An unexpected visitor illuminates the brief history of Tiger Tiger

Tiger Tiger has always enjoyed something of a reputation. Before last week, it was known among London's partygoers as the number one "place to pull", where the sambuca shots never run dry.

Now, however, it has become something more; it has been transformed in the mind of the public from cheesy disco to national terrorist target- and the clientele, it seems, has taken on a rather different aspect, too.

For on Tuesday night, sitting quietly near the masses of youngsters downing drinks on the dancefloor, was the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

The unexpected visitor, who earlier in the evening had been launching a £100m fundraising campaign in the Royal Society's Piccadilly buildings nearby, had come along, he said, to carry on the party at the nightclub that only a week ago narrowly escaped being hit by a terrorist bomb.

The bar was quite a contrast to the formal occasion he'd just left, whose influential guests included Lord Sainsbury and Lord Rees of Ludlow, president of the Royal Society. An aide to the scientist said: "He's just come here for a drink. He knows it's where the bomb scene happened but he doesn't care."

The author of A Brief History of Time was not intimidated, the aide added. "He's been in all kinds of dangerous places like Israel, so this is nothing."

A spokesperson for the Royal Society said: "The dinner ended at about 10pm when Professor Hawking decided he would like to go on to Tiger Tiger - which surprised the guests."

Professor Hawking left the bar at the dignified hour of 11.30pm, when the dancing was starting to reach fever pitch.

Others stayed to party. Had he stayed, he might have had the chance to see for himself the features on which the nightclub's colourful reputation is based. Scantily-clad shots girls circulated with holsters full of alcohol as punters whose spirits had not been dampened by the bomb scare enjoyed just another night of festivities.

"I'm not frightened," said James Moore, 45. The karaoke compere, who was at the bar on the night of the bomb attempt, said: "I was there on Thursday, although I left before it all kicked off. Some people might be scared but I'm not; I like the atmosphere here and I come here a lot."

Duncan, 27, an off-duty police officer, also said he often came to the bar and wouldn't stop now. "The fact it's been targeted makes it more appealing. It's safer to be somewhere that's already been targeted than anywhere else. I've been here a few times before and it's always been a good night out."

Since last Thursday, the club has achieved a degree of celebrity, with tourists deliberately seeking out the location. "I came here because they tried to bomb it," said Emma Moody, a businesswoman from New York. "A lot of families I know were affected by 9/11. I'm here because this is a statement against terrorism.

"This is the epitome of 'you think you're going to stop my life?' It was the first place I went to when I arrived in London on Saturday. I had my first Pimms here and now we've all got lighters as souvenirs. My mum was furious when I told her this was where I'd come, but it's great."

Ms Moody said she had seen tour buses stopping at the bar to explain about the latest bombing attempt. "They were there on Sunday telling people about the almost-bombing," she said.

Interesting? Click here to explore further