The London club dress code at Mayfair's table and guestlist clubs is smart and elegant: a shirt, smart trousers and smart shoes for men, and a dressed-up outfit with heels for women. Sportswear, hoodies and scruffy trainers are refused. Music-led clubs such as fabric are far more relaxed.
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Below is what each type of club expects, how the rules differ for men and women, and why a table booking buys a little leeway that a guestlist place does not. We arrange table bookings and guestlists at these clubs every week, and we confirm the dress code for your night when you book.
London Club Dress Code at a Glance
- Mayfair and West End clubs (Tape, Maddox Club, Reign, Cirque le Soir, Dear Darling, The Box, Scotch of St James): smart and elegant. Men: a shirt or blazer, fitted trousers and smart shoes. Women: an elegant outfit, with heels the safe choice.
- Music-led clubs such as fabric: no smart dress code to speak of. Jeans and clean trainers are normal.
- Refused at every Mayfair door: sportswear and tracksuits, hoodies, shorts, beachwear, caps, fancy dress outside themed nights, and hen or birthday props such as sashes and tiaras.
High-End Mayfair Club Dress Code
The more exclusive the club, the stricter the door. At the Mayfair and West End clubs we book, including Tape London, Maddox Club, Reign, Cirque le Soir, Dear Darling, The Box and Scotch of St James, the dress code is smart and elegant. The door decides on the night, and it can refuse entry for clothing even when your table is booked and paid for.
Several Mayfair venues have changed in the last year, so older dress code lists are out of date:
- Cuckoo Club is now 99 Regent Street, and Tabu is now Rumour. Their old door terms do not carry over: 99 Regent Street's dress code is elegant and enforced, and Rumour's is smart and dressed up, with heels for ladies. Book a table at 99 Regent Street or Rumour.
- Libertine has closed, and Selene now operates in its place. Selene, just north of Oxford Circus, sits in the same smart bracket as the Mayfair clubs; we confirm its door for your night when you join the Selene guestlist.
- Luxx and Funky Buddha have closed. Itzel now operates at their Berkeley Street address.
Casual London Club Dress Code
Not every London club cares what you wear. At music-led clubs the line-up is the point, and jeans with clean trainers are the norm. Time Out's guide to the best clubs in London, updated for 2026, picks its clubs for programming and sound system, and includes fabric in Farringdon, which has been running for over 25 years. For that side of the city, check the event listing rather than worrying about your shoes.
If you want to dress up to the nines, a Mayfair club is where that effort fits in. The rest of this guide focuses on the Mayfair clubs, because that is where people get turned away.
London Club Dress Code for Men
The safe outfit: a shirt (a blazer over it is never wrong), fitted smart trousers and smart leather shoes. That combination gets past every door we book. Dark, unripped jeans can work at some clubs, but smart trousers are the safer choice.
What gets refused: tracksuits and sportswear, football shirts, hoodies, shorts, caps, ripped or distressed jeans, worn or chunky trainers, sliders and flip-flops, and fancy dress outside themed nights such as Halloween.
Trainers are the most common question. Smart shoes are the safe call; some doors accept clean designer trainers for table guests, at the door's discretion and never as a rule. Our guide to getting into London clubs with designer trainers explains where the line usually sits.
The outfit is not the whole answer for men. The guestlists at Tape, Maddox Club, Reign, Cirque le Soir and Dear Darling are for ladies only, so men and mixed groups go in with a table booking. Tables at those clubs start from £750 minimum spend at Tape, £800 at Reign, Cirque le Soir and Dear Darling, and £1,000 at Maddox Club, as of October 2026, depending on the night and the table.
London Club Dress Code for Women
The safe outfit: a dress, or smart trousers or a skirt with an elegant top, with heels or heeled boots. Tape's door asks women for heels and an elegant outfit, and the other Mayfair clubs expect women to be dressed up.
What gets refused: sportswear and athleisure, beachwear, denim shorts, flip-flops, visible underwear, and hen or birthday props such as sashes, tiaras and badges. A celebration is welcome; the props are not.
The guestlist is where the dress code matters most. A guestlist place is entry the club offers at its own discretion, so if an outfit does not fit the night, the door can turn the group away.
Table Booking vs Guestlist: Who Gets More Leeway?
Table guests usually get a little more flexibility than guestlist guests. A table is a minimum-spend booking the club wants to honour, so a door may let a man in with clean designer trainers, or a woman in elegant flats, where a guestlist guest in the same outfit would be refused. That leeway is never guaranteed, and it never stretches to sportswear or scruffy clothing.
On the guestlist, assume the strict version every time: an elegant outfit and heels. If anyone in your group is unsure about an item, message us before the night: it is much easier to change a pair of shoes at home than at the door. For the wider choice between the two, see VIP table vs guestlist in London, and for what promoters mean by the phrase, see what "dress to impress" means.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dress code for London clubs?
At Mayfair and West End clubs it is smart and elegant: a shirt, smart trousers and smart shoes for men, and an elegant outfit with heels for women. Music-led clubs such as fabric are casual, and jeans with trainers are normal there.
What should men wear to a Mayfair club?
A shirt, fitted smart trousers and smart leather shoes, with a blazer if you like. Avoid sportswear, hoodies, caps, shorts and ripped jeans. Men also need a table booking at most Mayfair clubs, because their guestlists are for ladies only.
Do women have to wear heels in London clubs?
Heels are the safe choice at Mayfair clubs, and Tape's door asks for them. Women on a table booking can sometimes wear elegant flats, at the door's discretion. At casual music clubs, heels are not expected.
Is the dress code more relaxed with a table booking?
A little. Table guests may get leeway on details such as clean designer trainers or elegant flats, but it is the door's decision on the night and is never guaranteed. Sportswear and scruffy clothing are refused whatever you have booked.
Can you wear hen party sashes or birthday props to a London club?
Not at the Mayfair clubs: sashes, tiaras and badges are refused at the door, and fancy dress is only for themed nights such as Halloween. Tell us about the occasion when you book instead, and we will let the club know you are celebrating.