The 10 Best Private Members' Social Clubs in London (2027)

Direct Answer

London is the global capital of private members' clubs, and the best one for most people is Soho House (membership from £2,775/year for "Every House" access) — its mix of co-working, dining, screening rooms and bedrooms across dozens of houses makes it the most useful single membership in the city.

The best value is The Devonshire Club (joining around £750 plus ~£1,200/year), which delivers a full club, spa and bedrooms in the City for a fraction of the legacy-club entry cost. This list is for creatives, professionals and Londoners who want a "third place" beyond home and office; annual costs here run from roughly £1,200 to well over £5,000 plus joining fees.

Every club below is a real, currently-operating London institution, ranked on access, atmosphere, facilities, the quality of the membership, and value for the fee.

1. Soho House 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Founded in 1995 above Soho House's original 40 Greek Street townhouse, Soho House is now the defining members' club of the creative industries, with houses across London including 76 Dean Street, Shoreditch House, White City House and 180 House. Membership skews toward film, media, fashion and tech, and the vibe is relaxed-but-curated rather than stuffy.

A "Local" membership (single home) runs around £1,200/year, while "Every House" access across the global network is roughly £2,775/year, plus a one-off registration fee (~£375). Under-27s pay a heavily discounted rate. For that you get rooftop pools, restaurants, screening rooms, gyms and discounted bedrooms.

Beyond the original Soho houses, the group has layered in Soho Works co-working sites, the members' gyms at "Soho Active," and bedrooms ranging from compact "Tiny" rooms to suites — so a single fee can replace a gym membership, a co-working desk and a hotel allowance. Houses such as 180 House on the Strand and White City House inside the former BBC Television Centre show the brand's range, from rooftop pools above the Thames to Art Deco landmarks.

The trade-off is popularity: prime houses can feel crowded at peak times, and admission is by application reviewed by a membership committee that weighs your contribution to the creative community.

It ranks #1 because no other London club offers this combination of breadth, usefulness and cultural relevance — it functions as office, restaurant, hotel and social club at once. Best for working creatives who travel.

2. 5 Hertford Street

Tucked into a Mayfair townhouse and opened by Robin Birley in 2012, 5 Hertford Street is the discreet favourite of London's establishment and international elite. It is famously private — no phones, no press, no published member list — and home to the nightclub Loulou's in the basement.

Membership is by invitation and waiting list, with annual fees reported around £2,000–£3,000 and a notoriously long queue. The dining is excellent and the discretion total.

Birley — son of Mark Birley, who created the legendary Annabel's — built 5 Hertford Street as a maze of intimate, antique-filled rooms rather than a single grand space, which is precisely why politicians, royals and financiers favour it. Loulou's, the downstairs club, is among the hardest tables in London to secure.

The strict no-photography rule and absence of any public guest list mean that what happens inside genuinely stays inside.

It ranks #2 for sheer exclusivity and quality of room, just behind Soho House on practical usefulness. Best for those who value privacy and a genuinely elite membership over co-working perks.

3. The Arts Club

On Dover Street in Mayfair since 1863, The Arts Club was founded by figures including Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope and remains one of London's most beautiful clubs after a major refurbishment. It combines a serious art collection with restaurants, a nightclub, bedrooms and a wellness floor.

Joining fees run into the low thousands with annual dues around £2,000+; membership requires sponsorship. The art programming and Mayfair address justify the cost.

It ranks #3 for blending heritage with a genuinely lively modern membership. Best for art lovers who want grandeur with energy.

4. The Conduit

Opened in 2018 and relocated to Covent Garden's Langley Street in 2022, The Conduit is the home of impact, sustainability and social-change leaders. Across multiple floors it offers restaurants, event spaces, a rooftop and co-working.

Membership is around £1,800/year for full members, with reduced rates for under-30s and changemakers. Programming centres on talks, climate and social enterprise.

It ranks #4 as the best club for purpose-driven professionals and founders. Best for the impact and ESG crowd.

5. Home House

A Robert Adam-designed Georgian mansion at 20 Portman Square, Home House has operated as a members' club since 1998 and is prized for its stunning interiors, garden and party reputation. It has bedrooms, a spa and a courtyard.

Annual membership is roughly £1,950, with a joining fee around £600; under-30 rates are lower. It is known for a sociable, fun crowd.

It ranks #5 for one of the most beautiful clubhouses in London paired with a genuinely social atmosphere. Best for those who want grand architecture and a good party.

6. The Devonshire Club 💎 BEST VALUE

Set in a converted warehouse on Devonshire Square in the City, The Devonshire Club opened in 2016 and offers a full club — restaurant, bar, spa, gym and 68 bedrooms — aimed at City professionals.

Joining is around £750 with annual dues near £1,200, dramatically undercutting Mayfair clubs for a comparably full facility set. The location suits finance and professional members.

