normal restaurant) one needs a minimum of culture in F&B, accounting, human resources, PR, service, and customer care. What I have experienced here is that it is very rare to find a restaurant manager who is competent and/or experienced in all these areas. Here, it is enough to be a relative or a friend of the owner and you can be a manager or even a director no matter what is your professional abilities are! And for me it something really pathetic and slows down the development of all sectors in Turkey.
You'll be glad to know that word on the street has it that the club is already started to improve since got involved. What are some of the changes you've already made?
First of all, the door policy has changed. It’s not like Reina or Sapphire for example. I couldn’t change it completely, but entry is now free. Secondly, we are making the club a center for workshops and corporate meetings to help advertise the club and its philosophy and convey the high standards of the place.
Who is your new cook and what should people expect?
My new cook is Turkish and he is so creative, professional and well-versed in international cuisine. I think the best way to have real good food in a new concept is to use a local cook with international knowledge because he knows what can be appreciated and what not. He can present the international cuisine and describe them to Turks.
You're of Syrian origin, but where have you spent most of your life?
I was born and raised in Aleppo and after military service I left my home town 10 years ago. I worked for 2 years on cargo ships, after that I stopped in Rome and began a completely new life.
Is it true that percussionist/ performance artist extraordinaire, Djenk Sarkus, the infamous Dj Mike from Amsterdam and vJ. Snow* from New York are teaming up on Thursdays to present a show called RHYTHM OF THE BOSPHORUS?
Yes. Let’s just say this night will send out a message to all the clubs in Istanbul what comprehensive entertainment means – the kind that engages people on all levels. All the artists you named will be there to create a really unforgettable night and everybody reading this interview can just rip out the page, bring it along and receive a free drink.
Any other special nights to look out for?
Every night is a special night at SC and I’d like to invite everybody to try the dinner experience…and after that give us honest feedback.
The Fall and Rise of the Supper Club
Writer: Sebastien Mitchell
With so many elements working in its favor, why has Istanbul’s Supper Club, unlike its global counterparts, been plagued by so many problems? Sebastien Mitchell spoke with the club’s newest manager who is determined to put the place back on the map.
With a colorful 15 year history behind it, the Supper Club, which originated in one of the last free ports (Amsterdam of course) in the ever more homogeneous, sandblasted and spot lit open air museum called the EU, the place should’ve been an immediate hit here. It’s fitting that it’s found a home in Istanbul beside the Bosphorus given that the place, which has opened shop in cities as far afield as Singapore and San Francisco, is owned by a former sailor. The sea faring Bert van der Leden and later textile magnate must’ve loved the romantic utopianism of the place because he saved the place from certain financial ruin, but kept the vibe that the bohemians and artists who established it created. He sums up the concept behind it quite simply:
“Freedom is the keyword…It’s a mix of food, music, performances, art, our staff…and you (my emphasis). An evening…has been successful if all your five senses have been tickled.”
Tickled senses? Hmmm. It sounds like one of those borderline sleazy S &M bars you come across in Michel Houellebecq novels. However, rest assured, though the place is sexy, I wouldn’t call it necessarily a den of sexual iniquity. However, it is definitely stimulating in a variety of ways. Perhaps the success of the original club was due to its notoriety. One punter, who asked to be identified only as “Anonymous Dutch Supper club Patient” told me one of his anecdotes about the place. Drunk as fuck and having more fun than the law allows (well, actually Amsterdam isn’t exactly a model of oppression, is it?) he arrived at the club and promptly lost his mates. On entering the bathroom to relieve himself he forgot it was unisex:
“I thought I was hallucinating. A beautiful blonde girl was there with her top off and she was making out with another girl (Nightlife Ed’s note: Easy does it all you heterosexual guys out there and stop salivating!), who honestly looked like she’d just come from a W magazine photo shoot…I think they nodded me over, but…”
Well, as you might have guessed, our “patient” never enjoyed his potentially exciting ménage-a-trois. As Willy Shakespeare put it, “Drink provokes the desire, but takes away the performance.” I sense the prudes out there already getting ready to turn to another section. However, you needn’t worry about anonymous sex in unisex bathrooms here in Istanbul. First of all the bathrooms here aren’t unisex and the only warning to heed is stated on the SC web site where it tells people in search of a traditional restaurant with “lazy taste buds” or who are “scared of new experiences” to go somewhere else.
