My top 5 members bars are the top 5 members rooms I have visited recently.
I haven't been to 'the top five' according to Harpers Bazaar or Barchick or Time Out.
I've always been a fan of a club. I was a brownie pixie 6er, a regular at our local youth club, where Rocky from Rocky and Diesel & Xpress2, used to dj, he always played I Believe In Miracles. I started going to nightclubs when I was 13, really crap ones, like Top Hat in Ealing and Regals in Uxbridge. Then I went to some of the best nightclubs, all over the world. I have now 'joined the club' and become a mum. I do like a drink and to meet my friends, somewhere nice, from time to time.
Meeting friends who have membership to clubs, museums and venues in London is a great way to inspire yourself, art, music, conversations, advice, laughs, drinks, a shared experience, a memory. My favourite and number 1 is...
1. Tate Modern Members Room
The view from The Tate Modern's members bar is stunning. Here's a lovely picture, Zoe Lazarus took on our recent visit to see the Alexander Calder, Performing Sculpture. It's my second visit to the Caulder exhibition, I'd never heard of him, first time round. A brilliant sculptor 'Widely celebrated as the orginator of the 'mobile' He was one of the most innovative and influential American Artists on the 20th century.' It's a great show, go see it, it closes at the beginning on April.
There's loads of exhibitions on and coming up. David Hockney's Retrospective, next year, will deserve multiple visits, he is an all time favourite.
The membership allows you to visit all the
Tate's around the country. There's been
brilliant shows at Tate Liverpool, The Alice in Wonderland exhibition was magical. Tate members get invites to private views and talks and workshops.
The Members bar is a glass fronted room with an amazing view of St Paul, with a long bar and sofas and tables and chairs.
They serve salads and sandwiches and wines and teas and coffee and cakes and water etc. There's a nice relaxed buzz in the place, children are welcome and there are two terraces for them to run around or enjoy the sunshine. I would recommend the +1 membership, meaning you take a friend or family or date etc... To look into joining, go here
2. 6th Floor Shoreditch House
I called a meeting with my pros and cons man, last week, to talk through the new direction of cazza.com and to investigate the 6th floor of Shoreditch House. It's not really a bar, more a pool side restaurant on the top floor, a glass room with views all around, fastinating in and out. The Soho House group has exploded in the last few years with 'houses' in New York, Miami, LA, Berlin, Toronto, Istanbul. A place for creative types to mix together in beautiful surroundings. Lots of meetings going on in the room, it's great to people watch. There's live art happening down on the street below and deals on corners, it is the east end.
( I got told off for taking this picture and yes I wore my new scarf and Le Specs sunglasses from Nola Brighton, the second day running.)
3. The Groucho
The Groucho Club has a mysterious vibe, a doorway on Dean St and lounging within a wonderful mix of interesting types on sumptuous leather sofas in dimly lit rooms, sipping champagne. With the added bonus of a bowl of twiglets.
The townhouse has bars and restaurants and screening rooms and rooms, a union jack piano, art dons the walls, the dining room is elegant with blue banquets, the upstairs bar, pop colourtastic. It 'is the original arts & media private members club'
4. The Barbican members room
The Barbican members bar is tucked in the heart of the complex, cosmic glamour, concrete and orange walls. Like a bar from a space ship in James Bond's Moonraker. It's totally deserted on our visit with just a couple of sandwiches on offer, not quite shaken not stirred.
5. V&A members room
The V&A members room, comes in at 5 as it's not really a members bar, more a tea room in a quite small square room with small high windows, tucked behind the jewellery section in the V&A museum.
The membership is great, free entry to all the exhibitions, recent favourites David Bowie Is and The Fabric of India. A wealth of talks and workshops to inspire. The V&A collection is vast and wonderful. The costume and tapestries a particular favourite.
Are you a member of a club? Think of your interests, your gang, who you are and inspire to be, what's your budget? Be it a sewing or sawing club, bats or badgers, football or footwear, what ever you like, to meet like minded people. Inspire yourself.
Please share with friends.
Love love,
Cxxx