We all have our vices. But your morning coffee doesn’t need to come from a global chain where everything tastes vaguely like disappointment and caramel syrup. London is full of independent cafés that offer more than just caffeine — they offer identity. Places where the pastries are handmade, the interiors have taste, and the flat whites aren’t served with a side of existential dread. Think Nordic minimalism in Camden, Aussie brunch in Hackney, third-wave espresso in Soho, and French patisserie in Marylebone. This isn’t just about coffee. It’s about how — and where — you choose to start your day. These cafés weren’t designed for transactions, but for slow mornings, open laptops, lingering glances, and long breakfasts that blur into lunch. From sunlit roasteries by the park to low-lit boltholes with cult pastries, this is a breakup letter to the chains. Consider this your guide to the spots that make mornings feel less like a routine and more like a ritual. You’ll never ask for a name on your cup again. Monmouth Coffee 27 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9EU Monmouth Coffee is a London institution known for its carefully sourced beans and classic, no-frills approach to brewing. Their dedication to quality and consistency has made them a favourite among coffee purists and locals alike. Marchesi 1824 117 Mount St, London W1K 3LA Marchesi 1824 blends Italian heritage with London sophistication, serving elegant coffee alongside exquisite pastries. This café feels like a slice of Milan in the heart of the city, perfect for a refined coffee break. Baudry Greene 20 Endell St, London WC2H 9BD Baudry Greene is a stylish, light-filled spot where meticulous brewing meets beautifully crafted interiors. It’s a great place to enjoy a slow coffee while soaking up the calm atmosphere and friendly service. Antipode 28 Fulham Palace Rd, London W6 9PH Antipode is a bright café with a relaxed vibe, known for its strong, flavourful coffee and all-day brunch menu. The minimalist decor and welcoming team make it a popular hangout for creatives and coffee lovers. Hjem 157 Gloucester Road, SW7 4TH Hjem is a Scandinavian-inspired café offering delicate coffee blends and a cosy, minimalist space to unwind. Their attention to detail extends from the beans to the carefully selected pastries and light bites. Drury 188-189 188-189 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5QD Drury 188-189 is a chic, contemporary café tucked away in central London, combining excellent coffee with a stylish environment. It’s the perfect spot to recharge during a busy city day or meet friends over brunch. St. George Coffee 126 King's Rd, London SW3 4TR St. George Coffee is a bright, welcoming café focused on high-quality single-origin beans and expert roasting. Their carefully crafted drinks pair well with an inviting atmosphere and a small but thoughtful food menu. Glasshouse Coffee Bishop's Ave, London SW6 6EE Glasshouse Coffee prides itself on ethically sourced beans roasted to perfection, creating bold, balanced cups. Their modern yet cozy café is ideal for a quiet moment or a casual catch-up with friends. Milk 18-20 Bedford Hill, Balham, SW12 9RG Milk Café is a laid-back, neighbourhood favourite offering creamy lattes and comforting brunch dishes. With a friendly vibe and relaxed setting, it’s a great place to linger over coffee any time of day. Pavilion Victoria Park Victoria Park, Old Ford Rd., London E9 7DE Pavilion is the kind of café that makes you forget you're in a city, perched by the lake in Victoria Park, it serves strong coffee and flaky pastries to a steady stream of East London locals. The Sri Lankan-inspired brunch menu is worth queueing for, especially on sunny mornings. Darcie & May Green Grand Union Canal, Sheldon Square, Central W2 6DS Moored on the Grand Union Canal, Darcie & May Green brings Aussie-style brunch and vibrant energy to a colour-drenched barge. It’s fun, bold, and perfect for long, lazy catch-ups over coffee and banana bread. Wolfox at LOAFT 53 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JU Wolfox at LOAFT feels like a secret find - all monochrome interiors and artisanal flair. The coffee is roasted in-house and the menu leans organic, ideal for slow mornings in West London. Well Street Kitchen 203 Well St, London E9 6QU This cosy Hackney café has a no-fuss charm and a menu that champions good produce over trend-chasing. It’s where you go for a proper breakfast sandwich and a reliably strong brew. Lowry & Baker 339-341, 339 Portobello Rd, London W10 5SA Lowry & Baker is a petite, independently-run café on Portobello Road with vintage tables and handwritten menus. The coffee is great, but