Out of Africa

Straw-mix walls, woven rattan ceilings, zebra skin and ornate lanterns come together to create an African theme that manages to be both ethnic and sumptuous in Strictly Hush, the private dining floor above the Hush restaurant in Mayfair, London.

When Geoffrey Moore (son of actor Roger) and Jamie Barber opened Hush in November 1999, they left the top floor empty, thinking they might make it into a nightclub or a screening room for films. Three months later, they had turned down 140 requests for large parties (fearing they would disrupt both the atmosphere and the kitchen operation) and Strictly was conceived.

Strictly is divided into three areas: Zanzibar, Kenya and Tangiers, seating 70, 20 and 15, respectively. Zanzibar and Kenya flow into each other, with tables separated only by filmy gauze curtains, so separate parties are not completely cut off from each other. "Hearing other parties is half the fun of it," says Barber. "A lot of people who want a private party don't want the sterility of a private room."

Moore and Barber wanted Strictly to have a decorative change of pace from the main restaurant. They picked the African theme and commissioned the Paris-based designer, Miguel Cancio Martins.

Many of the finishes, including the rattan woven ceiling and the straw-mix walls, were created by a team of craftsmen flown in from Morocco. The tables and chairs were made in France, as were the bars. Accessories were bought in both Morocco and London.

Parts of Strictly can be booked from a minimum spend of £750 for lunch or £1,000 for dinner. Alternatively, the whole area can be taken for a minimum spend of £5,000 for lunch and £7,500 for dinner.

Lunchtimes tend to attract functions such as fashion shows and book or product launches, while evening bookings are for larger numbers of party-goers.