# The Best Clubs in London in 2026, by Type of Night

> The best clubs in London for 2026: Mayfair table clubs, Soho shows and big dancefloors like Fabric, with the nights each opens and how to get in.

- Canonical URL: https://londonnightguide.com/best-clubs-in-london/
- Published: 2026-10-09
- Last updated: 2026-10-09

**By [James Whitmore](https://londonnightguide.com/about-the-editor/), Editor-in-Chief**

*Last updated: 9 October 2026*

The best clubs in London are not one list, because London does not have one kind of club night. A Saturday at a Mayfair table club and a Saturday on a warehouse dancefloor in Farringdon are different nights out with different rules, prices and finishing times. This guide sorts the city's best clubs by the night you actually want, with the nights each one opens and the practical details that decide whether the evening works.

Everything below is current as of October 2026. Opening nights for the West End clubs come from our own venue listings, which we keep up to date because we book tables at them every week. The dancefloor clubs are the ones with the strongest reputations for sound and programming, cross-checked against [Time Out's 2026 ranking of London's best nightclubs](https://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/the-best-clubs-in-london).

## How to choose the right London club

Before picking a name, decide three things.

- **Table or dancefloor.** The Mayfair and St James's clubs are built around tables with a minimum spend, with a small amount of standing room at the bar. The big electronic clubs are ticketed and built around the dancefloor, with very few tables at all.
- **Which night.** Most West End clubs open between two and four nights a week, and the nights differ from club to club. A Tuesday or a Sunday rules out half the list straight away.
- **How late.** The Mayfair rooms typically finish between 3am and 4am. If the group wants to keep going, plan the after party now rather than at 3:30am on the pavement.

If you want the full picture on costs first, our [London nightclub entry prices guide](https://londonnightguide.com/london-nightclub-entry-prices-guide/) explains what you pay on the door, on a guestlist and at a table.

## The best clubs in Mayfair and the West End for a table

These are the clubs most people mean when they search for the best clubs in London: smart dress, a firm door, a celebratory crowd and music that runs from hip hop and R&B to house. Every one of them is easier with a table booking, and on a Friday or Saturday a table is often the only reliable way in for a mixed group.

**Tape (Mayfair).** Open Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as of October 2026. Tape is the club most often at the top of a London birthday wish list, with hip hop, R&B and afrobeats and one of the busiest weekend doors in the West End. The main room closes at 3:45am, and on Friday and Saturday Little Tape, the after-party room next door at 17 Hanover Square (formerly 1717 Hanover), carries on from 3am until 5:30am. See our [Tape London guide](https://londonnightguide.com/tape-club-london/) for the room, the music and booking.

**Cirque le Soir (Soho).** Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, finishing at 3:45am. Cirque is the theatrical one: performers, stunts and a circus-themed room that keeps something happening all night. The Monday opening makes it one of the few serious options at the start of the week. Read more in our [Cirque le Soir guide](https://londonnightguide.com/cirque-le-soir-london/).

**Reign (Mayfair).** Open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Reign suits groups who want a big, show-led night with a dancefloor that fills early.

**Dear Darling (St James's).** Open Thursday to Sunday at 91 Jermyn Street. A good fit for a slightly older, well-dressed crowd that wants a polished room and a Sunday option.

**Rumour (Mayfair, formerly Tabu).** Open Wednesday to Saturday. People still search for it under its old name, but it now trades as Rumour, with hip hop, R&B and house across four nights.

**Maddox Club (Mayfair).** Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A long-standing Mayfair favourite with a strong weekend crowd and a dress code to match.

**99 Regent Street (Mayfair, formerly Cuckoo Club).** Open Wednesday to Saturday, with the entrance on Swallow Street where the old Cuckoo Club door was. A central, easy-to-reach choice just off Piccadilly Circus.

**Itzel (Mayfair).** Open Thursday to Saturday at the Berkeley Street address that was once Funky Buddha. A newer name with the same weekend focus.

**Scotch of St James (St James's).** Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A club with a long musical history and a mixed, live-music-friendly feel rather than a pure table-club atmosphere.

For the full list of rooms we can book and how a table works, see our [London club table bookings page](https://londonnightguide.com/clubs-london-table-bookings/).

## The best clubs near Oxford Circus and Soho

**Selene (Fitzrovia).** Open Thursday to Sunday, 11pm to 4am, as of October 2026. Selene is at 4 Winsley Street, just north of Oxford Circus, in the space Libertine used to occupy. It is a short walk from Mayfair rather than in it. What sets it apart is the private bowling lanes alongside the club rooms, which can be booked together with a table, so a birthday group can start with a game and move straight onto the dancefloor without leaving the building.

**The Box (Soho).** Open Wednesday to Saturday. The Box is a cabaret club first: the shows are the reason to go, and they are deliberately provocative. [Time Out](https://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/the-best-clubs-in-london) calls it London's best bougie club, notes that tables run to several thousand pounds and lists a 4am weekend finish. It is not for every group, so make sure everyone knows what kind of show they are walking into. Our [guide to The Box](https://londonnightguide.com/the-box-london/) covers the night in more detail.

