Shoreditch House

At the Cartier Polo we all want to be in the Chinawhite tent. At Ascot it was the Movida after party. A few years ago we all wanted to find ourselves in front of the coveted unmarked entry to Milk & Honey, for knowing the exact address was a privilege on its own. Londoners crave that special tag. Why is that? Is it because all the best places require membership, or at the very least a reservation well ahead? Well ... yes!

The newest Soho House addition to the London private member circuit Shoreditch House. I keep thinking when will this city get tired of it all the exclusivity. Well ... never! It keeps it ticking. The harder it is to get into a place, the more you want to be there.

Shoreditch House is very much worth its membership fee and more. Nestled across the top three floors of an East London warehouse-like building (what is known locally as the 'TEA Building') it is like an utopia above all the hustle and traffic noise. My member friend tells me the gym is great and on par with his previous fitness abode. The rooftop heated pool is the gem at the top of the crown. It sits alongside an outside bar, where the tables are arranged around an open spit roast. And in between, the industrial space is full of cosy furniture. Open space, which despite the sheer size feels like walking in someone's home. The dining room has long tables with candle holders dramatically dripping scented wax. The french provincial sideboards laden with fresh bread reinforce the homeliness. If you are a local to East London, the call to be a member or not would have been an easy one.

We sampled it all ... caipirinhas, sunset on the roof, duck from the spit-roast, dessert in the candle lit dinning room later. Beautiful night! The setting was one thing, it was the company that really made!!

I am thinking that my persona may be far too fickle to commit to a membership at one place, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the privilege any less. I loved Shoreditch House (if I am lucky I may be invited again) and look forward to gracing the mysterious Milk & Honey later this week.