A supper club, in general, refers to a dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class image, even if the price is affordable to all.
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In the U.S., a supper club is a dining establishment generally found in the Upper Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. These establishments typically are located on the edge of town in rural areas.[1] They were traditionally thought of as a "destination" where patrons would go to spend the whole evening, from cocktail hour to enjoying night club style entertainment after dinner.[2] They feature a casual and relaxed atmosphere.[2]
Supper clubs generally feature "simple" menus with somewhat limited offerings featuring "American" cuisine.[2] Menus included dishes such as prime rib, steaks, chicken, and fish. An "all you can eat" Friday fish fry was particularly common at supper clubs in Wisconsin.[3]
Relish trays featuring items such as crackers, carrots, pickles, radishes, and celery are typically served at the table on Lazy Susans.[2]
The first supper club in the United States was established in Beverly Hills, CA by Milwaukee, WI, native Lawrence Frank.[1] They became popular during the 1930s and 1940s, although some establishments that later became "supper clubs" had previously gained notoriety as prohibition roadhouses.[4]
Supper clubs can still be found in the Upper Midwest but they are now simply restaurants rather than the all-night entertainment destinations of the past.[3]
Supper clubs in the UK take the cabaret concept of the American 1930s and 1940s and aimed to bring the ambience of the underground New York jazz club to the UK entertainment scene, where people could enjoy a dinner without the formality of a ball, whilst enjoying live music. These clubs were often the centre of social networks such as the blogging community.[5] in both rural communities and cities. Traditional supper club menus consisted of standard American fare, and in the UK there was a concerted drive to give the food and wine a British twist.[6]
Some supper clubs were purely informal dining societies whilst others incorporated musical acts to complement the atmosphere. There was also a form of supper club which acted as an informal dating platform. Both have largely been replaced by modern nightclubs.
The term "Supper club" is enjoying a revival with slightly different meaning - generally a small underground club (often with roving premises which are only revealed to the guests when they buy a ticket), where guests eat from a restricted or set menu[7] and are expected to fraternise with other guests who they may not know.[8]
In the UK 'Underground Restaurants' and 'Supper Clubs' have started to blossom, with reviews in leading newspapers such as The Times and The Guardian.[9] They range across the UK but are mainly concentrated in London. These are advertised by word of mouth and on social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as on the listing platform www.guestaurant.com. They have grown so much in popularity that you can now find social networks dedicated solely to underground dining.[10]
In Latin America, Supper Club typically denote underground restaurants, where they're known as either a paladar or a restaurante de puertas cerradas (locked door restaurant). While technically illegal, they're built into the culture, and often have higher standards than many licensed establishments.[11] They are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S.[12]
The attraction of the underground restaurant for the customer is the ability to sample new food at low cost outside the traditional restaurant experience, which can be expensive and disappointing—underground restaurants have been described as "anti-restaurants." For the host, the benefit is to make some money and experiment with cooking without being required to invest in a restaurant proper. "It's literally like playing restaurant," one host told the San Francisco Chronicle, "You can create the event, and then it's over."[13]
Supper clubs are usually known as underground restaurants, home bistros, guerrilla dinner, secret restaurant, paladares, puertas cerradas, guestaurants, speakeasy or even anti-restaurant.