The greatest thing membership to a private club affords its members is this: gossip.
It is sitting at the bar ordering face-reddening pours of vodka while smugly remembering this is the place that once refused Al Pacino entry on the grounds he looked suspiciously like a tramp (the Groucho). It’s wondering, as the second bottle of Barolo is opened, whether it was this table or the one in the corner where Brexit was hatched (5 Hertford Street). Or it’s looking at the door and seeing an actor walk in with two Soho gangsters and wondering how the f*ck they both know each other (club nameless; actor definitely nameless).
It has been decades since the the age of “private members’ club” was a byword for beefsteaks in Boodles or nights in White’s, though both still sit there harrumphing in St James’s, and while the Bertie Woosters of this world will never really disappear. Clubs today have sprawled well beyond the borders of Mayfair, sweeping up artists and entrepreneurs alongside the fashion set, the political nighthawks, the the inevitable ad execs.
And while private clubs are by definition exclusionary, and tend to be weighted down with hefty fees, they are seemingly more popular than ever. So much so, in fact, that a whole wave of restaurants have opened that mimic their very style; everyonewants to be the person who knows someone. And so of late there has been a slew of new places opening, while the existing set have another round of investment poured into them.
Below, from the ultra-exclusive set to the new and renewed, here’s where to get your food in the door.
No riff-raff
Nikita
Ostentation is not a decorative touch here but a state of mind. A low-lit, red-lamped style of place with moulded walls, designed to mimic a Haussmann-style flat in Paris, Nikita opened last year and has quickly made a name as a retreat for the most discerning (read: wealthiest) of guests. It is a burgundy red fever dream of money and half-made memories that only exists at night; opening hours are kept from 8.30pm to 1.30am. Here is somewhere for caviar in glistening mountains spooned in conspiratorial booths, and later for dancing. There is also secret passageway to sister restaurant Mister Nice; the brand-new wine club has membership from £5000-a-year, which gives an idea of the sort of set drinking and dining the night away.
22 Davies Street, W1K 3DE, nikita-london.com
Maison Estelle
One illuminating thing to know about Maison Estelle is that pictures of the place essentially don’t exist. Phones are taken upon entry; the kind of guests who come here aren’t the sort who post selfies for a social boost (in fact, the kind of guests who come here most likely aren’t using their real name for a handle). It’s one for the royals — Princess Beatrice has been spotted leaving here — and the sorts that own half of Mayfair. Still, backing from Hoxton hotel brand Ennismore means that the place keeps a sheen of cool and, for those invited, there’s a second Cotswolds site is already in the works, as Eynsham Hall becomes Estelle Manor.
6 Grafton Street, W1S 4EQ, maisonestelle.com
Pavilion Knightsbridge
Despite its high-end locale, SW1 has comparatively fewer members clubs than its West End neighbours. Strangely enough, Pavilion started out by doing office spaces but the Knightsbridge outpost is a full club; a palace of hedonism in the flashiest part of town. Gawdy? Fortunately not at all. The interiors, fulfilled by Russell Sage Studios, are luxurious, yet more discreet and comfortable than much of what exists elsewhere in the area. Oh, and want to be seen? Head up to the roof terrace.
64 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7JF, pavilion.club/knightsbridge
CLUB64
Members clubs which are also actually nightclubs are relatively rare, though somehow Tramp on Jermyn Street still… exists. More up to speed are Loulou’s at 5 Hertford street and the nightclub at Annabel’s, but CLUB64 takes the “club” moniker to a fairly definitive level (and its not just the all-caps). Tucked away on quiet Bateman street, the space is billed as Soho’s hottest, most exclusive club for 21st century socialites. Blackout blinds and facial recognition cameras help keep undesirables out and members in. They also shield secrets.
14 Bateman Street, W1D 3AG, club64.co.uk
5 Herford Street and Oswald’s
Still two of the all-time great members’ clubs, these sister venues have helped define what private clubs should be. 5 Hertford Street serves politicians, royalty, socialites, captains of industry, artists and aristocracy, all in equal measure — so long as you’re a member. The door policy is naturally strict, and the staff operate an NDA laden, tight-lipped policy about who exactly frequents the club, but everyone from Brooklyn Beckham to Cara Delevingne has been spotted at both. Loulou’s downstairs was for a time the ultimate destination to party in private, like being invited to your fabulously eccentric (and wealthy) aunties house, where the Sussexes might be spotted next to Boris Johnson (back when being a Sussex was still chic and when Johnson was more than an after-dinner speech hack). As a friend who worked there once put it: “you’d look around at dinner and realise everyone there is a multi-squillionaire”. Oswald’s on Albemarle street opened in 2017, in part at least due to the 5 Hertford Street membership’s love of fine wine. Robin Birley, the doyenne of London clubland, ensured Oswald’s allowed its guests to store their own labels in house to be made available on-demand.
5 Hertford Street, W1J 7RB, 5hertfordstreet.com25 Albemarle St, W1S 4HU, oswaldsclub.com
Not-so secret clubhouses
Apollo’s Muse
Apollo’s Muse opened behind a discreet door at Richard Caring’s latest pleasure-palace Bacchanalia to a somewhat muted response, which is good news for those feeling nosy. Despite an originally restricting the release of any imagery, the club is now plastered everywhere online, with celebs from Leonardo DiCaprio to Poppy Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn pouring in and out of the marble-gilded Greco-core moneyscape (perplexingly, toga parties seem thin on the ground). A snip at £5,000 per year, membership promises the best of the best of everything your heart could desire. The finest Champagnes? Naturally. The knowledge that you’re safely ensconced away from anyone outside the 0.1 per cent? This way, sir...
