Annabel's London 2026: Membership, Dress Code and Christmas

Of all the private clubs in London, one name travels furthest. Annabel's opened in 1963 and today occupies 46 Berkeley Square in Mayfair, a few doors from its original home. It is where princesses, rock stars and financiers have danced for six decades, and in December its façade becomes one of the most photographed sights in the city. If you are wondering how membership actually works, whether you can go without joining and what to wear when you do, here is what we confirmed on the club's own website and in the major press on October 30, 2026.

What Annabel's Is Today

Annabel's is owned by Richard Caring and belongs to The Birley Clubs group. According to Spear's, which ranked it among London's best private members' clubs in January 2026, the townhouse holds restaurants, bars, a garden terrace, private dining rooms and the famous nightclub downstairs. It is a club you can use from breakfast to the small hours: the official useful information page lists opening hours of 7:30 am to 1:00 am on Monday and Tuesday, 7:30 am to 3:00 am Wednesday to Friday, 11:30 am to 3:00 am on Saturday and 11:30 am to midnight on Sunday. A discretionary service charge is added to all guest bills.

How Membership Works

There is no back door. On its website, Annabel's directs prospective members to an online application run by The Birley Clubs, with individual and joint membership options. The club's privacy policy describes what an application asks for: your name and contact details, business address, date of birth, a photograph of yourself and information about your work, plus anything else you choose to add in support. The same policy notes that applicants may be placed on a waiting list.

What it costs

Annabel's does not publish its rates on its website. The most recent figures in the major press come from Spear's January 2026 guide: £3,750 a year for full membership plus a £1,850 joining fee, and £2,250 a year plus a £600 joining fee for members under 35. Reported figures vary from one publication to another, so treat these as a guide and confirm the current rates with the membership team before you apply.

Our advice before applying

Clubs of this kind admit people, not paperwork. Before you apply, spend time there as a guest of someone who knows you, so the application describes a person the club has already met. Think about how you would use it: long lunches, dinners with clients, or the dance floor after midnight. A clear answer reads far better than a list of credentials.

Can You Visit Without Being a Member?

The usual way in is as a member's guest, and your host is responsible for you throughout the visit. Beyond that, the club's useful information page describes three forms of access for non-members:

• Public Access tours. On set Public Access days, tours run on the hour between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, for a maximum of 12 people, and last no more than 60 minutes. They must be booked at least 48 hours in advance through reservations@annabels.co.uk, anyone not pre-booked is refused entry, the dress code applies, and photography and social posting are not allowed. Under-18s may join only with an adult and only on weekend dates.
• Academic Access, for people over 18 studying architecture or history and heritage, or researching Berkeley Square, with tours booked 48 hours ahead and held between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.
• Local Charity Access, which offers venue hire free of charge to Westminster-based charities, with food and drink paid by the charity.

Occasionally the club opens a restaurant to the public. In February 2026, the Evening Standard reported a five-month sushi pop-up by Endo Kazutoshi that non-members could book, with the house rules, including the dress code and no phones, still in force.

The Annabel's Dress Code

As quoted by the Evening Standard in 2026, Annabel's asks for "polished, occasion and time-of-day appropriate attire," and describes the look it wants as "smart, tasteful and refined, rather than casual or sporty." The club links its full dress code from its useful information page and states that entry can be declined if it is not followed.

What we would wear

• Lunch or tea: a tailored dress or a silk blouse with wide trousers, and a polished flat or a low heel.
• Dinner: a cocktail dress, or a beautifully cut jumpsuit with real jewelry. The rooms are maximalist, so color and print look at home.
• The nightclub: something you can dance in, and nothing that reads as sportswear. Leave the sneakers and the logo T-shirt at the hotel.
• A December evening: velvet, sequins or a jewel-toned dress, with a proper coat for Berkeley Square.

For the line between cocktail and black tie, see our guide to cocktail attire for women.

Christmas at Annabel's: The Façade

Every holiday season, Annabel's covers the front of its Berkeley Square townhouse in an elaborate installation, and Londoners make a detour to see it. In 2025, as WWD reported on November 20, 2025, the design took the form of an ornate wardrobe across the entire building, inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia: a white lion under a full moon, crystal-embellished columns and white roses around the doors. According to WWD, each façade takes Tatiana Kharchylava, creative director of The Birley Clubs, and her team about a year to create.

As of October 30, 2026, the club had not announced its 2026 design or unveiling date. The façade is on the street, so you can see it without a membership: go after dark, when it is lit. Our Christmas in London 2026 guide covers the rest of the festive season.

New Year's Eve and the Season

Annabel's New Year's Eve is a members' night: in past years the club has invited members to contact Reservations to attend, and no 2026 details had been published as of October 30, 2026. If you are not a member, London's hotels hold the great ticketed galas; our guide to New Year's Eve balls in London compares them. Our guide London Private Clubs & Black-Tie Access, Explained explains how London's clubs, Annabel's included, actually admit people.

FAQ

How much is Annabel's membership?

Annabel's does not publish its rates. Spear's reported in January 2026 £3,750 a year plus a £1,850 joining fee, or £2,250 plus £600 for members under 35.

How do you apply to Annabel's?

Through the online application run by The Birley Clubs, linked from the club's website. Applications ask for a photograph and details of your work, and applicants may be placed on a waiting list.

Can non-members visit Annabel's?

As a member's guest, on a pre-booked Public Access tour, or at the occasional public pop-up the club announces.

What is the dress code at Annabel's?

Polished, occasion-appropriate attire that is smart and refined rather than casual or sporty.

Sources: Annabel's, Useful Information and Terms & Policies, Annabel's; The best private members' clubs in 2026, Spear's (January 20, 2026); Evening Standard (February 23, 2026); WWD (November 20, 2025); all checked October 30, 2026. Fees and policies can change; confirm with the club.

More London evenings: browse our London guides or see every Femme Jet Set guide.

Cover photo: Robert Lamb, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.