## The best clubs in London for a proper dance

If the point of the night is the music rather than the table, these are the clubs with the reputations to match. All are ticketed: buy in advance for big line-ups, because the best nights sell out.

**Fabric (Farringdon).** One of London's longest-running clubs, in a former Victorian meat warehouse, with one of the best sound systems in the city and a vibrating dancefloor. [Time Out](https://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/the-best-clubs-in-london) notes that it is one of the few central London venues with a very late licence, and that its Continuum parties can run from Saturday night into Monday morning.

**Ministry of Sound (Elephant and Castle).** Probably the best-known club name in the UK, in a former bus depot with four rooms and a 5am weekend finish according to Time Out's 2026 list. A safe choice for a group that wants a big, classic clubbing night with house and dance music.

**KOKO (Camden).** A Grade II listed former theatre that is as much a gig venue as a club. Its weekend clubbing series, KOKO Electronic, runs late, with a 5am weekend closing time listed by Time Out.

**XOYO (Shoreditch).** Right by Old Street station, with a strong sound system and electronic music from jungle to tech house. Time Out lists a 4am weekend finish.

**Drumsheds (Tottenham).** The giant, from the team behind Printworks: three dancefloors in the old Ikea building at Meridian Water, with a main room for 15,000 people. Closing times vary from event to event, and some events are daytime parties, so check the ticket.

## Best London clubs by night of the week

As of October 2026, this is which of the West End clubs above is open on each night, from our venue listings.

| Night | Open |
| --- | --- |
| Monday | Cirque le Soir |
| Tuesday | Tape, Reign |
| Wednesday | Cirque le Soir, Rumour, 99 Regent Street, The Box |
| Thursday | Reign, Dear Darling, Rumour, Maddox Club, 99 Regent Street, Itzel, Scotch of St James, Selene, The Box |
| Friday | All eleven West End clubs above |
| Saturday | All eleven West End clubs above |
| Sunday | Tape, Dear Darling, Selene |

Thursday is the underrated night: nine of the West End clubs open, tables are easier to secure than at the weekend, and the crowd is often more relaxed. Sunday is the hardest night, with only three of them open, so book early for a Sunday birthday.

## Getting in: door, dress code and timing

The West End clubs operate selective doors. A booked table is the most reliable way in for a group, a guestlist booking is the next best, and turning up without either on a Saturday is a gamble. A few habits make a real difference.

- **Arrive early.** Aim to be at the door before midnight. Guestlist entries close earlier than the club does, and tables are held for a limited time after the booked arrival.
- **Balance the group.** Large groups made up only of men find it hardest to get in without a table. Tell us the group's make-up when booking so the right option is arranged.
- **Dress up.** Smart is the standard across Mayfair: no sportswear, no caps and clean shoes. Each club applies its own rules, and the door has the final say.
- **Bring photo ID.** Every club checks it, regardless of how old the group looks.

The dancefloor clubs work differently: the ticket gets you in, the dress code is relaxed, and the door is mostly about ID and safety checks.

## Planning the rest of the night

The best club nights usually start somewhere else. Dinner in Mayfair or Soho from around 8:30pm, drinks nearby, then the club from 11:30pm is the pattern that works for most groups. For the late finish, Little Tape on Friday and Saturday runs to 5:30am, Selene goes to 4am from Thursday to Sunday, and the big electronic clubs run later still. The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights on several lines, which makes getting home from most of these clubs straightforward, and black cabs and ride apps are easy to find around Mayfair and Soho at closing time.

Ready to book? Message our team on [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/447348644054) with the night, the size of your group and the kind of club you have in mind, and we will tell you which rooms have availability and arrange the table or guestlist for you.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best club in London?

It depends on the night you want. For a celebratory table night, Tape, Cirque le Soir and Reign are the most requested West End clubs. For music first, Fabric and Ministry of Sound are the big names. For a show, The Box in Soho is in a category of its own.

### Which London clubs are open on a Sunday?

As of October 2026, Tape, Dear Darling and Selene open on Sundays among the West End clubs we book. Sunday has the fewest options, so book a table early.

### Which London club is open on a Monday?

As of October 2026, Cirque le Soir in Soho is the main West End club open on a Monday, finishing at 3:45am.

### Do I need a table to get into the best clubs in London?

Not always, but at the Mayfair clubs a table booking is the most reliable way in for a group on a Friday or Saturday. A guestlist booking is the next best option. The large electronic clubs such as Fabric and Ministry of Sound are ticketed instead.

### What time do London clubs close?

The Mayfair and Soho clubs typically finish between 3am and 4am; Tape and Cirque le Soir finish at 3:45am and Selene at 4am. Little Tape runs until 5:30am on Fridays and Saturdays, and the big electronic clubs often run later.

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