The New Zealand-born physicist is regarded as the father of nuclear physics. Once home to Charles Fortnum (of and Mason fame), this Soho townhouse now plays host to Blacks Club, an institution thats enjoyed something of a recent revival. The sometimes discreet, sometimes outrageous Soho private members club is a mecca for Londons media types, with no visit complete without meeting at least a handful of your heroes from stage and screen and at least one popstar to boot. 06/12/13 Twitter @nnimrodd. Great for: Dining (the smoked eel sandwich is famous) The Athenaeum is a private members' club in London, founded in 1824. Social Anthropologist Artist and Royal Academy professor Joseph Turner became a Club Member in 1824. Money can't buy you a membership at the prestigious Hurlingham Club in Fulham at the moment at least according to its website which states "the waiting list for new members is now closed, subject to annual review.". Key membership benefits: What about tequila in the loos couldnt you like? The only club to get married in. Robert Peel was elected at the first meeting of the Club on February 16 1824 when he was the UKs Home Secretary. Great for: Sealing a massive city deal, celebrating a bonus, that kind of thing Eight have expanded their private members club offering and now cover two locations, the subterranean cool of Bank but another clubhouse in Moorgate as well a new, world-class, gym offering dubbed Eight Core. With multiple restaurants, bars and of course, its infamous night club, Annabels re-entered a busy members club market with an impressive offering. Many of its members come through referrals, andevery potential applicant is put forward to the membership committee. Ease of entry: Two proposers required, more popular clubs are trickier to get entry to The Athenaeum is to serve as the faculty club to promote social, cultural and intellectual exchange between faculty, staff . Members based in the country over 100 miles from London can pay 750 ($977), and overseas 650 ($847). David Cameron famously resigned from the club in 2008 after 15 years of membership, over its refusal to admit women members. Non-members are also welcome to book a table, subject to availability. Its creative crowd of members include painters, sculptors, filmmakers, poets and actors making it the rebellious younger sister to the stuffy St James Clubs. White's, London's oldest club, today counts both Prince Charles and the Duke of Cambridge as members (the heir apparent even had his stag do here). The original members of this new kind of non-partisan club, with its close connections to the learned societies, were elected on the basis of their achievements rather than their background or political affiliation. You wish to settle it. Those interested can fill out an application form online. Ian Fleming wrote Boodles into both Moonraker and You Only Live Twice. We've rounded them up and ranked them by the price of a standard annual membership. Good luck getting behind its Grade I listed. Pay your bill, take back your Visa card, just before you do that order some tonic water with a different debit card, while leaving it open. One of the foremost scientists of his generation, he wrote that he was "full of admiration at the Athenaeum, one meets so many people there that one likes to see". 'The Athenaeum has become a valued part of my life. Coffee and light snacks are served in the Drawing Room and in several other rooms; lunches and dinners are served in the Coffee Room, and drinks can be obtained at the bar. Mortimer House, a majestic six-storey art deco building in Fitzrovia, claims to have been "born of a desire to fulfil the need for synergy in our personal and professional lives. The New Zealand-born physicist is regarded as the father of nuclear physics. The club's wine list is curated by 67 Pall Mall's master sommelier, Ronan Sayburn MS. A career in British academia led to him being appointed the first black dean. Website: www.67pallmall.co.uk. To get a membership one must be vetted by the previous class of occupiers and transfer a joining fee of 2,000 and an annual subscription fee of 1,500 (Dover Street Arts Club prices). The Reform was designed by Charles Barry, also the architect of the Houses of Parliament, and is intended to mimic an Italian palazzo. The Athenaeum isnt just a beautiful, conveniently-located dining room and bar; its a home from home for the inquiring mind. Its parties are said to be "legendary.". Membership Cost: Full - 400 | Corporate - 1000 | Couples- 750 | Under 27s - 270 |Social (Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday) - 250 | A small first year joining fee applies Where: 115 - 117 Kew Road, Richmond, TW9 2PN Website: www.therichmondclub.uk 5 Hertford Street It's not hard to see the draw of joining the Hurlingham Club to those who have the money and connections. The club says it is a members' bar not in the conventional sense, and that applications are welcome from people of all backgrounds and persuasions. Those interested can apply online. Regarded as the greatest author of the Victorian era, Dickens created some of the world's best known fictional characters. every potential applicant is put forward to the membership committee. My own involvement in the Club is just one illustration of this. Also, good co-working space Ease of entry: Ideally theyd like you to be in the creative industries. Naughtiness, on the other hand, is de rigueur.". Finally! And a dress code. Politician and Prime Minister The discreet entrance has seen the comings and goings of everyone from Frank Sinatra and the Beatles, to Hollywoods major players. There's a large open kitchen, with an "East meets West" menu, dim sum, Peking duck, and bao buns served, as well as healthy plant-based dishes. Home House has lasted the course and is well on the way to becoming a London institution. It was painted by fellow Member Fiona Graham-Mackay after they met at Heaney's 2012 Poetry Evening at the Athenaeum. Under 30s benefit from a discounted yearly rate of 300 ($391). But where Shoreditch House reaches dizzying heights is the top-floor restaurant and the