New Yorkers irritated by proliferation of London members’ clubs on their doorsteps

Upper East Side residents fighting Maison Estelle’s plan for venue with roof terrace next to ‘nice townhouses’

The New York City elite are growing irritated by a proliferation of private members’ clubs from London’s Mayfair opening branches on their doorsteps.

Over the last year, London clubs have started popping up like unexpected guests in the US city. The entrepreneur Robin Birley, who owns 5 Hertford Street – where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly had their first date – and Oswald’s in Mayfair, has opened Maxime’s on New York’s Upper East Side. The Grosvenor Square newcomer The Twenty Two has now opened its NYC outpost and others are swiftly following, including the Mayfair stalwart Annabel’s, which plans to open a site in the downtown meatpacking district.