Private Clubs and High end Clubs in London
George club
87-88 Mount Street, London, W1K 2SR
The George is a private members’ club widely acknowledged for its
bona fide exclusivity. Mark Birley, the owner – has several other clubs
including Annabel’s, Harry’s Bar and Mark’s Club. The George is a Nantucket style brasserie with an intimate bar
downstairs. They open or drinks at 6pm each evening,
www.georgeclub.com
Harry’s bar
26 South Audley Street, London, W1K 2PD
Harry’s Bar are upmarket Italian restaurants for members only. They cook to order and also have an extensive menu and wine list.
Annabels
The only club the Queen has ever visited, you can expect a bit extra at Annabels Club. Sumptuous surroundings, good food and a constant stream of celebrated faces has kept the first private members’ club in London at the top of its game.
Located in Berkeley Square, Annabels Club is reached easily from Green Park or Bond Street tube stations, although the clientele here are more likely to arrive in a Bentley, with the driver waiting patiently outside.
The entrance is rather less glamorous, you descend the stairwell to get into the elaborately decorated basement venue, which features valuable but rather dull paintings from the owner’s personal collection alongside dark mahogany woods and panelled walls. That said, there’s everything you could wish for here – the dark and sombre restaurant is open until 3am and there’s also a decent club.
The Atmosphere
Annabels Club still attracts a certain breed of English gentleman, made up of old Etonians, politicians and what remains of the aristocracy. However, they’ve made a concerted effort in the last couple of years to attract a younger, hipper crowd – everyone from Kate Moss down to reality TVs finest have made it past the doorman, and it was famously the venue where David Blunkett enjoyed the secret trysts with his lover that ended his political career.
The staff will do anything to help, fixing you a cocktail or explaining the menu to you in the restaurant, but at £750 a year for membership you should expect a smile or two. The crowd are well dressed and out for a good time, and over the years everyone from Diana and Fergie to Frank Sinatra have hit the dance floor.
The Food
The food in the restaurant isn’t only exquisite, it’s also available until 3am. Whatever time you fancy joining restaurant regular Hugh Grant to enjoy a classic Steak Diane, fine caviar or their infamous bitter chocolate ice cream, the staff are happy to lead you to a quiet corner in the dark, oak-panelled dining room and talk you through the choices their top chef Stefano has to offer. Expect to pay over £100 a head to eat at Annabels Club, this is top-notch dining at its priciest.
The Drink
There’s nothing unusual to boast of on the drink menu – there’s a lengthy though predictable wine list and a few standard cocktails, priced just how you’d expect them to be in Mayfair at £10 and over. It is a little disappointing that one of London’s longest-established clubs doesn’t offer a wider range, but you’ll be too busy enjoying the fact that you’re mingling with the glitterati to worry about that too much.
The Last Word
Annabels Club is laughably over the top in its decor and restaurant menu, but the attention to detail is noticeable and you’ll enjoy this historic nightclub for its A-list crowd and hedonistic atmosphere. If you can get in, go and enjoy the fact that you made it into a club so exclusive that it even bans the ex-wives of their members!
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/
Automat
The cultural exchange between the world’s two greatest cities is set to enter an exciting new chapter with the arrival of Automat in the heart of Mayfair.
Fusing London’s pleasure-seeking social appetite with New York’s inimitable style, Automat is an American Brasserie that draws on those facets of New York’s cultural and social life so beloved by Londoners, presenting a brand new venue for relaxed, stylish dining.
http://www.automat-london.com/
Maddox
Nestling in the heart of London’s exclusive Mayfair,Maddox Private Members club epitomises
the decadence and glamour of the world’s most cosmopolitan city.
http://www.maddoxclub.com/
Hotel Lounges
Who slept here? Heads of State
Who slept here? Mick Jagger, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Madonna
The Metropolitan www.metropolitan.co.uk
Who’s slept here? | Giorgio Armani, George Clooney,
Bruce Willis, Kate Moss
Mandarin Oriental hyde park www.mandarinoriental.com
Who slept here? Madonna, Britney Spears, Minnie Driver,
Yoko Ono, Justin Timberlake, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez
The Mayfair hotel www.themayfairhotel.co.uk
Who’s slept here? | Elton John, Paris Hilton, Ivana Trump,
Cher, Pink
The Ritz London www.theritzlondon.com
Who slept here? Hotel guests have included Bill Clinton and Joan Rivers
Brown’s Hotel www.brownshotel.com
Who slept here? Claudia Schiffer,Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss, James Blunt,
Claudia Schiffer
The Royal Horseguards www.theroyalhorseguards.co.uk
Who’s slept here? Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher
The Lanesborough www.lanesborough.com
Who slept here? Madonna, Mariah Carey, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Will Smith
The Dorchester www.thedorchester.com
Who’s slept here? | Susan Sarandon, Jennifer Aniston
The Berkeley www.the-berkeley.co.uk
Who’s slept here? | Diana Ross, Calista Flockhart, Liam
Neeson, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Robin
Williams
Baglioni Hotel London www.baglionihotels.com
Who’s slept here? | Mariah Carey, Dennis Hopper
Four Seasons Hotel Canary Wharf www.fourseasons.com
Who’s slept here? | Halle Berry, John Travolta, Liam Gallagher