rooftop pool with iconic views across London. Rooms may be booked for private parties and meetings with available capacities ranging from ten to 150 people. The club boasts plenty of other areas for members to chill out in or freelance from including the sitting room, the Square bar, the Snug, Cowshed Spa, the House Kitchen, which boasts a wood-fired oven, in addition to a gym, sauna, and steam room. It's made up of an events floor, rooftop lounge with terrace, restaurant with terrace, speakeasy, and areas for working and dining. The club also offers a reserve facility, which allows members to store up to two cases of their personal wine collection in the club's cellars to enjoy by the bottle in the members' lounge as and when they please. Key membership benefits: The cellar, theyve got over 5,000 bottles on the club list Key membership benefits: Members events and private dining Founded in 1824, our nearly 2,000 members are drawn from a wide range of professional worlds including literature and the arts, education, business, law, medicine and healthcare, public service, politics, science, engineering and technology. The phoenix that has risen from not-quite the ashes is part hotel and part exclusive club. Quo Vadis underwent substantial refurbishment in 2016 and the new interior is a gorgeously lit masterpiece of lush carpets and moodily painted walls, giving an old-school luxury feel. It's a secretive hideout away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Website: www.centuryclub.co.uk, Great for:Sohos largest rooftop terrace It may not be the oldest, the grandest or the most exclusive, but its one of the best-known clubs in London and the swish private members club really is at the very top of its game at the moment. 250 years on, it still stands on St Jamess Street. Declare your tab was in the bar upstairs you were there with Poppy Delevingne and Caroline Flack. Civil Engineer Michael Wheeler, The Athenaeum: 'More Than Just Another London Club (Yale University Press, 2020) A compelling history of the famous London club and its members' impact on Britain's scientific, creative, and official life When it was founded in 1824, the Athenum broke the mold. albertsclub.com Club Prive at L'Escargot Tucked away on Greek Street in Soho, Club Prive is located upstairs in London's oldest French restaurant, L'Escargot. It is one of the most reasonably priced members' bars in London. Among its many features is the screening room, a fully air-conditioned 43-seat cinema (pictured above) offering a varied programme of advance screenings and new releases. Who goes here:Anyone who is anyone in South West London There's a discount for those under 35 (1,750 ($2,280) a year) or under 27 (1,250, or $1,628) a year, and joint memberships are available, though joining fees still apply. Places people like to go after The Athenaeum Club. Henry James was elected to the Club in 1882 a year after the publication of his masterpiece novel, Portrait of a Lady. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations. Unlike swanky parties, where its easy to bluff the guest list by mentioning someone elses name from Twitter, members clubs require a membership card. HouseGym, the largest Soho House gym, has four class studios, as well as TRX equipment, and Olympic lifting platforms. Membership cost:Famously secretive, butreportedly1,800 a year, Where: 2-5 Hertford Street, Mayfair, W1J 7RB Where: 67 Pall Mall, St. Jamess, SW1Y 5ES Physicist Whether you are looking for a wellbeing sanctuary, to indulge in the world of fine wine, art, and live performance, or just somewhere with cool rooms where cool-looking people hang out, each club has its very own niche, making it even trickier to pick the right one. To bypass this hurdle politely tell the waiters that your member friend is playing squash downstairs. London's first private members' club for wine lovers. In 2013, she wrote: "Becoming a member of the Athenaeum was a highlight in my life because it indicated to me that I had been accepted and was now fully British.. The original members of this new kind of non-partisan club, with its close connections to the learned societies, were nominated and elected because of their achievements rather than their background, family connections, professional or political affiliations. Its members are almost without exception bright and companionable, its talks are second to none, its library is enviable and the hospitality exceptional. Below, another gallery showcases a selection of our most celebrated members of the past. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. After more than 50 years in Soho, the club reopened last year two doors down in a Grade I listed Georgian mansion house. There are also 12 bedrooms which members may book. The Clubhouse is open on Monday to Friday from 7am to 12 midnight. Membership is limited to. This is a posh place, though the website states: "Ladies should be elegantly dressed and gentlemen are required to wear a jacket at all times," and provides a list of banned clothing, including leggings and untucked or unbuttoned shirts. As they desperately try to find the bill, order a negroni sour and open a new tab, with a real debit card. It was established by a future Prime Minister, Lord Lansdowne whose name is given to the nearby Lansdowne Club. 258.00. Membership cost:550 registration fee and 1,800 per year (2,750 if you want access to other Soho House clubs), Where: Ebor Street, Shoreditch, E1 6AW Members are welcome to use laptops and mobile devices in the library and reading rooms, provided these are set to silent. ', Gardener, broadcaster, author Who goes here: The great and the good of the stage, screen and charts, plus scurrilous journalists. It claims to have an atmosphere of "quintessential English charm," with a "relaxed sophistication" in the day that becomes "electric" as dusk falls. Like the Club's first Secretary Michael Faraday, he was a great experimentalist who received the Nobel Prize for chemistry for his "investigation into the disintegration of the elements and the chemistry of the radio-active substances". The Hospital Club is a