5 Hertford Street

Londoners love their private clubs and 5 Hertford Street is no exception. Opened by Robin Birley—son of the late legendary social wizard Mark Birley who made Annabel's where the jet set and the who's who of England partied for decades—5 Hertford Street is not just super buzzy but as one friend said, “smashingly stylish.” The Mayfair building housing the members-only club is painted a high-gloss tomato red and has no signage or number. Curtains are drawn across the windows to keep passersby or paparazzi from peering in but once the doorman ushers you inside, you find yourself in a warm, house-like space that is a mix of English country house cozy and 21st century London indulgence. Upstairs are comfy rooms for drinks that feel like the living room or library that Robin's mother Lady Annabel Goldsmith might have in one of her houses. Though these were done up by Turkish designer Rifat Ozbek with a bohemian bourgeois polish. Fireplaces are lit and surrounded by deep sofas and club chairs, oriental carpets and smart art that mixes eras and styles as would happen in a family home with generations of art buying. There are private dining rooms upstairs for small group dinners and downstairs are a series of dining rooms, each decorated differently but with excellent taste; one has handpainted de Gornay wallpaper with silvery fish; on the walls of another are hung blue and white porcelain plates. An interior conservatory stocked with blooms of the season hosts the smoking set, and down a steep set of stairs to the basement is Loulou's the disco for late night dancing. Unfortunately for non-members, the only way to get a reservation is to be invited by a member but get an invitation for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dancing and you will understand what the fuss is about.