it’s the home-baked cakes and warm service that keep people coming back. Farm Girl Cafe 59 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill, W11 3DB A wellness-forward Notting Hill staple serving rose lattes, buckwheat pancakes, and all-day Californian sunshine - even on grey London mornings. The courtyard seating feels like a secret garden, with a side of adaptogens. Ottolenghi Notting Hill 287 Portobello Rd, W11 1LJ Part deli, part café, all flavour - Ottolenghi’s Notting Hill location is where you come for coffee and end up with three pastries, two salads, and zero regrets. The space is minimalist, but the food is maximalist in the best way. The Roasting Party 253 Pavilion Rd, London SW1X 0BP Small, buzzy, and refreshingly unpolished, this Aussie import turns out exceptional coffee without the usual London snobbery. A favourite with locals who take their flat whites seriously. Lily Vanilli Bakery The Courtyard, 18 Ezra St, London E2 7RH Lily Vanilli Bakery is a North London gem celebrated for its beautifully crafted cakes and pastries that taste as good as they look. Their coffee is thoughtfully sourced, making every cup a treat alongside their signature sweet creations.

There’s something seductive about stumbling into a new restaurant in London that feels like it’s been there forever. That’s exactly the effect Fire & Wine by Boxcar pulls off — hidden away on a quiet Marylebone street five minutes from the chaos of Oxford Street. It’s the type of place you want to pretend you discovered first. A rebrand of the much-loved Boxcar Bar & Grill, this new iteration arrives with open-fire cooking, a produce-led menu, and a Greek head chef whose experience reads like a Michelin-tinged passport. The vibe? Effortlessly warm, low-key elegant, and thoroughly nonchalant about the fact that nearly everything on the menu has touched open flame — including dessert. That’s right. Dessert. Cooked. Over. Fire. You had me at "burnt sugar." We took a seat on the terrace (London’s erratic July weather behaving for once) and began with cocktails. The drinks menu reads like your classics went to culinary school — a Negroni or Old Fashioned reworked with left-field ingredients. We kicked things off with two snack plates. The first was almost architectural in arrangement: nori tarama on pressed potato , a canapé that tasted like the seaside in silk gloves. Next up, a chicken liver parfait with blackberry on brioche, rich and glossy like the filling of a well-made truffle. Then came the stilton gougère , a.k.a. a tiny puff of cheesy joy, cleverly topped with slivers of apple — just enough fruit to cut the funk and make it feel like you were eating something light. (You weren’t. But who cares.) The second plate introduced lamb belly on toast, layered with tomato concasse and pickled onion. The lamb was sticky and indulgent, but it was the anchovy toast that left me blinking. You read anchovy and flinch — but what arrived was a surprisingly subtle, umami-packed bite where the tomato gently led the flavour profile, letting the anchovy play backup. Next came the small plates. The pork belly , cut thick and almost scandalously tender, came with a dollop of egg yolk and a dusting of pecorino — all the richness you want, with none of the guilt (because you’re in Marylebone, and calories obviously don’t count here). The tiger prawns were served shell-on, dressed in garlic and just a whisper of chilli, perched over seaweed. It was seafood restraint at its best — not a punch in the face, just a tap on the shoulder. And then, the mains. The surprise of the evening? A brie tortelloni dish that might have singlehandedly justified the rebrand. The pasta was textbook perfect, stuffed with creamy brie and laid atop a bed of chard that had just kissed the grill. The smoke lingered lightly in the background, like a good scent trail. Staff insisted we try it. They were right. Finally, dessert — and no, I hadn’t forgotten that promise of fire. I ordered the grilled croissant tiramisu . First of all, the croissant is house-baked. It arrives warm, caramelised at the edges, covered in a generous spoonful of tiramisu cream that melts into the folds like it belongs there. It was, in short, everything. The Pink Lady terrine with vanilla diplomat offered something lighter, more structured. The apple slices gave the diplomat cream a fresh crunch — one of those bites where the textures feel like they’ve been rehearsed. By the time we left, the terrace was packed. Word is clearly getting out. Fire & Wine by Boxcar isn’t just a rebrand. It’s a quiet statement: we’ve levelled up — now bring your appetite. Book now, or risk watching the fire from the outside.