unique private members' club targeted at the world of creatives located in the heart of Covent Garden. Key membership benefits: Access to Londons most exclusive There are great venues across the city that tick one or two of these boxes, but very few that bring all of these. Medical consultant In the best case they will let you stay for tea. Members have access to the Ministry of Sounds Does Fitness gym, a calendar of events, and even a tequila and mezcal bar in the toilets. Author, Journalist, Editor The first-floor restaurant, with its lofty ceilings and panoramic balcony for summer al fresco dining, is the focal point of the house. It was one of 20 novels he wrote, many of which centred on a clash of cultures between America and Europe. Home House has a policy of not asking members to leave their friends name at the door. The Athenaeum: More than just another London Club Michael Wheeler Yale 35 (978--300-24677-3) Church House Bookshop 31.50. Ipso facto, an open tab at the Groucho is the same as a membership. As this went on. If you ever get inside, you will see that the Athenaeum gentlemen's club is a building designed in a neoclassical style. Prospective members must be proposed and seconded by existing members to begin the membership process. Genuinely, it really is worth it. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. Where: 20 Portman Square, Fitzrovia, W1H 6LW Mention how Scarlett Johansson swam in the clubs pool in the film Scoop (2006). It attracts the likes of financiers and city professionals, as well as creative execs based in Shoreditch and Hoxton. Its a one-stop shop for London fine dining, and this vast club dwarfs all the others. This gallery features some of our extraordinary current members, alongside their comments about life at the Club. To apply, hopefuls should submit a personal profile online here. Seamus Heaney became a Club Member in 1996 - a year after he received the Nobel prize for literature. Expect to rub shoulders with London's elite and even royalty,Princess Charlotte was reportedto have been taking tennis lessons there. An Old-Fashioned at the restaurant costs half as much as it does on the dancefloor. Membership cost: 1,400 annual membership, plus a fee to be on the waiting list (if it opens again), Great for: Smart-setArtists To add to all of this, the staff are unfailingly helpful. Where the class system of yesteryear left off, private clubs stepped in, and Londons private members clubs are world famous both for the sheer number of them, and their exclusivity. And its a great place to get work done too. But while many charge a lower rate to under-25s, Buck's has introduced four tiers above that - up to the age of 40 - to help those coming. When asked if youre a member, reply How else did I get in?. Website: www.thened.com. If you'd like to apply for membership of the Athenaeum, please complete our membership form or call us on 0151 709 7770 for more information. WHO GOES HERE: Anyone whos anyone. The only club with a huge swimming pool, spa, Turkish bath, post office and florist. Forget the racy Soho private members clubs, leave the fusty St Jamess clubs to grandpa, grab your tennis whites, were going to The Hurlingham. Application forms should be submitted along with a letter explaining why you want to join, and letters of support from the proposer and seconder. His membership (until 1851) coincided with his artistic peak, when he painted masterpieces like The Fighting Tmraire and Rain, Steam and Speed. There is a reduced membership price of 575 ($749) for under 35s and 350 ($456) for under 30s. Today, perhaps with the wisdom of age, it has a more wholesome reputation and with the building restored to its original Georgian glory the private members club celebrates its supper club roots. For me, it is a Club that encourages debate and challenge, stimulates understanding of diverse points of view and experiences, nurtures civilised conversations and cherishes companionship. Those interested in a founding membership can apply online, and those accepted before the opening will have their joining fee waived. Established in 1891, the club boasts over a century of artistic credentials and somehow its bohemian as ever. It boasts two floors of member spaces, a 17-metre rooftop pool and bar, steam room, sauna, hammam, cinema, screening room, huge gym, and 45 bedrooms. Prospective members can apply through a website form. Where: 1 Change Alley, The City, EC3V 3ND A portrait of the Irish poet, who was a Professor at both Oxford and Harvard Universities, hangs in the Clubhouse. Browse the gallery above to find out more, Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout. And thats the only jab in the eye The Ministry has for the establishment. Founded over 220 years ago by the movers and shakers of the time, The Athenaeum has been a centre of Influence within the city since its inception. Founded in 1985, The Groucho Club is the original arts and media members' club in the heart of Soho. Ease of entry: Members without a proposer can opt to be interviewed by the committee Membership suitability is judged by reference to the objectives of the Club as an association of individuals in any field in which their work is of an intellectual nature and of substantial value to the community and, in the case of younger members, demonstrates promise as well as attainment. There is plenty of headed paper to write letters on. Composer, Playwright, Actor And even memberswho cant get to Mayfair as often as theyd like can join digitally, with access to over200 training courses and the chance to connect with women globally. Alberts, spread over four floors, is a great fit, perfect for a Chelsea clientele keen not to make the trip into central London. Website: www.allbrightcollective.com. Londons oldest private members club is also one its most exclusive. Who goes here: A smart but discerning set Other membership privileges include a sky-lit gym, fitness classes and training programmes, a bathhouse (with a hammam, banya, and Watsu pool), spa and beauty treatments, a Mediterranean restaurant, club sitting rooms, and a concierge service.