One of London’s bougiest Private Members’ Club just opened up a bakery

an image of a pastry on offer at cafe 1922, a croissant style bin with stewed fruit on top — (Image credit: Cafe 1922)

One of the lovely - if slightly isolating - things about London is the downright bougie-ness of the city. From the multi-million pound Mayfair townhouses with their immaculate porches to the top-hat wearing doormen outside some of the grandest hotels in the world, London has affluence in abundance. One of the cornerstones of said affluence is the 133-odd private members' clubs that spring up across the city.

One such club is The Sloane Club in Kensington – set up by Princess Helena (Queen Victoria’s Granddaughter) in 1922. Usually, its doors are firmly shut to the public, swinging open only for those who pay the £3k + membership fees. Now, however, the gorgeous mansion block has opened up a fancy new bakery and wine bar.

Called 1922 (presumably a nod to the club’s founding), by day the Chelsea hub will be serving up delicious speciality coffee, homemade pastries, breakfast, and a sprinkling of light lunch-style dishes.

an image of white wine being poured into a wine glass, alongside two plates of food on the same table

We already have a taster of what’s on the menu, with Cafe 1922’s debut signature pastry: the Sloane Pain au Suisse. It has apparently been inspired by The Sloane Club’s classic Croque Monsieur, which has been on the menu since the club first opened. The pastry is essentially a ham and cheese croissant but supercharged, filled with béchamel, smoked ham and a blend of cheeses including comté, emmental and gruyère. Even if you opt for a sweet pastry, it’s definitely worth trying this one out – if you can, that is, knowing the London bakery scene, they’ll be selling out fairly quickly.

an image of someone holding a bottle of white wine against a white painted walll

As night falls, the cafe transforms, turning into a cosy wine bar. It has all the hallmarks of a classic London wine bar: small but carefully curated wine list, by-the-glass wines, and intimate but bougie interiors. Plus, there is plenty of room outside as tables spill onto Lower Sloane Street for when the sun decides to show, and the temperature feels like a cheeky glass of Rosé and a spot of people watching.

The Sloane Club has also teased a new series of events that will be hosted in the new venue, like supper clubs and wine tastings, but it looks like more are set to be confirmed.

Cafe 1922 soft-launched on 1st April, with its doors officially opening a week later on 7th April, just in time for all the warm weather wanders floating around London’s streets this week. The space is open Sunday-Tuesday 7.30am-3.30pm, Wednesday-Saturday 7.30am-8.30pm, with a 5pm change of menus from all-day to evening menu.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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