My review below is an aggregate of all the Eclipses. In general, the Eclipse chain is a good place to grab a drink in a trendy setting, but each one has its ups & downs. Usually tend to close at 1am, so onwards from there...
Eclipse on Walton Street is currently living off its past fame, in my opinion. It used to be the seen & be seen destination, despite its narrow hallway like front room bar, which opens up to a cozy lounge area, and a restricted VIP section to the left, which is roped off typically. If you can get through (either by booking one of the tables, or knowing the doorguy, or being a regular), then the second area is a lot nicer with more room, tables, etc.
A bongo player usually sits on the bar in the main room, further congesting the main artery from 11pm-ish onwards on busy nights.
As mentioned earlier, internal door policy is tough for the VIP, but the external door is also tough, but usually only when packed. Otherwise, as long as you don;t show up with more than 2 guys and before 10pm, you will be just fine. They also serve food (well, they go across the street and buy it from Itsu sushi and bring it to your table....I personally think Itsu is awful, so well at least there is an option at Eclipse if you get hungry)
Sundays nights are still the famed night - that's the night to rub elbows with the trashiest of the eurotrash (and the women who love them).
Cocktails are good, a bit sweet for me - best ones are Watermelon Martini and the Lychee Martini. Also owned by the same guys who own Volstead & Bouji's, and they have at least 2 other Eclipses (one in Notting Hill which is awful, and one on Brompton Road which is on two levels (ground floor and a basement) and that feel like a disjointed sweaty frat party most nights). So, if you have to pick your poison, this one, then Brompton Road, and you are better off going home and watch the midnight to 5am Big Brother feed rather than to sample the one in Notting Hill.
The one on Brompton Road has a dance floor on the bottom floor that feels like the dark basement of a fraternity house - unclean, mystery pools of liquid in corners, long queues for the tiny toilets, drunk people banging into each other and support columns, massive throngs of people waiting about 30 minutes to get to the bar (note to Bouji/Eclipse management - having one or two extra bar/wait staff will more than pay for itself with the additional liquor revenue - simple maths). Upstairs is a classier bar, but it shuts earlier.
If you can;t get into this one, the Art Bar a few doors down is a serviceable substitute, as is The Collection. read more