Kettner's Townhouse

Auguste Kettner opened his restaurant on Romilly Street in 1867, and for a century and a half this corner of Soho has been a byword for discreet pleasure. The cabinets particuliers upstairs hosted the affairs of Edward VII and Lillie Langtry; Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill all passed through. Soho House took on the Grade II-listed townhouse, restored its plasterwork and panelling, and reopened it as Kettner's Townhouse, a 1920s-inspired restaurant and Champagne Bar above thirty-three bedrooms.

The ground-floor Champagne Bar is the heart of the place: a circular marble-topped bar fronted in burr walnut, ringed with leather stools, lit by arched mirrored shelving and red pleated lampshades and set on original mosaic tiling. Beyond it the restaurant keeps a fin-de-siecle mood with green panelling, gilded damask, deep red banquettes and tables under candlelight, serving the French classics the house has always been known for.

For private events the Champagne Bar can be taken on its own for receptions and parties, with the restaurant available for private dinners and buyouts. A late licence into the early hours on weekends and the enclosed, panelled rooms make it a natural fit for an intimate evening with a DJ once dinner is cleared, a few steps from the heart of Soho.