THE NED, A LUXE MEMBERSHIP CLUB BORN IN LONDON, IS COMING TO D.C.
The pinnacle of an Art Deco-era building near the White House will welcome two new restaurants this winter — but the masses won’t be able to actually eat there.
Meet Ned’s Club Washington D.C., an elite new downtown club where members can mix and mingle across three upper floors where iconic institutions Riggs Bank and American Security and Trust Company once sat (734 15th Street NW). The Ned, birthed in 2017 by a pair of Soho House bigwigs as “a space for the discerning” in London, expanded to NYC and Qatar’s capital of Doha in 2022. The fourth edition in D.C. will be its first club-only location that caters exclusively to members.
Up in NYC, the Ned is nestled in the 167-room NoMad hotel and features dining establishments the public can also enjoy. That includes Cecconi’s — an all-day Italian restaurant serving homemade pastas, pizza, and seafood — and Little Ned, a Prohibition-era cocktail bar with small plates and views of the Empire State Building.
In D.C., Ned’s Club will house two private restaurants called the Loft Restaurant and Rooftop Terrace. Members can dine and drink while soaking up 12th-story views of President’s Park, the 82-acre landscaped grounds that call the White House and the U.S. Treasury building home. Menu details are slim for now, other than the fact Ned’s plans to use local and global ingredients in its drinks and food. The executive chef will also be revealed soon.
The number of members Ned’s Club will accept in D.C. is TBD, and the fee to join is being finalized soon. Applications go live in May, but there’s a inquiry page here. The Ned comes from Soho House founder Nick Jones and billionaire investor Ron Burkle, whose public company Soho House & Co Inc. oversees both global brands.
Per the NY Post, Ned NoMad opened with a $5,000-annual membership fee, plus an $1,500 initiation charge, and has welcomed A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Rihanna. The under-30 set and existing Soho House members get a discounted rate.
The Ned, which originated in London in the former Midland Bank headquarters, gets its name from the building’s 1920s-era designer Sir Edwin ‘Ned’ Lutyens. The space includes a private members’ club, Ned’s Club, and a private events floor, alongside 10 restaurants and 250 bedrooms.
Ned’s Club Washington D.C., situated atop the Walker Building and an old bank, is going for is going for a “Roaring ’20s” vibe. A 60,000-square-foot branch of nonprofit Milken Institute, which owns the six-building complex, is opening below next year.
“We’re not just providing physical spaces but an environment that reimagines networking, entertainment, dining and events in an iconic building and location that only D.C. could offer,” says group managing director Gareth Banner, in a statement.
Adaptive reuse of 1920s-era buildings into dining destinations is a hot trend right now downtown, with NYC import La Grande Boucherie having just debuted inside the old Federal-American National Bank Building this month.
Interior spaces will sport their own names, like the Drawing Room and Conservatory. Rooms across the 10th floor pays tribute to former U.S. presidents. The Dining Room, filled with stained glass, handsome wood accents, and “sun-drenched dining settings,” is meant to evoke the Kennedy years. The Library transitions from a leisurely area by day to a nighttime lounge with an elegant bar and fireplace.
One permanent art collection entitled No President speaks to historic gender inequality in the nearby Oval Office with works from 46 American female artists. A second gallery will showcase all-local artists either born, raised, or trained here, with commissions ranging from “museum-level names” to rising talent.
Membership perks include monthly happenings like CEO-led workshops, rare whisky tastings, panel discussions, live music, and invites to offsite sporting and cultural events. Members across New York, London, and Doha can access all of Ned’s Clubs globally until the end of 2025.
2024-04-26T19:53:33Z dg43tfdfdgfd
