In a world where technology-mediated interactions have gotten in the way of face-to-face connection, “people are increasingly looking for places that reflect their values and foster belonging,” Soho House Chief Art Director and The Ned Art Curator Kate Bryan told me in a recent interview. For the creative mind behind the collections of two of the best private members’ clubs in London, it is no surprise that the popularity of these institutions is at an all-time high, particularly after the government-mandated social life hiatus we have all been subject to throughout the COVID-19 emergency.

With some 60 of said gathering places currently active across the whole of the British capital, ranging from traditional gentlemen’s clubs to women-only and profession-specific ones, deciding where to invest your finances — and whether or not it is actually worth it — can be hard. Far be it from us to come across as appearance-obsessed or, worse, shallow, but in this curated list of the best private members’ clubs in London, we have relied on one instantly striking criterion to help you discern the yes from the nos. Needless to say, the deciding factor is, you name it, design.