Standing outside of a townhouse in Mayfair at 9 p.m. on a Thursday night, knowing that your name might or might not be on a list that no one will show you, makes you feel a certain way. The door opens. A dark-suited man looks up. Stillness. Then there was a nod. Just that short pause tells you everything you need to know about how private clubs in London work.
It’s never just been about money with these clubs. It’s clear that money helps. Fees for places like Apollo’s Muse in Mayfair can be over six thousand pounds a year, and there are also joining fees. Annabel’s, the Berkeley Square landmark that Mark Birley opened in 1963, needs a letter of recommendation from a current Birley club member before they’ll even look at your application. That letter is not for sale. It’s not free; you have to work for it.
The new wave of elite clubs in London is interesting because of how carefully they’ve updated their look without giving up the things that make them feel exclusive. Old gentleman’s clubs used to have cigars, mahogany, and unspoken social orders. Now there is floor-to-ceiling marble, carefully chosen art collections, Michelin-starred menus, and rooftop terraces with views of Hyde Park. The style is very different now. But the economics below, not so much.
The Ned’s Club at The Ned, which opened in 2018 on Poultry in the City, seems both fancy and easy to get into until you learn that two current members have to recommend you before your application is even looked at. The Pavilion in Knightsbridge has a kitchen run by Tom Kerridge and beautiful views of the park. Memberships start at a reasonable £320 a month. You don’t just sign up online, though. You plan a trip. You are being watched the whole time, in silence.
It seems like the clubs know something that most high-end brands have forgotten: advertising doesn’t make something desirable. It is made by refusing to accept it. The more difficult it is to get to, the more people want it. Maison Estelle is in a Georgian-style building on Grafton Street, and you need a current member of the community to be a proposer. George, on Mount Street, is Annabel’s more social younger brother or sister. He asks potential members to get a recommendation from a current member. The pattern is always the same and makes a lot of sense.
It’s important to keep in mind that social capital acts like a different kind of money in this case. The Arts Club on Dover Street has been around since 1863 and has had famous people like Charles Dickens and Franz Liszt as members. But the club is more than just lounges and late-night drinks. It’s selling nearby. There are some benefits to being a member that aren’t listed in any fee schedule. These benefits include the right room, the right evening, and the right conversation overheard at the bar.
It’s probably worth your time to think about whether all of this is real value or just a lot of fancy theater. The answer seems to be both for many folks. There really are clubs. The food is good, the rooms are nice, and the service is great. But what people are really waiting for, paying for, and working their networks to get is harder to describe. The thought that not everyone can be here. Status in London has always been about subtlety as well as showmanship. It turns out that feeling costs a lot in London.