By now, we all know someone who got engaged with a lab-grown diamond and whispered it like a secret. The implication being: it’s sparkly, sustainable, and (gasp) affordable. But in 2025, lab-grown diamonds are no longer a budget compromise—they’re a conscious luxury. And frankly, they’re everywhere. The science is impressive, yes, but the style is what’s truly worth noting. These diamonds are chemically identical to their earth-mined counterparts and, to the naked eye, just as radiant. The difference? No mining. No guilt. And often, no five-figure price tags. So if you’ve been eyeing that 1.5 carat for your right hand (or left), now’s the time. But not all lab-grown diamond retailers are created equal. Some focus on bridal; others are reimagining fine jewelry entirely, giving it a Gen Z glow-up. Below, I’ve rounded up the seven best brands making seriously beautiful things—with integrity, polish, and just the right amount of sparkle. Whether you're planning a proposal or just feel like rewarding yourself for surviving Q3, these are the brands worth knowing. Blue Nile Gorgeous Pieces From a Trusted Retailer Price range: £150 to £11,000 Shipping: Free 2-day shipping Returns: 30-day return policy Extras: Free ring resizing (1 year), polishing + prong inspection every 6 months Blue Nile is the lab-grown equivalent of that friend who always makes the reservation, always looks polished, and always knows the wine list. The brand has been around for over 20 years and recently stepped into the lab-grown category with the quiet confidence of a seasoned gem dealer. Their diamonds are GIA-analyzed, their prices are refreshingly transparent, and their customer service has a touch of old-school luxury (hello, complimentary resizing and six-month check-ins). What sets Blue Nile apart is its mix of quality and customization. You can build your own ring, yes, but you can also pick up a pair of Round Brilliant Stud Earrings that look like you just got a promotion at LVMH. I’m partial to their Scalloped Pavé Diamond Ring for engagements and their Lab-Grown Diamond Tennis Bracelet for everything else—birthdays, breakups, or simply Tuesday. VRAI Modern Designs Made With Renewable Energy Price range: $150 to $20,000+ Origin: Zero-emission diamonds grown in the U.S. Style vibe: Architectural, understated, ultra-wearable Owned by Leonardo DiCaprio (yes, that Leonardo), VRAI is the brand for people who want their jewelry to say “I care about the planet, but also love a good stack.” All diamonds are created in a zero-emission foundry using hydropower, making them as eco-friendly as they are Instagrammable. The aesthetic? Think sculptural meets minimalism—less red carpet, more Architectural Digest meets Glossier HQ. Highlights include the Knife-Edge Bezel Ring and the Tennis Bracelet that looks just as chic with tailoring as it does with vintage Levi’s. If you want your diamonds with a side of design philosophy, this is your brand. Astrea London High Jewellery That Just Happens to Be Lab-Grown Price range: From £3,000, bespoke high-end Flagship: Fairmont Windsor Park Diamond grade: D and E colour only – the top 1% globally Astrea London is where lab-grown diamonds meet high jewellery fantasy. If most lab-grown brands aim for wearability, Astrea leans unapologetically into glamour—the kind that deserves velvet ring boxes, private fittings, and maybe a vintage Bentley waiting outside. Their pieces are striking, sculptural, and often feel more suited to a Bond Street showcase than an algorithm-friendly grid. Every stone is D or E colour , placing them at the very top of the diamond spectrum—and it shows. There’s a kind of light only these stones catch, that quiet sparkle you notice mid-conversation or across the dinner table. It’s jewellery made to be remembered. Whether you’re shopping for a showstopper engagement ring or a signature piece that says main character , Astrea delivers a sense of drama with a conscience. No mining, no compromise—just brilliance, expertly cut. Kimaï Made-to-Order Diamonds with Serious Style Cred Price range: £200 to £5,000+ Ethics: Lab-grown diamonds, recycled gold, made-to-order production USP: Personalised luxury with cult appeal If you’ve ever wondered where the cool fashion girls are getting their diamonds—spoiler alert—it’s Kimaï . Founded by two childhood friends from Antwerp (read: diamond capital of the