Madonna, Princess Diana and Kate Moss partied here – now Kensington’s Roof Gardens can stay open even later
A West London club visited by celebrities like Madonna and Princess Diana has been given permission to run until 3am at weekends.
Operations on the fifth floor, the Pavilion building, Spanish Garden, Tudor Garden and Tudor Walk of the Roof Gardens on Kensington High Street will be able to serve alcohol until the early hours, Kensington and Chelsea Council has decided.
The council also chose to curb the sale of alcohol in terraced areas to 11pm. It also said alcoholic drinks at Esme’s and Esme’s Terrace can only be served by a waiter or waitress.
The same applies to the terraces on the sixth and seventh floors after 8pm, according to the venue’s new licence.
Earlier this year, the Roof Gardens applied to occupy the fifth floor of its 99 Kensington High Street address and install a new Italian garden kitchen, bar and sushi counter on other floors. The club currently occupies the sixth floor and rooftop.
It also asked Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Licensing Committee to ditch a restriction which makes the club’s 3am closing time between Thursdays to Saturdays temporary, so they can permanently stay open that late.
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The club promised to keep capacity at 600 people but the council ruled the number of people accommodated on the premises at any one time shall not exceed 450 at 1.30am.
It also ordered members and their guests not to park in Kensington Square when attending the premises following complaints from residents. Residents previously wrote in opposing the application, which they said was confusing and could lead to customers staring into their windows.
They said the fifth floor directly overlooks residential properties and that it was “premature” to remove the condition on closing times because the venue had been open less than 12 months and had already received noise complaints. They also complained about being awoken by crushing glass every morning.
The Roof Gardens were built in 1938 and were a licenced establishment for more than 20 years. The club closed in 2018 when the previous operator, Virgin, vacated the premises after occupying it since 1981.
Stephen Fitzpatrick acquired the property in 2020 and reopened the premises as an exclusive private members’ club in July 2024.
The grade-II listed former nightclub was known for its extravagant parties attended by celebrities like Kate Moss and Freddie Mercury but closed in 2018, according to The Standard.