Annabel’s makeover

Annabel’s the exclusive London’s Elegant private Members’ Club with starlit dance floor at Mayfair, playground of royalty, film stars and financiers for 56 years from Frank Sinatra to Mick Jagger to The Rolling Stones to Diana, Princes of Wales and even once, the Queen pay it a visit in its heyday. Annabel’s recently refurbished by Martin Brudnizki’s design studio.

The owner Mark Birley Holdings is pursuing corporate clients, charging £ 1 million each for six employees to be lifetime members, but individual members pay £2, 750 a year.

Richard Caring, who bought the business for nearly £100 million in 2007, closed the original nightclub at 44, Berkeley Square, beneath the Clermont Club, a gambling den notoriously frequented by Lord Lucan, reopening two doors down in 46 Berkeley Square in March 2018, with refurbishment cost of £65m with artwork of Picasso hanging in the entrance worth £39m.  Annabel’s is in fierce competition with other exclusive clubs such as 5 Hertford Street, which was set up by Robin Birley after he fell out with Mark Birley, his father, who founded Annabel’s.

Annabel’s now open during the day as well as in the evening, has a member’s waiting list of about 4500 and by taking corporate clients  with under 27 pay a joining fees of £250 and annual fee of £750 and over 35 pay up to £1250 to join and £2750 a year.

The old Annabel’s was funded by 500 of Birley’s friends, who stumped up five guineas a year to become life members, with sixty-nine still alive.  Birley’s unique taste lured a shady, glamorous set and Annabel’s became the most fun place to go after dinner for a late-night boogie, or for cocktails and cigarettes in the atmospheric Buddha Room  with horse and dog paintings covering the walls from top to tow flickering candle lamps  lit the tables with banquettes upholstered in red velvet and cramped dance floor with couple of disco lights with waiting staff wearing white tuxedos and bow ties. At the old Annabel’s a 36-page rule book which includes an updated dress code: ties are no longer required and fabulous party dressing is encouraged but flip-flops are not acceptable although The Beatles were denied entry for wearing ties but no shoes.