Born from the 17th-century coffee houses, London’s private members’ clubs have been a mainstay of the city’s social scene for hundreds of years. Today, these enclaves of exclusivity are where the great and the good gather to dine, drink, socialise and work – in exchange for often ostentatiously expensive membership fees.
Two larger-than-life figures loom over the London private members’ clubs scene: Robin Birley and Richard Caring. Pitted against each other in the press, these two power-players lay claim to the biggest names in the business.
What sets London’s best private members’ clubs apart? Discretion, of course, is key for many. Maison Estelle excels in this field, keeping all details of its members-only offering under wraps. Others promise opportunities to network (Ten Trinity Square, 12 Hay Hill) or slip into headline-making after-parties (The Twenty-Two).
The chance to rub shoulders with the upper echelons is undoubtedly a draw: just ask anyone who has dined alongside the royals at Oswald’s. Most famous among them is Annabel’s, founded by Birley’s father Mark and now owned by Caring, but there is plenty of competition for the crown.
Thinking about signing up? Spear’s shares a list of London’s best private members’ clubs below.
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The best private members’ clubs in London
5 Hertford Street
Where: 2-5 Hertford St, London W1J 7RB
Membership fee: Becoming a member of 5 Hertford Street isn’t easy, but if you do get in, prices start at £1,800 a year.
Dubbed the ‘most influential private members’ club in the world’ by Spear’s own Editor-in-Chief Edwin Smith, 5 Hertford Street has been a sensation from the moment it opened its doors in 2012.
5HS was founded by Robin Birley, son of the late, great London private members’ club titan Mark Birley, whose empire included Mark’s Club, George, Harry’s Bar and the Bath & Racquets Club (all of which were sold to Richard Caring in 2007). It has also become a place where meetings of consequence are conducted; a crucible, where momentous decisions are mulled and then made.
The club’s exclusive clientele has been built on a foundation of 500 founding members, assembled by Birley with the help of Hugh Warrender, an Old Etonian. OEs are prevalent, as are Old Marlburians. Downstairs at 5 Hertford Street is the perennially cool nightclub Loulou’s – named after Birley’s cousin, the YSL muse Loulou de la Falaise.
Read the full profile on 5 Hertford Street at Spear’s 500.com
Annabel’s
Where: 46 Berkeley Square, London W1J 5AT
Membership fee: A full annual option costs £3,750 alongside a £1,850 joining fee. An under-35s annual membership comes at a reduced rate of £2,250, plus a £600 joining fee.
Almost as soon as Mark Birley opened Annabel’s in 1963 it became the place to be – and to be seen. Names from Frank Sinatra to Charles and Diana, Aristotle Onassis and Richard Nixon were welcomed over the years and it was the only nightclub ever visited by the Queen.
Sold to Richard Caring in 2007 as the jewel in the crown of the Birley Clubs collection, Annabel’s now resides at 46 Berkeley Square, two doors down from its original site. It remains the grand dame of London’s private members’ club scene, 60 years on. Few are more famous than Annabel’s and an evening in its sumptuous interiors remains as enticing a prospect as ever.
‘I wanted to create the idea of a home within a townhouse that was fresh for the greatest party of the season,’ designer Martin Brudnizki said of the interiors. ‘You can wear all your jewellery, your evening bag, your fur stole, it’s party time when you walk in.’
Read the full profile on Annabel’s at Spear’s 500.com
Ten Trinity Square Private Club
Where: 10 Trinity Square, City of London, London EC3N 4AJ
Membership fee: Around £3,000 per year.
Set within the former headquarters of the Port of London Authority, Ten Trinity Square styles itself as a unique partnership between the investment group Reignwood, vineyard Château Latour and the Four Seasons hotel group.
The club, occupying a quiet out-of-the-way section of the building, features lavish yet discreet rooms, letting members escape the demands of City life whilst enjoying high-end cultural and gourmet experiences. Membership gives access to the Four Seasons Spa, featuring a sleek 14m indoor pool, hammam room, 12m vitality pool, sauna and steam room. There is also reciprocal club memberships dotted across the world.
Read the full profile on Ten Trinity Square at Spear’s 500.com
12 Hay Hill
Where: 12 Hay Hill, London W1J 8NR
Membership fees: Alongside a £750 joining fee, annual membership, starts at £1,600 for 20 visits, while business membership begins at £3,200 for 48 visits per year. Premier membership, which allows unlimited visits, costs £3,800.
The old adage goes that one should never mix business with pleasure. However, that’s the entire premise of 12 Hay Hill, which combines the luxury of a private members’ club with the convenience of a co-working space.
‘Clubs were traditionally social places, where holding a meeting or doing work was seen to be very bad form,’ a spokesperson told Spear’s shortly after the club opened on Berkeley Square in 2014. ‘At Hay Hill, we want to keep that social feel, but also allow meetings and mobile phone use, creating an atmosphere that doesn’t feel like a sterile, corporate hotel lobby.’
Read the full profile on 12 Hay Hill at Spear’s 500.com
The Arts Club
Where: 40 Dover St, London W1S 4NP
Membership fees: £2,800 per annum, with a £2,000 joining fee. Discounted rates are available.
With Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope and Lord Leighton as founding members, The Arts Club was destined for greatness. Founded in 1863, the club’s original list of membership reads like a who’s who of art history greats: Millais, Monet, Rodin and Degas all walked through the doors of this Mayfair institution.
More recently, it has hosted modern movers and shakers in the creative industries: Grayson Perry and Gwyneth Paltrow are both members. Membership grants access to exclusive events like performances and art exhibitions (The Arts Club also has an impressive permanent collection).
Read the full profile on 12 Hay Hill at Spear’s 500.com
Home House
Where: 20 Portman Square, London W1H 6LW
Membership fees: For those aged 35 and over residing in the UK, the Full Individual Membership costs £2,250 per year. Younger members under the age of 35 can join for £1,450 annually. Social Membership, which provides access only in the evenings and weekends and does not include gym access, is available for £1,100 per year.
The storied history of Home House dates back to 1773, when Elizabeth, Countess of Home, took ownership of the estate on 20 Portman Square. Two years later, she commissioned renowned neoclassical architect Robert Adam to design the house and transform it into one of the most extravagant private homes in London. It wasn’t a mission he took lightly – the house was adorned with hand-painted ceilings, an imperial staircase and a glass dome, all of which remain preserved today.
In homage to its legacy, the private members’ club takes its cues from the Countess, who was nicknamed ‘The Queen of Hell’. By night a haven for the hedonist and by day an opulent working and meeting space, Home House checks all the boxes for London’s young, wealthy and wild.
Read the full profile on Home House at Spear’s 500.com
Apollo’s Muse
Where: 1-3 Mount St, London W1K 3NB
Membership fees: An annual membership for Apollo’s Muse costs £5,000, with a one-off joining fee of £1,750.
Situated at the back of Bacchanalia, Richard Caring’s unashamedly opulent new restaurant, Apollo’s Muse is definitely the best London private members’ club for those who relish being OTT.
Like the main restaurant, Apollo’s Muse is marble and gold fever dream adorned with ancient Greek and Roman artwork and sculptures, complete with plush velvet furnishings and ornate interior touches.
It was originally reported that just 500 memberships would be offered. However, it seems hopeful Apollo’s Muse card holders might be in luck – the applications section of the website remains open.
Read the full profile on Apollo’s Muse at Spear’s 500.com
Best private members’ clubs: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles on spears500.com. The table is ordered alphabetically by name.
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