Pub Awards: Best Live Entertainment finalist - Salsa!, Charing Cross, London

It is Stonegate Pub Company’s best performing bar/nightclub, with an annual turnover of £3.75m, which is up £250,000 on 2015.

Other than it’s cracking location in the hub of Soho and the West End theatres, it offers a successful combination of food, drink, and a varied entertainment programme built around nightly Latin dance classes (salas, bachata, flamenco), followed by DJs playing the best Latin music, and live music from authentic Brazilian, Cuban and Colombian bands at weekends.

Beyond the colourful and upstairs bar/chillout lounge, Salsa! opens up downstairs to reveal two bars, a dining area, a spacious stage and dance area, and a raised VIP seating area commanding the best views of the stage at a premium price for the evening.

Classes

Half of revenue comes from the dancing classes, DJs and live entertainment but the significant spend (£150,000 in the past 12 months) on organising the entertainment reaps rewards as they drive a good profit on drinks and food to ensure a very healthy annual turnover. The attention to detail towards offering a true Latin experience, employing South American staff and authentic drinks and food offers, underpins the success of Salsa!

Recent innovations include additional dance classes to cater for all levels, a second bar to cope with the pressure on busy nights, allowing nearby theatres to use the space to rehearse during the day, and the introduction of daytime cocktail-making classes.