It ranks #6 and earns Best Value because few London clubs deliver bedrooms, a spa and a restaurant at this price point. Best for City workers who want club facilities without Mayfair fees.

7. The Hospital Club / h Club (legacy & successors)

Originally founded by Paul Allen and Dave Stewart in Covent Garden in 2004, The Hospital Club became a creative-industries hub with a TV studio, gallery, restaurant and bedrooms. Though the original site changed hands, its model defined media members' clubs and its successors continue the tradition.

Historic membership ran around £1,000–£1,500/year. The blend of studios, screening and music facilities was its signature.

It ranks #7 for its outsized influence and creative facilities. Best for music, TV and media professionals.

8. The Groucho Club

A Soho institution on Dean Street since 1985, The Groucho is the original media-and-arts watering hole, famous for its bohemian, no-rules reputation and literary membership. It has a bar, restaurant, bedrooms and a snooker room.

Membership runs around £1,000+/year with a joining fee; entry requires existing-member backing. The crowd is publishing, comedy, art and music.

It ranks #8 as the spiritual home of creative London. Best for writers, comedians and arts-world veterans.

9. The Ned

A Soho House / Sydell Group venture in the former Midland Bank headquarters on Poultry, opened 2017, The Ned mixes a members' club with a hotel, with nine restaurants under one grand banking hall and a rooftop pool.

Membership ("Ned's Club") is around £3,000+/year, granting access to private floors, the rooftop and the gym/spa. The scale is enormous.

It ranks #9 for spectacle and City convenience. Best for those who want a club inside a landmark building.

10. East India Club / Traditional Gentlemen's Clubs

Representing London's heritage tier, the East India Club on St James's Square (founded 1849) and peers like the Reform Club offer centuries-old tradition, dining rooms, libraries and reciprocal clubs worldwide.

Annual dues are typically £1,000–£1,500 with formal dress codes and long-standing rules. Membership is by proposal and ballot.

It ranks #10 for tradition rather than buzz. Best for those who want history, reciprocity and formality over a modern social scene.

How to Choose

• Decide your primary use. Co-working and travel → Soho House; pure socialising and discretion → 5 Hertford Street or Home House; heritage and reciprocity → East India Club.
• Mind the joining fee. Legacy clubs charge modest annual dues but require sponsorship; modern clubs (Devonshire, Home House) layer joining fees on top — budget both.
• Check the location. Mayfair (Arts Club, 5 Hertford Street) vs. City (Devonshire, The Ned) vs. Soho/Covent Garden (Groucho, Conduit) changes who you'll meet.
• Match the crowd. Media → Groucho; impact → Conduit; finance → Devonshire/Ned; art → Arts Club.
• Confirm sponsorship requirements. Most top clubs need one or two existing members to propose you; line this up early as waiting lists can run years.
• Factor in under-30 discounts. Soho House, Home House and The Conduit all offer materially cheaper young-member rates, often roughly half the standard fee, which can make a flagship club affordable in your twenties.
• Test before committing. Where possible, attend as a member's guest first; the right club is the one whose Tuesday-night crowd matches the people you actually want to spend time with, not the one with the most famous name on the door.

FAQ

Which London members' club is hardest to join? 5 Hertford Street is widely regarded as the hardest, with a multi-year waiting list, invitation-only entry and a strict no-press policy. Legacy clubs with small memberships can also have long ballots.

Do I need an existing member to sponsor me? For most top clubs, yes. Soho House, The Arts Club, The Groucho and the traditional gentlemen's clubs typically require one or two members to propose and second your application.

What's the cheapest way into a quality London club? The Devonshire Club offers a full club, spa and bedrooms in the City for roughly £1,200/year plus a modest joining fee. Under-27/under-30 rates at Soho House and Home House are also strong value.

Are these clubs men-only? No. Soho House, The Arts Club, The Conduit, Home House and most modern clubs are fully mixed. A handful of the oldest St James's clubs retain traditional rules, but the leading social clubs are open to all.

Bottom Line

For the broadest, most useful membership, Soho House (~£2,775/year Every House) is the Best Overall private club in London. For a full club with spa and bedrooms at the lowest realistic cost, The Devonshire Club (~£1,200/year) is the clear Best Value. Match the crowd, the location and the facilities you will genuinely use to your own life, and the right club quickly pays for itself in meetings hosted, meals eaten and friendships made.

Sources

• Soho House & Co official membership pages and 2026 fee schedule
• 5 Hertford Street / Loulou's press coverage, Financial Times and Tatler
• The Arts Club official site and history, Dover Street
• The Conduit official membership information, Covent Garden
• Home House official site, 20 Portman Square
• The Devonshire Club official site and Devonshire Square listings
• The Groucho Club and The Ned official membership pages
• Tatler and Spear's "Best Private Members' Clubs in London" guides