Sex, drugs and scandal: The Groucho Club's most hedonistic moments
The Groucho Club has suddenly shut down due to "a recent serious crime" reportedly occurring at the location. The Metropolitan Police are looking into the claims, and the private members' club is set to have a hearing regarding its license within the next 28 days.
Since it first opened its doors 40 years ago, the Soho club has consistently been in the public eye. Today, its image is more reserved, but The Groucho used to be a wild venue where celebrities and journalists could unwind and enjoy themselves without any restrictions.
The Groucho has had its license put on hold while the police conduct an investigation.
Stephen Fry was one of the original members and created a set of basic guidelines, which specified that phones, string vests, and drugs were not allowed. However, the third rule about drugs was often ignored, and over the years, the bathrooms have seen their fair share of people indulging in cocaine use.
Although there's an unwritten rule among the members to keep things quiet and not inquire too much, tales of indulgence have managed to escape from the double wooden doors on Dean Street.
When it was established in 1985, the Groucho was considered a refreshing alternative to traditional gentlemen's clubs, where well-dressed men indulged in port and suffered from gout. The club's name pays homage to Groucho Marx's well-known quip that he would never wish to join any club that would accept him as a member.
In the beginning, reporters and publishing executives would gather at the bar. Among the usual crowd was Jeffrey Bernard, the Low Life columnist for the Spectator, who enjoyed his vodka sodas while casually brushing off calls from his editor.
When he finally managed to submit his piece, Bernard remembered waking up from a drunken nap at the Groucho and fearing he had lost his sight. “I soon realized I had fallen asleep on a grilled turbot, and there was tartare sauce smeared all over my glasses,” he recounted. There was one instance where he was so inebriated that the club's famous doorman, Bernie Katz, had to wheel him home in a wheelchair.
Damien Hirst at the nearby Colony Room Club during the 1990s.
In the 1990s, the club emerged as a popular hangout for the Cool Britannia crowd, including Britpop icons and Young British Artists. There's a story that Liam Gallagher was ejected for allegedly breaking a window, and in 1995, Damien Hirst famously placed his £20,000 Turner Prize winnings behind the bar. Nights often spiraled into mayhem. Public relations guru Mark Borkowski found himself in the emergency room after Hirst poured whisky on him and ignited his chest hair, while writer Toby Young was thrown out for having intimate relations with a woman resembling Princess Diana in the bathroom.
Journalist Mark Edmonds referred to the upstairs snooker room as the "Peruvian Procurement Department" due to the abundant supply of cocaine. In her memoir, *My Thoughts Exactly*, Lily Allen shares memories of her father, Keith, getting "publicly loaded" with Damien Hirst and Alex James from Blur at the Groucho. Meanwhile, Lily and her brother Alfie would be upstairs, munching on Toblerones from the minibar while their dad enjoyed drinks with his friends in the bar below.
As a young child, Iris Law was taken to the hospital after accidentally ingesting ecstasy while at the Groucho.
Allen's early memories of The Groucho seem almost innocent when contrasted with the incident involving Iris Law, the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost. As a young child, Iris was attending a birthday party at the venue when she accidentally ingested half of an ecstasy pill she discovered on the ground. She had to be taken to the hospital, but thankfully, she wasn't seriously injured. However, the club came close to losing its license as a result of what happened. In response to the event, Frost expressed that she and Jude felt like “the luckiest parents alive.”
During the 2000s, the club often played host to celebrities like Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, and Courtney Love. Lily Allen, following in her father's footsteps, also became a well-known presence there. She swapped chocolates for cocaine and mentioned that she was banned from the club for a month after getting caught using drugs in the restroom.
After memorizing Groucho's phone number as a kid, Lily Allen frequently visited the club.
Sergio Pizzorno and Noel Fielding were present at a book launch event at the Groucho in 2016.
In recent years, the Groucho has seen a decline in its reputation for indulgence. In 2022, it was purchased for £40 million by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, the founders of Hauser & Wirth, through their hospitality venture, ArtFarm. At that time, Ewan Venters, the CEO of ArtFarm, stated his intention to “ensure a sustainable future for the Groucho that honors its unique charm and rebellious spirit.” However, this summer, The Times reported that a letter entitled “RIP Groucho” was shared among members, declaring the club “nearly defunct” due to increasing expenses and a shift towards a more corporate atmosphere.
With the club's future uncertain, it's clear that the wild parties at Groucho's are a thing of the past.