world), the brand has quickly become a favourite among the style set for its lab-grown diamonds, made-to-order production model, and conscious materials. Everything is crafted just for you, which not only cuts waste but makes the whole experience feel more personal. The customer service is practically concierge-level, and you’re kept in the loop from the moment you hit "order" to the moment you slip that forever piece onto your hand (or neck, or ear). The aesthetic is where Kimaï really shines. You’ll find whisper-thin gold chains with dainty diamonds that look like they’re floating on your décolletage, alongside bold dome rings and chunky huggies that strike the perfect balance between timeless and trend-aware. It’s polished, yes, but never boring—and always Instagrammable in that understated, “just threw this on” kind of way. Matilde Sustainable Sparkle You’ll Actually Wear Every Day Price range: £100 to £2,500 Ethics: Lab-grown diamonds, recycled gold, carbon-neutral Style mood: Understated elegance meets modern heirloom If you’re the kind of person who wants your jewelry to whisper rather than shout, Matilde is the brand for you. A sustainable and ethical alternative to flashier names, this London-based label (founded by Matilde Mourinho, yes, that Mourinho) has quietly become the go-to for beautifully made, wear-it-forever pieces. There is quite literally not a single item in the collection we wouldn’t be thrilled to receive in a little velvet box. The Cluster Ring is a standout—modern, delicate, and a brilliant option for low-key brides-to-be. Then there’s the Chuva Necklace , a fine gold chain subtly interrupted by one perfectly-placed lab-grown diamond. It's the kind of piece that turns a crisp white shirt into a look . Matilde’s designs are less about trends and more about permanence—the jewelry equivalent of a really good linen blazer or a cashmere scarf you stole from your mother. Chic, ethical, and designed to be worn on repeat. Mejuri Minimalist Cool With A Grown-Up Shine Price range: from £150 Lab-grown collection: Recently expanded Design ethos: Everyday luxury, curated and clean You might know Canadian favourite, Mejuri , for their signature everyday pieces—like their near-perfect mid-sized hoops (literally the best hoops you’ll ever wear) and the cult-favourite croissant-shaped Charlotte Rings that have practically earned icon status. But it’s well worth digging into their growing lab-grown diamond collection , which is quietly redefining what “fine jewelry” looks like in 2025. Expect timeless silhouettes with a twist: tennis bracelets that feel a little chunkier (read: cooler) than your average, pavé rings that stack like they were made for it, and the Zig-Zag Diamond Ring —a playful, off-beat piece that reads both modern and heirloom-y, depending on how you wear it. The vibe is refined but unfussy, the kind of sparkle you don’t need a dress code for. Which, frankly, is the whole point. Grown Brilliance Big Looks Without the Big Price Tag Price range: £200 to £20,000 Style focus: Maximalist sparkle Perks: Frequent sales and financing options If you want the look of a 3-carat without needing a new credit limit, Grown Brilliance delivers. The pieces are bold, shiny, and designed for those who want the drama. Their Hidden Halo Oval Ring is a fan-favourite, and they offer one of the most extensive collections of lab-grown bridal and fashion jewelry online. Grown Brilliance also partners with designers (like Badgley Mischka), giving their collection a red carpet vibe that’s still wearable. Think big studs, bold solitaires, and a pricing structure that doesn’t make you flinch. Brilliant Earth Design-Your-Own With Ethics Built In Price range: £300 to £25,000+ Custom services: Bespoke design studio Ethics: Climate-neutral, responsibly sourced materials Brilliant Earth is like the Everlane of fine jewelry—transparent, clean, and highly clickable. They let you build your own ring down to the last detail, and the site’s user interface is better than most fashion retailers, which is saying something. Every diamond is traceable, and the brand puts sustainability at the forefront of its sourcing and packaging. Whether you want an Art Deco-inspired emerald cut or a halo that’s visible from space, Brilliant Earth can make it happen. Bonus: they now offer showroom appointments, so you can try things on before you commit.