1-3 Mount Street, W1K 3NA, apollos-muse.co.uk
The Twenty Two
With its unerring commitment to discretion a mainstay of its appeal, the Twenty Two keeps whatever happens behind closed doors something of a secret. The bluffer’s guide? It’s an east meets west space, and as such fuelled by a mentality which endured in Soho during the eighties and nineties: bring artists and creatives from the east end and stir them in with the moneyed types from the W postcodes. It’s in that same spirit the club opened, with a menu and ambience completely different to the main dining room; whereas this is a glitzy and glamorous space, the club is an altogether quieter affair, one of peace that encourages thoughtful lingering, the secret outdoor terraces will undoubtedly be among the more sought after spots this summer. Oh, and it’s reported Jeff Bezos and Tom Cruise are frequent visitors too. Expect a few would-be directors hanging around in the hope of funding.
22 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6LF, the22.london
Upstairs at Langan’s
Of all the trappings that tend to define a members club (exorbitant fees, huge wait lists, secret addresses and a strict no photo’s policy, to name a few) Upstairs atLangan’s has almost none. They do membership a little differently here: it’s free to join and there are no subscription fees. Hardly feels members at all, but those who aren’t one can’t get in. Though Langan’s is still trading off a considerable heritage — evoking the era of old-world Mayfair glamour which saw Michael Caine and Peter Langan reshape elegant Paris-inspired food for a London which was crying out for it — after a rocky start the place has found its feet and the food has sharpened up. It’s still the spot for a louche afternoon that tailspins into a white wine evening. The Upstairs space is a soft loungey venue, both bright red and orange, with live music, lethal cocktails and what you might call sultry vibes.
Stratton Street, W1J 8LB, langansbrasserie.com
1 Warwick
New clubs in London are up against tough competition from the well-established big-hitters. In the inevitable clamour to attract creatives and characters, the spaces these clubs operate risk turning into generic anti-clubs, soon to become public lounges which lose all exclusivity. That doesn’t seem likely at 1 Warwick, which follows the success of Fitzorvia’s Mortimer House. The original made a name for itself with a series of vibrant chef collabs (everyone from Elizabeth Haigh to Luke Selby had time in their kitchens) and 1 Warwick seems to continue the culinary focus with Tom Cenci heading the hobs. The main restaurant, Nessa, is a public space, with chef Cenci also overseeing the private restaurants and rooftop terrace.
1 Warwick Street, W1B 5LR, 1warwick.com
Back from the dead
Groucho
Almost mythical in its way, the Groucho is everything to all sorts. There’s the rockers out under the pool table, there’s the media types all full of beans — you understand — and the television sorts demanding privacy whilst holding court at the first floor bar. It is even, if you can imagine, the sort of place where young journalist could drink an indecent number of martinis while attempting to woo a recent Central Saint Martins graduate, before dancing on the tables and writing effusive letters of apology to the staff the morning after. Not that we’d know about that. ArtFarm recently acquired the club from a faceless asset management firm and quickly installed Mark Hix as director of food and beverage to gently update the menu’s and offerings, which have too often played second fiddle to the clubs’ raucous reputation.
45 Dean Street, W1D 4QB, thegrouchoclub.com
George
Another stalwart of clubland that’s had an overhaul is George, the Mount Street club famed for frequent visits from political and media heavyweights (David Cameron famously dined with Rupert Murdoch). The restaurant has had a glow up, with a new menu installed courtesy the talents of chef Marcus Eaves (late of Pied a Terre and Oblix at the Shard). Eaves is cooking a Mediterranean menu, whilst retaining much of Luca dal Bosco’s originality. New dishes are set to include courgette flower stuffed with Sicilian prawns served with a and red pepper sauce and yellow tail tuna with pickled baby carrots and avocado crème fraiche. The opening party was lively to say the least; if it’s any indication of what’s to come, George is set for a younger, cooler crowd.
87-88 Mount Street, W1K 2SR, georgeclub.com
House of Koko
God, that was a long old run: Koko Camden’s £70 million, decade-long renovation at one point looked endless, but it was worth it to restore the former golden-era venue to new 21st century heights. The old venue welcomed the biggest stars of its day — Mick n Keef, Amy Winehouse and Prince were among the best-known clientele — and today things are as starry, with Maya Jama and Sienna Miller both through the doors. The refit included a brand new members-only space, House of Koko. Dubbed “the backstage members club”, this is a series of immaculately-designed spaces; the Roof Terrace a moddy sun-trap, the Dome Cocktail Bar an immaculate space for drinking and Ellen’s, the bar within the club within the venue hosting an intimate calendar of jazz and blues.
74 Crowndale Road, NW1 1TP, thehouseofkoko.com
Quo Vadis
Quo Vadis has seen its legendary stature build over decades of stewardship which have immortalised a certain kind of Soho-ness. For many, it’s the heart and soul of Soho (alongside, say, the French House and the Coach and Horses), and therefore the heart and soul of London. Quo Vadis recently splashed out on a full refit of their public ground floor restaurant. Smoked eel sandwiches remain a mainstay of Jeremy Lee’s menu, whilst the upper club levels of the townhouse, which have had gentle refreshes over the last few years, serve some of London’s greatest cocktails in glorious art-filled rooms for a relatively reasonable price. For epicureans, the QV & Friends series is reason enough for membership. These dinners feature top talent — say, Kol’s Santiago Lastra or food writer Rachel Roddy — with menus designed with conviviality at their heart. Come for margaritas at five o’clock, leave with a decision: home, or the inevitable foray to Gerry’s?
