Annabel's

Annabel's is a private members club in Mayfair, London, located at 46 Berkeley Square.

Before the club moved to its new location in 2018, Annabel's was previously located at 44 Berkeley Square, London. It was founded by entrepreneur Mark Birley and named after Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart, then his wife.

Annabel's was founded in 1963 after Birley's friend John Aspinall decided that they needed somewhere to party after an evening's gambling. As a result, Birley turned the basement of Aspinall's casino, the Clermont Club, into a nightclub, and named it after his then-wife, Annabel, who went on to marry Birley's friend, Sir James Goldsmith.

In 2018, Annabel's moved to a new location, a Grade I listed Georgian mansion house at 46 Berkeley Square.[1] Set across 26,000 square feet and positioned just two doors down from where its original location first opened in 1963, Annabel's is an all-day and all-night private Members’ Club.

Annabel's was a members-only nightclub. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II visited the club, and it is thought to be the only nightclub that she has ever visited.[2][3]

In an interview on The Merv Griffin Show (broadcast November 2, 1981) Karen Carpenter states that she met Olivia Newton-John there in 1971 and they formed a life-long friendship until her death on February 4, 1983.

Entertainers who have performed there include Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross, Bryan Ferry and Lady Gaga.[4]

The former entrance to Annabel's
The former entrance to Annabel's (left, with doorman) in 2014
44 Berkeley Square, first home of the Clermont Club, a gambling club. Until 2018, the basement was the location of Annabel's

New ownership

On 5 June 2007, after more than a year of negotiations, Annabel's was acquired by Richard Caring, a clothing tycoon and owner of The Ivy restaurant, in a deal thought to be worth £90 million. The deal also included the purchase of three other nightclubs including Mark's Club. The original Annabel's closed its doors in 2018. A successor day and night club was opened in a building nearby with a different membership.

Minimum wage law breach

Despite Annabel's being located in a prestigious area of London, and having an exclusive clientele and wealthy owners, the case Annabel's (Berkeley Square) Ltd v Revenue and Customs Comrs ruled that the business had not paid its staff the minimum wage and had attempted to use tips to hide this.

References
  1. "The chef at the new Annabel's Club tells you what to expect". British GQ. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  2. Morgan, Ben (29 January 2015). "Mayfair members club Annabel's set to relocate after more than 50 years". Evening Standard. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  3. Mount, Harry (20 January 2015). "Why there'll always be an Annabel's". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. "Club Class? Past and future of Annabel's". The Independent. London. 10 August 2005. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008.

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