Wealthy Upper East Siders are pushing back against an invasion of Britain's most exclusive private clubs, viewing the trend as a threat to their carefully preserved neighborhood quiet.
The flashpoint is Maison Estelle, a London members' club that has counted Kim Kardashian, Angelina Jolie and Kate Moss among its guests. The club wants to open a five-story Manhattan venue with a rooftop terrace on East 81st Street, between Madison and Fifth avenues, but residents have mounted fierce opposition to its liquor license application.
A community board voted 29 to 13 against granting the license, with one abstention. The complaint centers on the rooftop use, which would place 20 to 30 patrons just 15 feet from bedroom windows of nearby residents.
Jibril Younes, representing 26 East 81st Street, a building where apartments sell for a median of $1.7 million, testified that the rooftop would "significantly impact the privacy and quality of life" of tenants. Others expressed alarm at the prospect of noise disturbing people living in what they described as "really nice townhouses."
Frederick Lapham, president of the co-op board at 18 and 20 East 81st Street, warned that sound carries intensely through the residential blocks between Madison and Fifth avenues, urging limits on rooftop activity.
But Estelle's arrival is just the latest wave. Robin Birley, who owns London's legendary 5 Hertford Street and Oswald's, opened Maximes on the Upper East Side last year. The Grosvenor Square club The Twenty Two launched its New York outpost, and Annabel's plans a downtown location in the meatpacking district.
The influx of British hospitality has become so pronounced that London PR executive Gemma Bell opened a satellite office in New York last month specifically to represent British clients. She attributes the trend to a surge in British cultural appeal across the city, from Arsenal's popularity to artists like Raye and Olivia Dean gaining traction.
One anonymous British restaurateur dismissed resident complaints as "silly," arguing that the Upper East Side was "moribund" before these venues arrived. "Any good restaurant or club opening on the Upper East Side should be celebrated," they said, contrasting the quiet neighborhood to the West Village, where nightlife runs until early morning.
Sean Coogan, a director of Estelle's management, told the community board that the company operates three clubs in the UK and promises "old-school values" with individualized service and discretion, alongside a "new-school spirit."
The broader wave of British expansion reflects economic pressures at home. Birley suggested that rising costs and deteriorating conditions in London are driving operators overseas. "Tax is part of it, and law and order in Mayfair is terrible," he said. "The Upper East Side is super safe compared to London."
British restaurants have already found success in New York. Hawksmoor, a high-end steakhouse, opened in 2021 and thrived. The Ambassadors Clubhouse, a British-Indian restaurant, launched this year, and Dishoom is scouting locations. Dean's, a British-themed restaurant featuring traditional dishes like quail scotch eggs, is among the year's most anticipated openings.
Birley acknowledged the stakes for Maximes and other newcomers. "Ask me in 18 months," he said. "It takes three years for a club to prove itself." He remains cautiously optimistic but recognizes that London's current doldrums, while temporary, are pushing ambitious operators to look westward for opportunity.
Author James Rodriguez: "The Upper East Side wants London's prestige without London's energy, but you can't import one without getting some of the other."
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