The Groucho Club is a private club located on Dean Street in the Soho area of London and it has been in operation since 1985. At that time, the traditional London clubs did not accept women as members, which was a problem for leading publishers such as Liz Calder and Carmen Callil.

These women went on to be founding board members at the club.

Membership of the club was originally drawn from the publishing world but in current years the membership base has expanded to include those working in other media, such as entertainment, fashion, and the arts.

The name of the club comes from the famous quote by Groucho Marx saying that he would never want to join a club that would have him as a member and the club has prided itself over the years for being much more offbeat and bohemian than your typical traditional British club.

Membership at the club is quite exclusive and highly sought after, and prospective joiners must have both a proposer and a seconder in order to submit their application for membership.

The Groucho has many amenities available to members and their guests. There are two restaurants, the Brasserie and the more formal Dining Room that offer breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner.

The club has free wireless Internet access as well as reception rooms available for press conferences, exhibitions, book launches, and the like. Members and their guests can also stay at one of the club's nineteen bedrooms if they need a home away from home while in London. The club has large meeting rooms which can be hired by the general public for parties or events.

Weddings are popular here, they have a wedding license which allows for up to 50 guests at the ceremony and they can accommodate any sort of reception from lavish fine dining to a small and intimate lunch.

This club is a place to see and be seen.

45 Dean Street, Soho, W1D 4QB

Telephone: 020 7439 4685

Photo courtesy: Ewan-M

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