This writer once showed up there for a meal with a group of friends from the Istanbul Street Style team. We were invited to dance and sing by a striking black transvestite halfway through the meal. Unlike at Cahide, where the transvestites tend towards the plump and off-putting and their brand of camp is just plain not funny, the performers at Supper Club are notable for their glamour. As the blurb on the World’s Best Bars points out, it’s a hip restaurant and lounge. “The dining area walls are white and you relax on beds whilst you eat (N. Ed – no shoes allowed), drink and enjoy the live shows.” This season looks more hopeful than most with the formidable Amjad Dinawi at the helm and determined to turn things around. We caught up with him recently:
There has been a lot of mismanagement over the last few years at Supper Club. What makes you think you can turn the place around?
I think every club can be turned around. You only need to have a complete vision for all the details. You cannot ignore even the smallest things. It is a kind of like creating a work of art and you need to have passion. In my case, the concept of SC is associated with art and with the F&B (Food&Beverage) business, and in Istanbul you can find high standards in both these areas. Because of this I believe that the SC concept can be successful.
You've successfully managed the SC in Rome and Amsterdam, where it all began. What makes trying to manage the Istanbul SC such a challenge?
To be successful at any job I you must love the work that goes into it and have the passion. I fell in love with the SC concept the first time that I entered the amazing one in Rome. After two years working there I had the chance to go to Amsterdam once a year to train in the place where the SC was born. Believe me - there is no place in the world that can give such happiness and joy by combining entertainment with dining. I learned a lot from the directors and managers in Amsterdam…So Amsterdam was a school for me. If I could just reach the right people and could present the concept with its real Identity, people will see how the club takes off.
The owner of SC, Bert Van Laden, sounds like he would like to turn every evening there into a unique 1960s style "happening". Why has it been so difficult to attract your Istanbul customers to such unpredictable evenings?
Because no one has been able to get the message out. SC is basically is a space for multi-sensory experiences, but people here have not been able to figure out whether it is a lounge, a restaurant, a club, a performance space or something else. In fact, it’s a place that combines all of the above. My Turkish team and I are now focusing on presenting the place’s unique identity to the public for the first time.
In Amsterdam and other SCs around the world, VJs are a regular part of the experience. Do you think the Istanbul SC, and the city in general, has been slow to pick up on the rising status of VJs as regular fixtures at quality clubs?
VJs and live visuals are one of the basics elements of the SC experience and it as our customers enjoy immersive environments, the idea of dynamic projections should be a no-brainer…I think if they knew the value of live video mixers, they would be racing to add it to their venues.
One of the Istanbul SC's managers admitted he didn't even know what a VJ was!
It is good that he admitted he didn’t know. I think Istanbul needs to take the restaurants and the clubs’ management more seriously. Being a restaurant manager in Rome or London or Amsterdam (we are talking about a normal restaurant) one needs a minimum of culture in F&B, accounting, human resources, PR, service, and customer care. What I have experienced here is that it is very rare to find a restaurant manager who is competent and/or experienced in all these areas. Here, it is enough to be a relative or a friend of the owner and you can be a manager or even a director no matter what is your professional abilities are! And for me it something really pathetic and slows down the development of all sectors in Turkey.
You'll be glad to know that word on the street has it that the club is already started to improve since got involved. What are some of the changes you've already made?
First of all, the door policy has changed. It’s not like Reina or Sapphire for example. I couldn’t change it completely, but entry is now free. Secondly, we are making the club a center for workshops and corporate meetings to help advertise the club and its philosophy and convey the high standards of the place.
Who is your new cook and what should people expect?
My new cook is Turkish and he is so creative, professional and well-versed in international cuisine. I think the best way to have real good food in a new concept is to use a local cook with international knowledge because he knows what can be appreciated and what not. He can present the international cuisine and describe them to Turks.
You're of Syrian origin, but where have you spent most of your life?
I was born and raised in Aleppo and after military service I left my home town 10 years ago. I worked for 2 years on cargo ships, after that I stopped in Rome and began a completely new life.
Is it true that percussionist/ performance artist extraordinaire, Djenk Sarkus, the infamous Dj Mike from Amsterdam and vJ. Snow* from New York are teaming up on Thursdays to present a show called RHYTHM OF THE BOSPHORUS?
Yes. Let’s just say this night will send out a message to all the clubs in Istanbul what comprehensive entertainment means – the kind that engages people on all levels. All the artists you named will be there to create a really unforgettable night and everybody reading this interview can just rip out the page, bring it along and receive a free drink.
Any other special nights to look out for?
Every night is a special night at SC and I’d like to invite everybody to try the dinner experience…and after that give us honest feedback.