The 10 Best Private Members' Clubs in Paris (2027)

Direct Answer

Paris guards its private clubs more discreetly than London or New York, but the scene is rich, and the best overall membership for most people is Soho House Paris (around €2,500/$2,700/year for a "Local" membership, more for global access) — a 19th-century mansion near the Arc de Triomphe with a rooftop pool that anchors the city's creative crowd.

The best value is NeueHouse-style co-working aside, the clearest value among full clubs is the Soho House "Local" tier itself (~€2,500/year), which undercuts the legacy and ultra-luxury options dramatically. This list is for creatives, executives and the international Paris set; annual costs run from roughly €2,500 to well into five figures with initiation at the most elite clubs.

Every club below is real and currently operating, ranked on facilities, the membership crowd, atmosphere, location and value.

1. Soho House Paris 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Soho House opened its Paris house in 2021 in a restored 19th-century hôtel particulier near the Arc de Triomphe (8th arrondissement), with a rooftop pool, screening room, Cowshed spa, restaurants and bedrooms. It is the central clubhouse for the city's creative, fashion and media crowd.

A "Local" membership runs around €2,500/year, with global "Every House" access higher, plus registration. Members enjoy the pool, dining and discounted bedrooms.

The Paris house preserves the moulded ceilings, parquet and marble fireplaces of the original 1880s mansion while layering in a glass-roofed restaurant, a rooftop pool and a Cowshed spa, giving members a rare combination of grand Haussmann-era architecture and modern club amenities.

It quickly became the gathering point for the city's fashion, film and advertising worlds, and the global membership lets Paris members use houses in London, New York and beyond. As with every house, admission runs through a committee that weights the room toward working creatives.

It ranks #1 for combining a beautiful Parisian mansion, full amenities and global usefulness — no other Paris club matches the package. Best for working creatives and frequent travellers.

2. Le Jockey Club de Paris

Founded in 1834, the Jockey Club is one of the most exclusive and traditional gentlemen's clubs in the world, historically tied to French aristocracy and horse racing, with a discreet clubhouse and an intensely selective membership.

Membership is by sponsorship and ballot, with substantial dues and total discretion. Heritage and exclusivity are the entire proposition.

It ranks #2 for unrivalled French aristocratic heritage. Best for those with the connections and desire for the most traditional Parisian club.

3. Cercle de l'Union Interalliée

Housed in a grand hôtel particulier at 33 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré with a large private garden, the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée (founded 1917) is a prestigious diplomatic-and-business club with fine dining, a pool, fitness and event spaces.

Membership is by sponsorship with substantial initiation and dues. The garden, pool and diplomatic crowd are the draw.

Often called simply "l'Interalliée," the club occupies a sumptuous Faubourg Saint-Honoré mansion with one of the largest private gardens in central Paris, alongside a swimming pool, fitness facilities, bars and several restaurants. Its membership draws heavily from diplomacy, business and the professions, and the club is a favoured venue for receptions and private events given its proximity to the Élysée Palace and the embassies.

For members who want grand facilities and a serious professional network in one address, it is among the city's finest.

It ranks #3 for a magnificent clubhouse and an elite diplomatic-business membership. Best for executives and diplomats who want grandeur and facilities.

4. The Automobile Club de France

Founded in 1895 on the Place de la Concorde, the Automobile Club de France occupies one of the grandest clubhouses in Paris, with a famous swimming pool, fine dining, a library and athletic facilities, blending motoring heritage with full club amenities.

Membership is selective with substantial dues. The location and facilities are exceptional.

It ranks #4 for one of the grandest clubhouses and full facilities in central Paris. Best for those who want a heritage club with a pool and prime address.

5. Maison Château Rouge / Silencio (Club)

Silencio, the David Lynch-designed members' club beneath a Pigalle venue, is the city's most famous creative-and-nightlife club, with a cinema, concert space, library and bar drawing the film, music and art crowd, plus a newer Silencio des Prés outpost.

Membership is selective with moderate dues; the Lynch design and cultural programming are the appeal. The late-night creative scene is unmatched.

Lynch conceived Silencio as a total environment — gold-leafed tunnels, a mirrored forest, a concert stage and a screening room — inspired by the club of the same name in his film *Mulholland Drive*. By day it hosts cultural programming and member work sessions; by night it becomes a late-opening club for the film, music and art set, with the newer Silencio des Prés extending the concept to the Left Bank.

Few members' clubs anywhere fuse design, cinema and nightlife so completely.

It ranks #5 for the best creative-and-nightlife members' club in Paris. Best for film, music and art-world members.

6. Soho House Paris "Local" tier 💎 BEST VALUE

For value, the Soho House Paris "Local" membership (~€2,500/year) is the standout, delivering a full club — rooftop pool, spa, screening room, restaurants — in a prime 8th-arrondissement mansion for far less than legacy-club initiations plus dues.

This tier suits members who base themselves in Paris and don't need global house access. The amenity-to-cost ratio is the best in the city.

