Raffles Chelsea – inside London’s exclusive club

Raffles night club, under new ownership and management has returned to its hey days of the 70’s and 80’s. The Journal explains more.

raffles chelsea dance floor

Raffles was founded in 1967 by restaurateur Peter Evens and was named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. As soon as it opened it cemented its place in London’s Nightlife, becoming a favourite of the royals such as Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and Prince Charles. However more recently with tough competition it lost its edge, that is until now.

Located in a Chelsea townhouse on the Kings Road, Raffles offers a small and intimate clubbing experience. The staff are also friendly and if you would like table service then ex Maitre D of Tramps in St James, Emilio De Niro will take care of your every request. Tod Russell-Welply, ex Public nightclub promoter and now head of Marketing at Raffles ensures members and guests receive a warm welcome at the door.

raffles chelsea club dance floor

At the bar they seem to know what they are doing, with a signature Raffles cocktail list (we recommend the Crackbaby). The prices are a little higher than their competitors, however taking into account the great service, we think this is more than fair.

The décor of the private members’ club is quite dark, however there is a retro light up dance floor which looks great and the recently refurbished entrance that features a bookcase with hundreds of copies of “Who’s Who” to show it’s history.

Raffles has been around a long time and with the new ownership and management we think raffles is not so much a club, but an institution that everyone should go to once in their lives.

287 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 5EW, Tel: 020 7351 4964

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