Mayfair gets itself a huge new private club
Going Out
NUMBER 141 Park Lane has just become the home of new members’ nightclub One For One, the biggest club launch in Mayfair for some time. Celebrations were certainly on the cards when it sold a nebuchadnezzer of Armand de Brignac (Ace of Spades) champagne on its second night, the most expensive recorded in London, at £80,000.
The owners are aiming for an older and more discerning crowd by focusing on high service standards, with a waiter per table and plenty of space. While the 250-capacity venue has a plethora of private VIP areas, you can choose to be more sociable at the main room’s standing tables.
If you’d like to sample an exclusive members’ club without actually joining, try the trendy and discreet Century Club on Shaftsbury Avenue where bookings for its Brasserie are now open to the public.
The much anticipated Corinthia Hotel London opens this weekend in an eminent building by the Thames dating back to 1885. Not far from Trafalgar Square and half way between the City and Mayfair, it mixes elegant design with 21st Century style (with the help of David Collins Design Studios) and most importantly, introduces a host of new bars and restaurants. Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar from chef patron Massimo Riccioli is the big draw and houses an informal bar in the same grand marble room as the restaurant. (Look out for the beautiful private dining room hidden away behind the bar with its very own kitchen). For a more intimate experience, head for the comfortable but sophisticated Bassoon Bar offering serious cocktails theatrically produced, and if you’re lucky an impromptu piano performance from a passing a-list guest.
Hotel bars continue to be in ascendance with The Arch Bar recently opening at the Intercontinental, Good Godfrey’s just last week at the Waldorf Hilton and the exciting upcoming offerings at the St Pancras Hotel, where the Booking Office Bar is already open (and serving excellent Victorian punch). Marcus Wareing’s Gilbert Scott restaurant is also just a few weeks away.
Tim Badham is the founder of Innerplace, London’s leading providers of VIP entertainment, including film premieres, fashion shows, launch parties and members club access. ww.innerplace.co.uk.