London’s most exclusive members’ club trades Berkeley Square for the sandstone drama of AlUla.
Annabel’s is a name that needs little introduction. Born in Mayfair in 1963, the private members’ club has become a byword for London high society, hosting everyone from fashion royalty to real royalty in its time.
Reimagined in 2018 at 46 Berkeley Square under owner Richard Caring, the current townhouse setting is famed for maximalist interiors and a day-to-night spirit that keeps the energy high long after dinner. It is this blend of heritage, theatre and impeccable service that has cemented Annabel’s as a hospitality icon.
That exclusive members’ club touches down in Saudi Arabia once again as Annabel’s returns to AlUla. The seasonal pop-up promises refined evenings with a rotating line-up of DJs, capturing the club’s lighthearted elegance while embracing AlUla’s natural drama. Expect dinner under a sky full of stars, framed by swaying palms and low-lit tables that set the tone for a memorable night.
The setting does most of the talking with a wooden deck that skims across the sand, palm trees strung with fairylights, and a hush that settles once the mountains fall into silhouette. The mood is garden chic, recalling a British summer party, only transplanted to an ancient oasis. Chunky bejewelled napkin rings catch the candlelight, crockery in the house green is embossed with animal motifs, and maroon parasols frame low-lit tables that invite longer conversations.
The glamorous tone carries through a menu that nods to Mayfair favourites while drawing on regional flavours. For the table, crisp crudités and still-warm pitas arrive with dips. The Aubergine Baba Ghanoush is silken and smoky. Feta and Jalapeño Honey balances salt and sweetness, while the Hummus is helped along by confit garlic and a dusting of sumac. The cooking is all about clarity.
Starters keep that line. Annabel’s signature Tuna Tartare is lifted with mango and a grape ponzu, the fruit supplying fragrance and gentle acidity rather than cloying sweetness. A beautiful Burrata Salad comes as a bulbous scoop that spills cream across grilled Romano peppers. King Prawns Saganaki arrive swimming in a robust tomato sauce with crumbled feta. Each dish feels calibrated for a desert night, generous yet never heavy.
Mains are classic crowd-pleasers executed with confidence. Annabel’s Paccheri Pasta is the headline and with good reason. The tubes are properly al dente, the tomato sauce is bright and evenly seasoned, and a thread of chilli carries it through to the finish. It’s enough to give Carbone’s cult spicy rigatoni a credible rival. The Wild Sea Bass fillet is simplicity at its best with crisp skin, pearly flesh and a subtle sauce vierge. Lamb Chops are thick, well-seasoned and cooked to a rosy centre.
Dessert honours the brand’s greatest hits. Annabel’s Chocolate Cake is the familiar slab of layered nostalgia that has been drawing in diners for decades, rich but not cloying, with the kind of finish that rewards a strong coffee. Pistachio Ice Cream is rolled in more pistachio for added crunch, then hollowed at the centre and filled with luxurious olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. An Exotic Pavlova arrives piled high with chopped mangoes and served with a lightly tart yoghurt ice cream, which reins in the sweetness.
Service is genial, fast and warm, with the kind of anticipatory touch that makes the sharing-style menu feel effortless. Plates arrive at a tempo that suits the room rather than the pass. Side plates are refreshed without fuss, water glasses stay topped up, and recommendations come with context, not script. A London DJ cues a mellow set that keeps the energy buoyant without forcing the pace. The result is a club name that behaves like a restaurant.
The drinks list leans into a selection of alcohol-free signatures. The Belli-no pairs peach purée with non-alcoholic sparkling wine, a Rose Petal Spritz folds raspberry and rose into bubbles and soda water, while the Easy Paloma concocts Lyre’s Agave Blanco, Earl Grey, vanilla, lemon and pink grapefruit soda in the glass.
Annabel’s AlUla sits within reach of sandstone canyons and the region’s famed inscription site at Jabal Ikmah, which gives dinner a sense of place that no interior can match. Annabel’s reads that landscape with tact, carries the London legacy into Saudi Arabia with a lighter touch. The show is still there, only redirected into service, pacing and a striking desert setting.
This is a two-month residency, which feels like a shame once you have eaten there. It also feels like a test for Annabel’s to read the market before launching a permanent Saudi address. Annabel’s AlUla is effortlessly chic and entirely memorable. If you’re not a member of the London OG, now’s your chance to get a taste of the fun.
Annabel’s AlUla, open for the season from 17 October to 13 December 2025, Wednesday to Sunday, from 8pm to 2am.
GO: Visit www.experiencealula.com for more information.