Bill-gotten gains Venues As night-time London wonders what passes for "A"-list these days, an outcrop of private members' clubs has firmly redefined clubland's social strata. London has magnetised that rarefied breed of plutocrat with palatial homes around the globe and unprecedented spending power. As the capital becomes infused and bloated with, well, capital, private members' clubs administer their own brand of lucre lyposuction. In return their patrons' whims are indulged with dining, drinking and dancing in utter exclusivity, as Sat Bal found. 20 Jun '07
Maddox Club 
When your name is synonymous with the apex of London’s exclusive nightclubs then the success of a new venture is set to be something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Enter Fred Moss and his new Mayfair offering, Maddox Club, which opened in April 2007. Moss’s club pedigree has included such notables as Chinawhite, Iceni, Aura and, more recently, Mo*vida.
The 200-capacity Maddox blends the intimacy of the private members’ ethos with the interior design renown of Samy Chams whose portfolio boasts Diepp in Morocco, Sass Café in Monaco, Opium in Belgrade and Oasis Club Hamamet in Tunisia.
The striking glass DJ booth holds court amid the two main floors which are divided by a glass-enveloped staircase. The club’s two bar areas reflect differing choices. The ground floor bar invites guests to group around a comprehensive cocktail menu and dance to the beat of the sonorous ATC-designed sound system. The lower ground floor bars offers table service only.
When summer heats up enough to
prise the crowd from Maddox’s
interior, The Courtyard outside on the
lower ground floor offers the
inducements of al freso socialising in
the night air.
Maddox’s tripartite policy of
basement nightclub, cocktail bar and
dining sees the latter take place in the
restaurant which features unfussy
Italian cuisine and The Terrace which
harbours the night owls and the
smokers.
Bringing further reassurance to the select guest list is George Calisto, formerly general manager at Montes, Library Bar at The Lanesborough and most recently Cuckoo Club.
Maddox entrance is membership only.
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Amika. Best New Club - Brahma London Club and
Bar Awards 2007 
“Amika” means “friendly” in the universal language of Esperanto. In the near-universal language of English, Amika simply means exclusive – and located on Kensington High Street. For it is here that Sheriff Taylor launched his £1m plus club, striking a precedent in size, luxury and licence for the provinces of Kensington and Chelsea.
Amika’s tricolour coding defines and divides its three spaces. Black marble and granite for the 300-capacity club area while contemporary white signifies the 80-capacity Cocktail Bar. In the chocolate beige of the Champagne Bar which holds 120,
guests can really unwind with a £33k Methuselah (or two) of Cristal.
Amika really scores by combining opulence (and Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe) with a striking DJ line up. Eric Morillo played a launch set to mark the opening of Amika while David Guetta presided at Amika with his “Fuck Me I’m Famous” party. Calibre DJs like Pete Tong need matching calibre output and sound experts Audio Venue brought in Stagecraft to ensure benchmark sound design and installation. Danish company, Artcoustic Loudspeakers have blended optimum sound with furnishing via “aesthetic” speakers that feature the decorative prints of Amika’s Champagne Bar.
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The British Luxury Club
The British Luxury Club (BLC), founded by Max Alexander, is the newest of the new breed with its flagship private members' bar opening this June on New Bond Street. “ I simply took the destination address and James Bond came to mind and I then noted the area's high-end brands and global destinations," says Vanessa Brady whose design company, IDS, blended the BLC's understated elegance with well-timed dramatic features.
The latter surfaces to dazzling effect with the
bar, made up entirely of Swarovski crystals
which bounce pools of light throughout the
room. The 2,500 sq ft capacity club has
already hosted events and private parties for
fashion companies and financial institutions
alike. Two of these parties saw in independent
caterers with an entire staff on hand to served
dinner with tables, designer chairs, and
glassware brought in for the event. The BLC's
two celebrity chefs and a third in-house caterer
for private events complete the dining element
while the club's event manager can arrange
everything from linen to ice sculptors.
Sunseeker Yachts, Flawless Diamonds and
Ferrari are just some of the names who are
committed to recapturing a bygone elegance in
the BLC's contemporary, intimate spaces.
Membership is via BLC by personal invitation.
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Cuckoo Club, Best BoutiqueClub - London Club &
Bar Awards 2007
November 2005 saw the opening of The Cuckoo Club in Mayfair. Director, Nick Valentine oversaw a club with a committee gilded by names such as Joseph Fiennes, Bryan Ferry, Lord Freddie Windsor, Isabella Blow, Elle Macpherson and Queen’s Roger Taylor. This creative and connected microcosm has since drawn in the likes of HRH Prince Harry, Bono, Natalie Portman and Marilyn Manson.
The rock and fashion crowd simply personifies what The Cuckoo Club dubs musical “rock-chic”. Guns N’ Roses made the point when Axl Rose led a secret show after a sell-out Wembley Arena. Unusually in this sector, the club welcomes live music.
The “chic” spreads to the interior of the 300-capacity two-floor venue which was fashioned by interior designer, Blacksheep. Its projects also include Hermes’ London HQ and the Conduit Street store of notorious boutique, Voyage.
Dining is an important part of the club’s experience as evidenced by the ground floor restaurant whose head chef, Fernando Stovell, came from Knightsbridge’s Wellington Club. Stovell mingles between the contemporary European cuisine and the diners to ensure exacting standards of food and service.
Equally diligent is head barman Andreas Jansson who won the UKBG/Campari Cocktail Competition 2006 and has created the new cocktail menu. The choices mean guests can up the pace with the new Roadrunner or sip a relaxing Purple Lady on the sophisticated ground floor. The palate’s never had it so good…
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Chloe
“Society” permeates new members’ club, Chloe, from its South Kensington location to
its very name which honours society beauty, Chloe Delevingne.
Louis Buckworth (executive director and fiancé of Chloe Delevingne) created the club with Alexander Baillieu, the renowned society chef responsible for the well-known Firehouse restaurant above the club. The feel is traditional British members’ club meets 21st century nightlife. Once welcomed in by the resident Chloe butler, guests are greeted with an opulent hallway and sweeping Victorian staircase.
Traditional switches to contemporary with the descent into Chloe’s series of black rooms where Louis IV armchairs and low glass tables allow guests to socialise in seclusion. A second room offers even more privacy with a huge fish tank screening a hidden corner behind the dancefloor for guest who prefer to party more discretely. Chloe has a capacity of 120, ensuring that private gatherings stay just that but the party mood is fuelled by Chloe’s comprehensively stocked bar and an inner cellar with wines and spirits exclusive to the club. Rock, dance and funk are delivered by renowned DJs including Sam Young, DJ Naz and Chad Tyson on music rota.
Before we go…Chinawhite -‘Outstanding Achievement’ at the London Club & Bar Awards '07
Among a raft of newcomer clubs represented at the London Bar and Club Awards, Chinawhite's pedigree was honoured with the "Outstanding Achievement" award.
Club figures from Peter Stringfellow to Fred Moss (Maddox, 50 St James, Aura) and Nick House (Mahiki) endorsed Chinawhite's rightful place in the clubbing pantheon on video for screening at the end of the night.
Peter Stringfellow presented the award to John
Stephen (pictured) and Jeremy Hartley, directors of Chinawhite.
Amika and Crystal jointly won best new club, Boujis won best boutique club and best night, Mahiki won best new late night bar while Movida took best club.
Sam Young,won best DJ, with an award presented by Naomi Campbell. His DJ award underlined the Chinawhite victory with Sam playing his first Chinawhite Rock The Polo. .
RK _________________________________________