The Scotch of St James

Tucked into Mason's Yard, a cobbled courtyard a minute from Piccadilly, The Scotch of St James opened in 1965 and became the clubhouse of the swinging-sixties music world almost overnight. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and The Who held court here, and it was on this floor that Jimi Hendrix played his first London set, walking in off the street and plugging straight into the house rig. That history is not a marketing line bolted on after the fact; it is in the walls, and it gives the room an authenticity the newer Mayfair clubs cannot manufacture.

The venue runs across two floors. The ground floor is a snug, speakeasy-style lounge bar: a copper-topped bar, a pressed-metal ceiling, botanical wallpaper and deep banquettes, with an adjoining room that can be left open or screened off for a private group. Downstairs is the club itself, a low-lit basement built around a historic dancefloor, a DJ and stage area, and private booths that look onto the floor. Recent work brought in gold velvet seating, animal and plant prints and a retro mirror ball, layering a touch of colonial glamour over the original bones.

For an intimate DJ event this is a rare thing in St James's: a genuine, sound-isolated basement club room with its own in-house system, a late licence, and only enough capacity to keep the night close. The whole place takes a private takeover, with both floors adaptable for showcases, launches and after-dinner parties. We love it most late, with the booths full and the floor lit.