It ranks #6 and earns Best Value for a complete club with a rooftop pool at the lowest realistic entry into Paris's modern club scene. Best for Paris-based creatives and professionals.

7. La Réserve / Hôtel members' lounges

Luxury-hotel members' programs like those at La Réserve Paris and select palace hotels offer spa, dining and lounge memberships for a refined, international clientele who want hotel-grade service without full club commitment.

Membership runs in the low-to-mid thousands annually depending on access. The hotel-grade amenities are the draw.

It ranks #7 for hotel-grade luxury membership. Best for those who want spa and dining over a social club scene.

8. Le Cercle de l'Union Artistique (Cercle Volney)

Founded in 1860, the Cercle de l'Union Artistique (known as the Cercle Volney) is a historic arts-and-society club near the Madeleine, with a renowned art collection, dining rooms and a traditional membership of artists, collectors and the bourgeoisie.

Membership is by sponsorship with moderate dues. The art collection and heritage are the appeal.

It ranks #8 for arts heritage and a traditional society membership. Best for collectors and those who value French artistic tradition.

9. The Travellers Club (Travellers de Paris)

On the Champs-Élysées in the Hôtel de Païva, one of the most opulent 19th-century mansions in Paris, the Travellers Club (founded 1903) is an Anglo-French gentlemen's club with sumptuous dining rooms and a heritage of international travellers and diplomats.

Membership is by sponsorship with substantial dues. The astonishing Hôtel de Païva interiors are the draw.

It ranks #9 for one of the most opulent clubhouses in the world. Best for those who want extraordinary heritage interiors.

10. Castel / Chez Castel

A Saint-Germain-des-Prés institution since 1962, Castel is the legendary private members' nightclub-and-restaurant of Parisian café society, reborn under new management, drawing fashion, film and the international party set across multiple floors.

Membership is selective with moderate dues plus dining minimums. The fashion-and-nightlife heritage is the appeal.

It ranks #10 for legendary Parisian nightlife and a fashion-world crowd. Best for those who want a glamorous social-and-nightlife club.

How to Choose

• Pick your purpose. Creative networking and amenities → Soho House Paris; aristocratic heritage → Jockey Club; nightlife → Silencio or Castel.
• Mind initiation. Legacy clubs (Jockey, Interalliée, Automobile Club) carry large one-time fees on top of substantial dues.
• Match the crowd. Film/fashion → Soho House, Silencio, Castel; diplomatic/business → Interalliée; arts → Cercle Volney.
• Want a pool? Soho House Paris, the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée and the Automobile Club de France all have notable pools.
• Consider location. 8th arrondissement (Soho House, Interalliée, Automobile Club) vs. Saint-Germain/Pigalle (Castel, Silencio) shapes the scene.
• Confirm sponsorship. The most traditional clubs require existing-member proposals and a ballot; Soho House is the most accessible entry into the Paris scene.
• Mind the discretion culture. Paris clubs guard privacy more tightly than London or New York; expect quieter promotion, fewer published details and admission that leans on personal introduction.

FAQ

What is the most exclusive private club in Paris? Le Jockey Club de Paris, founded in 1834, is widely regarded as the most exclusive and traditional, tied to French aristocracy with an intensely selective ballot. The Travellers Club and Cercle de l'Union Interalliée are also highly prestigious.

Is Soho House available in Paris? Yes. Soho House Paris opened in 2021 in a restored 19th-century hôtel particulier near the Arc de Triomphe, offering a rooftop pool, spa, screening room and bedrooms on local and global membership tiers.

Which Paris club is best for nightlife and creatives? Silencio, the David Lynch-designed club, and Castel in Saint-Germain are the city's legendary creative-and-nightlife clubs, drawing the film, fashion and music crowds. Soho House Paris also serves the broader creative scene.

How much does a top Paris members' club cost? Modern clubs like Soho House Paris start around €2,500/year for a Local membership. Legacy clubs such as the Jockey Club, Cercle de l'Union Interalliée and Automobile Club de France carry substantial initiation fees plus annual dues, often well into four or five figures, and typically require a sponsor and a ballot, so plan for both the financial and the social entry requirements well in advance.

Bottom Line

For a beautiful Parisian mansion, full amenities and global usefulness, Soho House Paris (~€2,500/year Local) is the Best Overall private club in the city. That same Soho House "Local" tier is also the Best Value, delivering a rooftop pool and full club for far less than legacy-club initiations.

Choose by crowd, location and whether you want heritage, amenities or nightlife, and bear in mind that Paris guards its clubs more discreetly than London or New York, so a personal introduction often matters more than any published price list.

Sources

• Soho House & Co official Soho House Paris membership pages
• Le Jockey Club de Paris historical coverage, Le Figaro
• Cercle de l'Union Interalliée official information, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
• Automobile Club de France official site, Place de la Concorde
• Silencio club official site and David Lynch design coverage
• The Travellers Club (Hôtel de Païva) and Cercle Volney heritage records
• Castel official information, Saint-Germain-des-Prés
• Tatler and Condé Nast Traveler Paris members'-club coverage