This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Join the club: the most exclusive memberships in London
By Tempus | 4 November 2021 | Food & Drink
Step inside the most luxurious and innovative private members’ clubs in London
Need a place to hide away when the frantic bustle of London gets too much? Here is a list of the best private member's clubs in the capital.
FOR THE FASHION ELITE | ANNABEL’S
No list of London clubs would be complete without Annabel’s, whose ever-changing flower-covered façade on Berkeley Square (left, showcasing this September’s Rainforest theme) has become as iconic a landmark to Mayfair as its enviable clientele, which has included Diana, Princess of Wales, and Kate Moss.
Known for its world-famous nightclub and incomparable maximalist décor – designed by Martin Brudnizki – Annabel’s has been one of the capital’s best loved clubs since it launched in 1963. From the unicorn suspended from the lobby chandelier, the Rose Room’s hand-painted mural by Gary Myatt to the ‘Loos in the Mews’ (perhaps the most beautifully designed bathroom in the world), Annabel’s is a feast for the senses, with new restaurant Matteo’s adding to its reputation as a tastemaker and trendsetter.
FOR CREATIVE SPIRITS | THE ARTS CLUB
The Arts Club was founded in 1863 as a haven for members with a professional or amateur relationships with the arts, literature or sciences. An historic club with a young soul, it has kept this artistic ethos through two world wars and plenty of economic and political upheaval – with famous members including the likes of Charles Dickens, Claude Monet and James Whistler.
With interior design featuring an extraordinary art collection curated by Wedel Art – and including work by Tomás Saraceno, John Baldessari and John Stezaker – as well as a hotel, winter garden (pictured) and restaurants offering fine cuisine. In the evening, don’t miss Leo’s – a hidden cocktail club that plays host to jazz and soul performances and resident DJs.
FOR WINE LOVERS | 67 PALL MALL
Created by wine lovers, for wine lovers, award- winning club 67 Pall Mall brings together like- minded people with a passion for rare vintages and fine dining. The refined members’ lounge, wine library (left), and stylish clubroom offer ideal meeting and workspaces, while the club’s impressive events calendar is centred on wine tastings and masterclasses, live music, travel excursions and family events at weekends.
The success of the club’s digital events during lockdown – which included sending members wine kits for at-home tasting sessions – has led to the creation of the club’s new TV channel, 67pallmall.tv, which features programmes from the world’s most exceptional vineyards and more. This year, the club is also celebrating its international expansion with the opening of 67 Pall Mall Singapore.
FOR WORK/LIFE BALANCE | PAVILION CLUB, KNIGHTSBRIDGE
With food from Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge and incredible views of Hyde Park, the newly launched Pavilion Knightsbridge is where intellect and indulgence meet.
The six- storey property (sister to the Pavilion’s City and Kensington Clubs) contains fine food from Kerridge, two bars, private office spaces and a penthouse suite, as well as inviting like-minded members to enjoy talks and parties throughout the year. And for those who like their clubs to look as good as their events, the Pavilion’s classic façade is matched only by its opulent and colourful interior.
FOR CURATED EXPERIENCES | THECLUB GROUP
TheClub Group is an invitation-only members’ club focused on sharing extraordinary experiences and events across the UK and beyond. Unlike traditional private members’ spaces, TheClub Group does not have a physical location, instead curating a series of life- affirming experiences for members to choose from, ranging across fine dining (pictured), culture and sporting events, to suit every taste.
With a personal concierge service available to complete the experience by organising everything from travel arrangements to event planning, TheClub’s mission is to bring likeminded people together to expand networks and broaden horizons.
FOR ECO-INNOVATORS | THE CONDUIT
Described as a ‘club with a conscience’, this new Covent Garden members’ space is designed for businesses and individuals investing in environmental solutions and social activism. Members have included influential NGO founders and sustainable fashion designers, as well as the likes of Salil Shetty, former secretary general of Amnesty International.
Relaunched in a new six-floor location on 13 September, The Conduit offers its collaborative community of changemakers a plethora of networking opportunities, development programmes and showcase events designed to solve real world problems as well as restaurants, library and rooftop terrace. »