There’s something delightfully disorienting about watching a pop star catapult from support act to centre stage in just two short years. Sabrina Carpenter did exactly that. In 2023, she was the sweet, slightly mysterious opening act for Blackpink at BST Hyde Park. Fast-forward to July 2025, and she returned to the very same park with two sold-out headline nights of her own. Think less warm-up, more main event—with fireworks, a platform that glides above thousands, and a glittering red leotard to remind you who’s running the show. If Hyde Park had a roof, Sabrina Carpenter would have blown it off. The Saturday crowd didn’t care that the sun was hiding. The queues were long, the humidity persistent, and there were umbrellas (and hair ties) everywhere—but the energy? Impeccable. She opened with Busy Woman , stomping onto her signature white stage that looked more Manhattan nightclub than festival turf. The glitzy ‘SC’ signage above her pulsed like a luxury perfume ad, while her 12-person dance crew added pure Broadway-meets-pop flair. Somewhere between Good Graces and Slim Pickins , Sabrina tossed back a shot delivered on a silver tray (cue a thousand TikToks). Intermittent 1950s-style commercials flickered on the big screens, giving the whole show a sort of retro-luxury kitsch—part Lana Del Rey, part Barbiecore. When she introduced Sharpest Tool as “a song that is very important to me,” it was one of the night’s rare quieter moments, a pivot from polished performance to pop therapy. But in true Sabrina fashion, the mood whiplashed—in the best way—just minutes later. Introducing her new single Manchild , she teased the famously mercurial London crowd: “When I heard I was going to play Hyde Park… the first thing I did was look at the weather app. Because you guys are shady here.” That segued—naturally—into a full-throttle cover of It’s Raining Men , complete with thunderclaps and a healthy wink to the heavens. And if that wasn’t theatrical enough, a mid-show outfit change brought out a sparkly black slip dress and matching bra, as Sabrina performed Bed Chem atop a circular bed draped in white satin. Fans screamed. Phones rose. Pink handcuffs were tossed to the crowd. A dedication for Juno . A whispered Please, Please, Please . And then—just as she had inched into pop superstardom—she literally levitated. Hovering above the crowd on a crane-operated platform, Sabrina looked down and declared, “Smile! You’re on camera!” before launching into Don’t Smile with intimate eye contact that no doubt birthed a hundred parasocial relationships. By the time she reached Espresso , drink in hand, fireworks erupted behind her. “The louder you scream, the more I drink,” she said, espresso glass raised. And scream they did. The Line-up: From Clairo’s Cinematic Set to Amber Mark’s Dancefloor Sermon Carpenter may have been the headliner, but BST Hyde Park was anything but a one-woman show. Before the glitter cannons and crane lifts, Clairo—everyone’s favourite Gen-Z introvert—took the stage with a show that felt more arthouse than arena. Accompanied by a band that moonlighted as a mini orchestra (sax, flute, organs—the works), she glided through Glasses , Softly and Flaming Hot with moody precision. “This is really sexy, it’s crazy!” she laughed mid-set. For Clairo, it was practically a mic drop. Beabadoobee delivered a typically cool-girl performance, dressed in a tee with the word “SEX” in bubblegum pink. “I wore this top especially for Sabrina,” she teased, drawing 65,000 people into her hazy, grunge-pop orbit with Perfect Pair , Charlie Brown , and Real Man . Consider the crossover crowd: Swifties, 1975 fans, and every indie kid who's ever shopped Depop. Amber Mark, meanwhile, brought the tempo up—way up. Part preacher, part dancefloor saviour, she worked the crowd like a veteran, belting out Mixer , Sink In , and Foreign Things with enough confidence to make anyone believe the Grammy’s actually mean something again. The Understated Stars of the Rainbow Stage Elsewhere, the Rainbow Stage became the weekend’s low-key