Members clubs in London are having a serious moment, and with more than 133 to choose from across the city, the real question is not whether to join one but which one is actually worth your money.
According to industry reports, more clubs have opened in the past 4 years than in the 3 decades following the Groucho Club’s 1985 launch. London is a city that celebrates ambition, creativity, and diversity. Its best members clubs reflect exactly that. Today’s clubs have transformed membership into a lifestyle proposition, offering flexible workspace, wellness, culture, and a sense of curated belonging that aligns with how Londoners now live and work. These 5 are the ones that deliver on that promise.
The Arts Club, Mayfair
No other club can claim such illustrious founding members as The Arts Club on Dover Street. Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and Lord Leighton were among those who founded the club in 1863. That heritage still matters here. The club was created as a hub for those interested in the arts, literature, or sciences. To this day, it continues to be a community for innovative thinkers, hosting an array of cultural events and a programme of exhibitions. There is also a brasserie, a Japanese restaurant, and a late-night cocktail bar where members can enjoy live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
The club now offers 4 restaurants, including a sushi bar and a brasserie, as well as members lounges, private dining rooms, and 16 rooms and suites. The culture programme is the real draw. This is not a place to simply eat and leave. Applicants must have letters of support from a proposer and seconder who are already members in London or Dubai, explaining the applicant’s connection to the arts, literature, or sciences.
Full membership costs £3,200 per year, with a £1,600 joining fee. Young person memberships for applicants under 33 cost £1,500, with a £500 joining fee. For a working creative in London, that figure is competitive.
Annabel’s, Berkeley Square
The grande dame of private members clubs, Annabel’s has seen it all: from then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana to Mick Jagger and Kate Moss. Under Richard Caring’s ownership, Annabel’s now resides at 46 Berkeley Square. Famous for its nightclub, which is said to be the only one visited by the Queen, the establishment now offers far more than drinks and dancing. With restaurants, bars, a garden terrace, private dining rooms, and a maximalist approach to decor, there is little more you could ask for.
Membership is highly selective, attracting entrepreneurs, aristocrats, and international high-net-worth individuals. What distinguishes Annabel’s is its ability to combine exclusivity with vibrant social energy. Few clubs can rival its reputation for unforgettable events and exceptional hospitality.
Existing members do not need a proposer or seconder but are still subject to committee approval. Annual membership starts at £3,750, with an additional £1,850 joining fee. The under-35 membership is £2,250, with a £600 joining fee. If you love exclusive, theatrical dining in a setting unlike any other, Annabel’s justifies every pound.
67 Pall Mall, St James’s
The perfect home for wine lovers, 67 Pall Mall revels in its shamelessly epicurean origins and smart location, between St James’s Palace and the Oxford and Cambridge Club. The passion here is fine wine. But the premise of this members club was in fact thrift: a reaction against the high wine markup charged by London’s restaurants and bars.
The members lounge sits in Hambros’ former banking hall, where members can view an unrivalled wine list on in-house tablets loaded with critics’ scores and winemakers’ notes. Designed by WinebyDesign, the club’s Wine Library displays thousands of bottles from their collection. The extensive wine cellar also offers a Member’s Reserve facility, allowing members to store some of their own personal wine collection in the club cellars.
Members can store up to 36 bottles of their own wine in the club, enjoyed at will, or can select from 5,000 bottles on the club list. 2 proposers are required for entry. Membership costs £1,750 as a joining fee, plus £2,000 per year. For serious wine lovers, this is one of the most purposeful members clubs in the city.
Expert perspective on London’s club culture
London’s private members clubs have evolved into something far more complex than simple dining rooms. Today, they function as integrated lifestyle ecosystems where hospitality, wellness, culture, and community converge. Members are no longer simply seeking a table at a good restaurant. They want access to curated networks of entrepreneurs, artists, and thinkers. The best clubs invest heavily in cultural programming, from exhibitions and live music to panel discussions and film screenings. This programming is what separates the clubs worth joining from those that rely solely on exclusivity and reputation. The joining fee is not a cost. It is an investment in a community that can genuinely enrich your professional and personal life in London.
Industry perspective, private members club and hospitality professionals in London
The Ned, the City
The Ned, famously housed in a former bank, operates as both a hotel and members club. Members get access to a 360-degree rooftop space, a heated pool, a restaurant, a spa, a 620-square-metre gym, a bar, and The Vault, a late-night cocktail lounge in the former Midland Bank vault. This is wellness and dining in one very dramatic building.
Annual membership at Ned’s Club is £3,465, with a reduced rate of £2,200 for members under 30. There is also an initial joining fee of £1,000. New members must be proposed by 2 existing members. The Membership Committee meets quarterly and admits new members as space becomes available. Membership benefits include access to club amenities, priority reservations at on-site restaurants, exclusive event invitations, and preferred rates for hotel accommodations globally.
The City location suits professionals working nearby, but the rooftop pool and vault bar give it a character that draws members from across London. This is one of the few clubs where the wellness offer matches the dining offer at every level.
Shoreditch Arts Club, East London
Preference at Shoreditch Arts Club is given to art enthusiasts, professionals, artists, gallerists, curators, and collectors. Members are invited to weekly events and benefit from discounts and partnership offers with local businesses. Highlights include a kitchen, bar, cafe, screening lounge, 24-seat cinema, and 2 private hire rooms.
The private cinema is the standout feature, alongside installations, events, and interviews with major players in the art scene. Preference is given to art enthusiasts, professionals, artists, gallerists, curators, and collectors, so entry depends significantly on your background and work. This is not a club for everyone, and that is exactly the point.
Annual membership costs £750, plus a joining fee of £150. The club is located at 6 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DD. For creatives and culture professionals in East London, this is the most accessible and relevant members club on this list. The fee is low, the community is genuine, and the programming keeps pace with London’s fast-moving art world.
The right members club is out there for you
London’s members clubs scene now offers genuine options for a wide range of people. You do not need to choose the most expensive or the most famous. The Arts Club suits creatives who want culture and dining together. Annabel’s offers unmatched glamour for those who want exclusive, theatrical evenings. 67 Pall Mall is the destination for serious wine lovers. The Ned gives City workers a complete wellness and dining package. Shoreditch Arts Club gives artists and curators a low-cost, high-value community. Membership across these members clubs increasingly attracts entrepreneurs, founders, global investors, creatives, and internationally mobile families seeking not simply prestige but community. Choose the club that fits your life in this city, and the joining fee will pay for itself.
Discover more about members clubs
- London’s Best Private Members’ Clubs: The Definitive List, Spear’s
- Private Members’ Clubs Are the New Face of London Heritage, City A.M.
- London’s Very Best Private Members’ Clubs, Country & Town House
Originally published on LONDONwebzine.
