INSIDE THE SOUTH KENSINGTON CLUB
The South Kensington Club is a cool, contemporary members club that threw open its doors this May, and last week – remember the day that bucketed it down from dawn until dusk? – I took refuge there for a day.
My morning kicked off with a (virtually) one-on-one yoga session with the Flexi Foodie, Julie Montagu (ok, there were four of us) who has made waves in the yogi world and whose high energy classes are always accompanied by a super positive, upbeat soundtrack. I haven’t managed to get to one of her lessons since I was Fulham-based and a frequent visitor at The Power Yoga Company so it was great to find myself back in her intensive flows and invigorating routines. This, along with a long lazy session in the steam room post lesson, did wonders for stretching out and soothing sore muscles after I spent the previous Saturday zorbing for a friend’s birthday. (There’s a first for everything.)
Elsewhere in the club, there’s another studio for hot yoga and, upstairs, the gym – a big, but not too big, studio that spans the top floor – was once upon a time the Pineapple Dance Studio. I spent the afternoon in the lounge area with my Mac attempting to make a dent in my giant to-do list slash taking note of all the clever details and interesting pieces that have been lovingly inserted between the SKC walls: squashy chairs and sofas, statement lamps, coral, indoor plants, old-school tennis rackets, a globe… and every bathroom is lined with different Art Deco-style tiles. The mental moodboard I’ve pieced together is being stored for when we move into our new home later this year.
Food at SKC is healthy and easy: there’s a wholesome lunchtime menu of wraps and salads. To finish up my day, Olly was able to come and join me for dinner in the downstairs restaurant where we tucked into (almost) gluten-free truffle pizzas (which became an obsession during our stint in NYC). And with lots more exciting developments in the works – two Russian banyas, a Turkish hammam and a plunge pool filled with Sicilian seawater known for its healing properties – members have a lot to look forward to. One to have on your radar.