goldmine. Luvcat, dressed in her signature leopard print, brought smoky jazz vocals and an undercurrent of gothic drama that somehow felt appropriate even in the middle of a London field. It felt a bit like stumbling into a speakeasy after getting lost in Shoreditch. SOFY—who was quick to clarify her only similarity to Carpenter was her height—proved otherwise. Her set, including Floating Forever and togethertogether , radiated effortless, shoulder-shimmying cool. Sola kicked things off with jazzy vocals and rich keyboard textures, while DellaXOZ—Bolton-born and Tumblr-coded—delivered a Gen-Z fever dream of a set, complete with tracks from The Della Variant and Dellairium . Earlier in the day, rising indie duo The Two Lips and the ethereal IDER set the tone. A Third Year at BST Hyde Park, A First-Class Experience This marks my third consecutive summer at BST Hyde Park, which feels increasingly like a pilgrimage for the fashion-forward, playlist-obsessed set. From Blackpink’s epic girl-power showcase in 2023 to this year’s short-and-sweet revolution led by Sabrina, the festival has quietly become one of the most style-savvy, emotionally satisfying events on the British calendar.

All-American pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo lit up BST Hyde Park on Friday night with a 19-song set and a surprise guest appearance from Ed Sheeran, all framed by a golden sunset that felt scripted just for her. Last night in Hyde Park, Olivia Rodrigo did what only a rarefied class of pop stars can do: made 65,000 people believe they were the only ones she was singing to. Her chain link tassels glittering against a technicolour sky, and a surprise guest that sent TikTok into cardiac arrest, the 22-year-old Grammy winner gave London the kind of night that lodges itself in the cultural memory—and stays there. BST Hyde Park is no stranger to once-in-a-generation headliners, but Rodrigo’s set felt unusually cinematic. Maybe it was the golden-hour sunset. Maybe it was the purple cowboy hats waving in rhythm with Driver’s License . Maybe it was Ed Sheeran, who casually walked out in jeans and a white tee to duet The A Team like it was open mic night. But by the time she whispered, “London, you’re my favourite city,” the audience already knew. Rodrigo’s BST debut was less concert, more coronation. And if you weren’t there, the scroll of social media the morning after read like a communal hangover from a dream no one wanted to wake up from. “This is like my dream gig!” she beamed, visibly overwhelmed by the sea of Gen Z superfans (and at least one very enthusiastic James Corden). Her setlist, a serotonin rush of heartbreak anthems and pop-punk scream-alongs, opened with Bad Idea Right and closed—after 90 relentless minutes—with Good 4 U and Get Him Back , fireworks in tow. But the moment that detonated X (formerly Twitter) came mid-show, when Rodrigo paused, grinned, and said, “I want to introduce one of my favourite Brits and one of the best songwriters of all time.” Out walked Sheeran. Cue hysteria. Even in a festival season defined by surprise pairings, this one hit different. The pairing made sense: two generational songwriters, both capable of reducing you to tears in four chords or less. But watching them strum The A Team together under the Hyde Park trees felt like watching a scene from a movie that already knows it’s going to win an Oscar. Elsewhere on the bill, BST proved again why it’s one of the most compelling summer festivals in the world. The Last Dinner Party, swathed in rococo drama and Roman columns, owned the stage with a set that included Mirror and Nothing Matters . girl in red, fresh from a deeply personal rehab journey, turned her trauma into triumph, debuting Hemingway with raw, devastating honesty. “I wasn’t going to live anymore,” she said at one point, before launching into the track that many fans are already calling her best yet. If Rodrigo gave us the anthem-heavy climax, it was flowerovlove who gave the visual gag of the afternoon, popping out of a giant white stiletto before