The Devonshire Club London review: a class act in the City

Opening a new private members club might seem like a bold venture in 21st century London, but the Devonshire Club has proven that it can be done.

Tucked away in pristine Devonshire Square, on the cusp of Shoreditch, the sprawling former warehouse opened its doors as a clubhouse and hotel in June 2016, promising to bring East London swank to the Mayfair model.

All 68 bedrooms are available to the public, and non-member guests enjoy access to the club’s facilities, including three bars, two lounges and a gym, for the duration of their stay, so it’s perfect if you want to get a taste of the club experience.

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The decor of the rooms is firmly mid-century glamour with a stylishly masculine edge, dominated by dark colours and clean lines. Hairdryers and slippers are stowed away inside dark blue drawstring bags.

The masculine edge carries through into the en-suite’s neutral palette and square sinks, although the rainfall-style shower and darjeeling-scented toiletries are pure indulgence.

Cocktails in the ground floor Champagne Bar - one of three in the clubhouse, along with the Library Bar and Cocktail Bar - are simply presented, expertly mixed and eye-poppingly potent.

Adjoining the bar is the club’s newly-opened Number Five restaurant, open to non-members at the weekend.

The ambiance in the dining room, hemmed in on either side by a spectacular glass and marble bar and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the outdoor terrace, is chic but relaxed, and the service is similarly charming.

Number Five serves up a menu of seasonal British fare with an East London twang, under the direction of executive chef Adam Gray, formerly of Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir and Gary Rhodes’ Twenty Four.

I am won over by the concept from the first bite of my starter, an almost meltingly tender tentacle of roasted octopus, served with fennel and a herby cucumber dressing.

My companion opts for squab pigeon, gamey and dense, and served with a creamy hazelnut sauce.

After this encouraging start, the main courses continue to delight. Toothsome corn-fed Yorkshire chicken comes on a bed of cauliflower cream, set off with miniature explosions of flavour from a scattering of girolle mushrooms

The other main offers a clever twist on the classic pork and apple sauce pairing - a juicy pork chop perched atop a miniature apple tart.

Puddings show off a clever British-French fusion: rhubarb tarte fine delivers a perfect sweet/sour punch, while the sweetness of a miniature creme brulee is similarly offset by a tart dollop of granny smith sorbet.

It’s rich fare, but a sound night’s sleep in an intoxicatingly comfortable king size bed proves sufficiently restorative to enable us to tackle the breakfast menu with something approaching gusto.

My companion’s American-style pancakes are served warm and fluffy, each mouthful kicking up a soft breath of powdered sugar, and the blueberry compote packs a pleasantly sharp punch.

Smoked salmon comes on a bed of golden scrambled eggs, with as much toast as I can put away. Just as important for many of us, the coffee is superb - the perfect final touch to our visit.

A sophisticated oasis between the hectic City and swinging Shoreditch, the Devonshire Club proves that business and pleasure can mix.

Bedrooms at the Devonshire Club start from £153 a night. Number Five is open to non-members from Friday evening through to Sunday. For reservations visit devonshireclub.com/rooms