While other restaurants and bars in Delhi have been slashing rates and extending happy hours to cope with the economic slowdown, Lap, the trendy two-month old nightclub in Samrat Hotel, promoted by actor Arjun Rampal and restaurateur A D Singh, is pricing tables based on their location within the club.

In a first for Delhi, and possibly India, if you want a coveted table bang at the centre of action at this members-only club, you have to guarantee a minimum spend of anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000. The nightclub was recently in the news after Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma was spotted there while out on parole.

According to a manager of the club (name withheld on request), the centre table at Lap that seats 10 people, for instance, will cost a member Rs 50,000, but entitles him to food and alcohol worth that amount. Giving an example, the manager said if a member orders a bottle of whiskey that is not fully consumed, the member can label it and save it for the next visit.

And the membership is going to get dearer, the manager said. “We are raising the membership fee from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh next month, and will close membership by January.”

According to the manager, the club already has more than 150 paid members.

Members are entitled to privileges like 20 per cent discount at the garden restaurant and can bring up to six guests free. Lap is currently the most expensive place for a drink, with a large Black Label costing Rs 1,600, while the same drink is priced at Rs 1,100 at bars like Ricks and Smokehouse Grill.

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