The only club the Queen has ever visited, you can expect a bit extra at Annabels Club. Sumptuous surroundings, good food and a constant stream of celebrated faces has kept the first private members' club in London at the top of its game.

The Venue
Located in Berkeley Square, Annabels Club is reached easily from Green Park or Bond Street tube stations, although the clientele here are more likely to arrive in a Bentley, with the driver waiting patiently outside.

The entrance is rather less glamorous, you descend the stairwell to get into the elaborately decorated basement venue, which features valuable but rather dull paintings from the owner's personal collection alongside dark mahogany woods and panelled walls. That said, there’s everything you could wish for here – the dark and sombre restaurant is open until 3am and there's also a decent club.

The Atmosphere
Annabels Club still attracts a certain breed of English gentleman, made up of old Etonians, politicians and what remains of the aristocracy. However, they’ve made a concerted effort in the last couple of years to attract a younger, hipper crowd – everyone from Kate Moss down to reality TVs finest have made it past the doorman, and it was famously the venue where David Blunkett enjoyed the secret trysts with his lover that ended his political career.

The staff will do anything to help, fixing you a cocktail or explaining the menu to you in the restaurant, but at £750 a year for membership you should expect a smile or two. The crowd are well dressed and out for a good time, and over the years everyone from Diana and Fergie to Frank Sinatra have hit the dancefloor.

The Food
The food in the restaurant isn’t only exquisite, it’s also available until 3am. Whatever time you fancy joining restaurant regular Hugh Grant to enjoy a classic Steak Diane, fine caviar or their infamous bitter chocolate ice cream, the staff are happy to lead you to a quiet corner in the dark, oak-panelled dining room and talk you through the choices their top chef Stefano has to offer. Expect to pay over £100 a head to eat at Annabels Club, this is top-notch dining at its priciest.

The Drink
There's nothing unusual to boast of on the drink menu – there’s a lengthy though predictable wine list and a few standard cocktails, priced just how you’d expect them to be in Mayfair at £10 and over. It is a little disappointing that one of London’s longest-established clubs doesn’t offer a wider range, but you’ll be too busy enjoying the fact that you’re mingling with the glitterati to worry about that too much.

The Last Word
Annabels Club is laughably over the top in its decor and restaurant menu, but the attention to detail is noticeable and you’ll enjoy this historic nightclub for its A-list crowd and hedonistic atmosphere. If you can get in, go and enjoy the fact that you made it into a club so exclusive that it even bans the ex-wives of their members!

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