Members’ clubs are synonymous with both gossip and booze. London’s elite have long been lured by the chance to let loose, unencumbered by the chance of being seen by anyone outside of their circles. Though for those on the inside there’s the possibility of spying a Prince in a tryst, or a socialite powdering their nose.
But things have been shifting in the past few years, and many of the capital’s most famous clubs have failed to maintain their air of elusivity — or move with the times. Old school The Garrick came under fire last year for its antiquated male-only code (which has now been reversed). While many have gone cold on Soho House’s bursting portfolio (it has 46 houses) on the grounds it’s lost its exclusivity after 30 years in business. And in suburbia there was Birch which promised to be a lifestyle and remote working destination with outposts in Cheshunt then Selsdon. Both went into administration in 2023, three years after the first opened and seven months since the second.
