On the corner of Hay Hill, where it streams into the end of Berkeley Street that looks up at the Ritz, there is a new orange awning over black lacquered doors. There is no name, just a pair of Roman numerals: XX. “It’s funny, a lot of people this week have asked, ‘Is it a members’ club?’” says Alex D’Aguiar, who alongside Misha Zelman dreamt this place up after recent successes with Humo and Sumi. “And my head doorman Johnny keeps saying, ‘No, no, no! It’s an open door policy, please come in; it’s our house but treat it like your home.’”
This is 20 Berkeley (20 Berkeley Street, W1J, 20berkeley.com), opened a week ago today and one of a growing number of sites where the difference between restaurant and private members’ club is increasingly foggy. At 20 Berkeley, it’s not just in the name or the entrance but in the vibe, and in the looks. “This was never a restaurant,” D’Aguiar explains. “But it had been stripped down to a concrete shell after being offices. Before that, it was a house, and that’s how it’s presented now: you have a drawing room, an orangery, a pantry, and downstairs the bar and a private dining room. We could have opened it up into one big space, but why?”
