Cube Nightclub is a canvas. A pulsating, high-ceilinged, mirrored canvas, but a mere canvas nonetheless. For those who miss Ultra, Cube will be welcome news - it is its replacement, and hardly any different from its predecessor. Practically nothing about the space is unique or different, though that's a problem only because it had promised to be just so.

"Presenting the next dimension of nightlife"? Not exactly, though not a bad thing for it. To just be another dark, thumping space on Queen West is blameless - the demise of CiRCA remains a lesson for the overly ambitious - but initiative is key to enjoying yourself at Cube. What Cube will provide is a space, music and alcohol, and not much else.

Cube is decently sized, but not exactly roomy. Long, narrow counters snake through the space beyond the entrance. Everything is shiny black and mirrored, which gives the impression of wading through a very chic ink pool. Images are projected onto a screen behind the DJ booth large enough to set an appropriate mood, allowing versatility for the space, though the Hoxton's open minimalism does that better. Adjacent to the dance floor is a lounge area, clustered with beige leather booths, reminding one of an airport in the 70's - which is charming, but jars with the rest of the club's sleek decadence.

One thing Cube certainly appeals to is vanity. This is a place to be seen and observed, and the older, well-but-scantily-dressed crowd caters to that nicely, though there's too much conceit for it to be a meat-market in the vein of an actual club. Despite the music that one can actually dance to (Jamiroquai, to my delight), the place was deprived of a single un-self-conscious bodily movement. If the intention was class, they've definitely succeeded, though at the expense of energy and charm.

To deem Cube stale isn't the right word, as it's definitely got potential depending on the occasion; this could be a decent venue for a launch or TIFF party. But all what-if's aside, on a regular night this isn't a place you'd remember. Even if you weren't drunk.