A First Look at the Refreshed Mark’s Club in London
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When British Vogue interviewed Gwyneth Paltrow for the May 2010 issue, the Oscar winner asked to be interviewed at Mark’s Club for two reasons: one, because of the food (“so great”), and two, because she found its “old-school” charm impossible to resist. Happily for long-term members and wellness moguls alike, both qualities have only been enhanced by the club’s refresh this year—the details of which have been personally overseen by Richard Caring. “The idea was to bring Mark’s Club into the present day: retain the style, retain the image, retain its heart,” he tells Vogue. “As things age, there is a need to breathe new life into them,” although, in this case, preserving the “quintessentially British identity” of the Mayfair institution was also paramount.
By British identity, Caring adds, he largely means Birley identity. If Mark Birley founded Annabel’s in the ’60s as London’s ace of nightclubs, Mark’s Club was conceived as an alternative to the likes of Boodle’s and White’s when it opened in 1972, with Caring steadfastly protecting its identity since acquiring the Birley portfolio in the mid-Aughts. Mark’s Club’s MO from its inception: to be wholly discreet (it’s still easy to stroll right past the inconspicuous Charles Street entrance); to have the atmosphere of a refined English home (picture Limoges china, mahogany antiques, and Dedar velvet); and to serve some of the most tempting food in London (haute cuisine, yes, but also cozy nursery dishes in the vein of Porkinson bangers and mash). As one American member told The New York Times in the 1980s: “We don’t eat at Mark’s; we dine.”
Birley, Caring says, was “completely original” in his vision, with Mark’s Club now restored to the timeless feel it had during his early stewardship: it’s “classic,” of course, but also “eclectic” and “comfortable.” In practical terms, that means the interiors—which had been modernized by designer Tino Zervudachi in 2016—lean into country-house style once more. Take the Private Dining Rooms, both of which have been fully transformed: while the Country Room’s florals are complemented by gilt-framed Alfred Wheeler paintings of spaniels and terriers, the Portrait Room’s bold scarlet walls are hung with a constellation of aristocratic Georgian portraits.
Perhaps most impressive, however, is the renovated ground floor. Caring chose to open it up fully—the Lounge gives onto the Dining Room which, in turn, gives onto the Greenhouse—so that it all “hits you at the same time” as you enter the George Stubbs-lined foyer. It’s this level—now flooded with daylight—where Mark’s Club’s silver-service offering will be realized in its most impeccable form: think Imperial Beluga and côte de boeuf paired with crisp Champagne and aged Claret followed by a board of Shropshire Blue and sauterne. Birley, Caring concludes, was “creating a home” when he opened Mark’s Club—one that makes visitors feel like they’re “going back in history.” Caring’s particular genius? Marrying the club’s traditional appeal and contemporary polish with such aplomb.
Step inside the revived Mark’s Club, below.
Photo: Milo Brown1/8Stepping over the threshold, guests will be met with a newly acquired George Stubbs painting above the Edwardian clock familiar to long-term Mark’s Club members. Old Master works have been integral to the décor since the club opened in the ’70s; Mark Birley’s father, Oswald Birley, was himself a respected painter known for his portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill and more.
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Photo: Milo Brown2/8The adjacent Lounge epitomises Mark Birley’s “comfortable” yet “eclectic” style as interpreted by Caring. Here, guests can linger over Bellinis in Murano glasses and classic martinis pre- or post-dinner. The above fireplace was discovered during renovations, and now anchors the room.