launching into New Friends . Wearing a Harry Styles tee and zero pretence, she brought easy confidence and star quality that will likely land her a headline slot before long. Other early highlights included BETWEEN FRIENDS’ breezy California cool, Caity Baser’s turbo-charged girl-power pop, and Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s confessional lyricism (she spotted the subject of Guest List in the crowd and handled it with the kind of dry humour that only a Scottish TikTok star could pull off). Ruti, Déyyess, and Florence Road rounded out a day so packed with new-gen talent, you could practically feel Spotify’s algorithms recalibrating in real time. Rodrigo’s love letter to London was more than just a tour stop. It was a cultural checkpoint for the post-pandemic pop era, a celebration of vulnerability, camp, grit, glitter, and community. The crowd—one of the most emotionally literate in Hyde Park history—sang along to every word, cried on cue, and then cried again when it was over.

In Mayfair, where new-money opulence rubs shoulders with storied institutions, one private members' club has spent the past 90 years refusing to bow to trends—because it sets them. The Lansdowne Club, founded in 1935, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. And while its corridors have seen everything from political treaties to Gordon Selfridge’s legendary soirées, the club is proving that age is nothing if not an asset. Let’s begin with the address. You don’t casually wander into The Lansdowne Club. Housed in an 18th-century Grade II* listed mansion, this is the sort of building that feels like it should have its own National Trust plaque, velvet rope, and perhaps a butler. Designed by Robert Adam for a British Prime Minister—because of course it was—the building’s Georgian bones give way to a decadent Art Deco soul, complete with a 25-yard private swimming pool and a cocktail bar featuring a piano lifted from the RMS Queen Mary . You couldn’t make this up if you tried. But for all its grandeur, The Lansdowne Club has always been quietly radical. In 1935, it became the first private members’ club in London to admit men and women as equals, which was about as rebellious as wearing trousers to tea at Claridge’s. That spirit of inclusion lives on, though you’re still more likely to sip a gimlet than overhear a TikTok being filmed here. The Club is using its anniversary not to rest on laurels, but to give them a polish. A year-long programme of events is underway, beginning with a Literary Festival featuring Country Life Editor Mark Hedges in conversation with Club CEO David Herbert. (Expect plenty of discussion about ‘Girls in Pearls’, and not a whiff of irony.) There’s also a historic archive exhibition, white-tie gala, and a members-only trip to Sir John Soane’s Museum for an exclusive peek at Robert Adam’s original architectural drawings—because nothing says 2025 quite like ogling 18th-century blueprints with champagne in hand. Of course, nostalgia is best served with a forward-looking twist, and The Lansdowne Club is undergoing a sensitive refurbishment. Translation: the Art Deco stays, but the Wi-Fi won’t make you feel like it’s still 1935. “Our 90th anniversary is not just a celebration of our past, but a promise for the future,” said Herbert, whose tone suggests evolution without disruption. Which, if you’re a private club in Mayfair, is code for: We’ll stay elegant, but don’t expect the same threadbare carpets. Perhaps what sets Lansdowne apart, though, isn’t just its history or its charm (though there’s no shortage of either). It’s the refusal to fade into the background of London’s clubland arms race. Where other institutions are hiring brand consultants to make them seem cool, The Lansdowne Club is content to let its pedigree—and, let’s be honest, its swimming pool—do the talking. And if you’re lucky enough to get through the door, you’ll see why. After all, how many places in Mayfair can say they helped end the American War of Independence and host cats named after the Selfridges?