Becoming a member of a private club can earn kudos when entertaining clients and supply a source for new contacts. Emma Sadowski reviews five of the City's more modern retreats

Representing status, success and wealth, the member's club has long been part of the City scenery. But with a growing wave of modern, fashionable entrants into the market, joining a club does not have to mean evenings sipping whisky in wingback chairs.

Whether old or new, though, these clubs are not open to just anyone – in fact, some lawyers have been aggrieved to find themselves turned down by clubs for not fitting the cool image they want to portray. Many still operate rigorous entry requirements – often requiring personal recommendations from other members, not to mention a large sum of cash. But that is where the attraction lies. Pick the right club, and you are assured a mix of like-minded people to socialise with – not to mention the valuable business contacts you make along the way.

Traditional private gentleman's clubs established in the 18th and 19th centuries were, up until the last 20 years, a common stomping ground for City lawyers.

The sole preserve of City lawyers and other professionals used to be clubs such as the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), Whites and The Athenaeum, found along St James' Street in central London. But then a string of young upstarts came along, eschewing the image of the traditional gentleman's club and appealing to the younger generations with cocktail bars and large spaces for parties.

Weil Gotshal & Manges partner Marco Compagnoni, who is a member of the Ivy Club, comments: " I joined because I was taken there and liked it. It is useful to have somewhere quiet and central in town to be able to meet people for a work-related drink rather than hanging out in a noisy pub, or in a hotel bar. It is not far from home and they do the best fish and chips – and at breakfast time, the best porridge and kedgeree in London!"

The Soho Group (including clubs such as Babington House, Shoreditch House and Soho House), Home House, The Rushmore Group (which owns Milk & Honey in both Soho and New York and The East Room in Shoreditch), Paramount and, more recently, The Eight Group are among the swathes of new private member's clubs directed at a wide cross section of London's arts, media and professional hipsters.

Each has its own method of instilling that feeling of exclusivity, but significantly they all turn away from the once rigid rules of the gentleman's club.

"[The old band of clubs are] too stuffy and the food is too traditional. The quality is not great and I certainly wouldn't use them for a work venue," comments one London senior partner, who has a membership with The Soho Group.

The Soho Group – www.sohohouse.com

With six venues across the UK and US, The Soho Group is the most sought after of all the clubs, with celebrity spottings common in the group's Shoreditch, Soho and New York locations.

Members usually comprise of a variety of figures from the arts and media industries and despite the "no suit policy" strongly adhered to at some of its venues, City lawyers still cite the group's clubs as an ideal place to entertain clients. "For business purposes I go to Babington House. There is more atmosphere there than people are used to. Sometimes you're challenged to find a new restaurant that clients well versed in the City haven't been to, and this hits the spot," says one member partner.

The group says membership is "generally decided on during a period of six to eight months" and costs range from £600-£900 depending on how many of the clubs you want to have access to, plus a £150 membership fee. There is, however, a reduced rate for members under the age of 27.

"You can use the club for work purposes because they have private function rooms for hire," adds one partner about Shoreditch House. "It's a funky atmosphere and the younger generation of clients really like it, so we go and have dinner there."

The Rushmore Group – www.mlkhny.com

Having recently re-opened its membership after seven years, The Rushmore Group boasts the same characteristics as The Soho Group – central and eastern London locations filled with arty types.

A try-hard venue (rule one on the list of house rules: "No name-dropping, no star fucking"), the group prides itself on great cocktails and cool music.

Memberships, which cost £400 annually or £1,500 for five years, allow access to the group's London clubs – Milk & Honey and The Player in Soho and The East Room in Shoreditch – and has added benefits of a club in New York and a boutique hotel in Chamonix in the French Alps.

There are no formal vetting and approval procedures to membership and no referees or contacts are required – as the group's home page succinctly states: "In short, nothing wanky. Just apply".

"It's a great place," says one magic circle partner. "I use it when I am entertaining and clients really like it."

The Rushmore Group also occasionally permits corporate memberships, which include up to four cards and costs £1,000 annually.

Paramount – www.paramount.uk.net

By contrast, Paramount, perhaps one of London's more exclusive clubs, operates a rigorous membership policy that requires new members to either present a referral from a current member or receive an invitation to join by the membership committee.

Once the application process has been completed, potential members must state their case in front of the committee, which includes media personality Stephen Fry.

Annual memberships cost £750 with a £150 joining fee and allow access to the club's panoramic view from floors 31 and 32 of Centre Point on New Oxford Street.

Christopher Mills, commercial director at media firm Schillings, says: "Paramount is right next to our office, so it is less time out of the office and we do use the venue for seminars and client lunches.

"We use various clubs in Soho for marketing as well as for staff entertainment. The biggest benefits of those places are the quality of the service, food and the staff. We don't have large event spaces at our offices, which is why use the clubs; we find the high standards act as an extension of our own brand when we need entertainment space."

Membership buys access to a 22-person private dining room and an event space that can cater for up to 400 people. The club is also registered for weddings.

Home House – www.homehouseclub.com

Touted as more of a corporate-focused club, Home House, located in London's West End, is a stylish and classic venue that offers members a wide variety of services including a spa, gym, hotel, restaurant and bar.

Based in Portman Square, the club is the former London residence of Countess of Home, restored to its previous state but with a modern twist.

Membership fees rank Home House as one of the more expensive clubs in London, with full annual charges coming in at £1,500, in addition to a £1,800 joining fee. It is, however, one of the easier clubs to join – boasting that the process does not include "interviews, a board of selectors or esoteric selection rates".

Members can join weekly activities including film nights, backgammon and fencing. There is also a six-week boot-camp programme in the gym and societies to join ranging from petanque to creative writing.

However, it's not to everyone's taste: "I would say that the feel of Home House is much more corporate – it's more of a lunch place with a bar," says one City lawyer.

The Eight Group – www.eightclub.co.uk

New to the private club scene is The Eight Group, which has two venues situated in Moorgate and Bank in the City.

Eight EC2, the newer of the two clubs, opened in spring last year. It has a private entrance and lift to the club's facilities which includes a terrace overlooking the City and a bar stocked with 300 spirits.

Situated across from The Royal Exchange, EC3 offers similar exclusive services to members but has the added advantage of a pool hall and a cinema as well as seven private meeting rooms.

Membership to Eight Club is currently at a reduced rate of £750 for founders and members get access to both EC2 and EC3. Corporate packages are also available.

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