The Swan

Next to the Shakespeare’s Globe theatre on the South Bank in London is a restaurant called The Swan. It’s always full before a show, but the best time to go is after an evening show at the theatre as the cast and their friends usually drop in for a couple of post-production drinks. If there’s a show with a big-name star, it’s likely their friends will be there too. So, grab a drink and take your time as people come in late into the night, whether it be Jude Law, Stephen Fry, Dame Judi Dench or another of the greats.

The Ivy

Anyone who knows anything about celebrities in London, will know about The Ivy. This is a restaurant in Covent Garden that’s a prime celebrity meeting place and is also where the top people meet with their agents. It’s an expensive place to eat, but who says you need to eat more than one course and there is a pre- and post-theatre menu which is cheaper.

Joe Allen’s

A swanky New York style brasserie in Covent Garden, yet the outside is discrete so it’s easy to walk past. Set within London’s theatreland, this place has a warm and welcoming vibe as well as good food at a reasonable price. After 10pm, you can spot actors and musicians from the local productions stop for something to eat with their celebrity friends. There’s no special area for the elite, so you could be at a table next to your very favourite celebrity.

Margaret Street

Not a venue, but a back-street of Oxford Circus. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it is the centre for all of London’s biggest acting agencies. Here you’ll find the agencies for Hamilton Hodell, Universal, Curtis Brown and more. Relax in one of the areas little cafes or pubs and you may just see a famous celebrity walk by.

The Pit Bar at The Old Vic

The Old Vic theatre in Waterloo has The Pit Bar which is popular not just with theatregoers. There are music sessions on Friday nights and a good drinks menu. Being a good theatre bar and a good club in its own right makes it more likely you will see celebrity faces and if they are there, they will usually stay a while as there isn’t much locally to move onto. It is also the place to meet the stars of the future as the venue is popular with drama school students, so you will be able to spot future celebrities

Phoenix Arts Club

Ask about temporary membership and you are likely to get into this members-only, subterranean, opera-themed club with a fantastic vibe. This is the venue where some noted celebrities drank vast quantities of alcohol, so even if you don’t see a celebrity, you can say you were in the venue that Peter O’Toole used to get bladdered in! Whether you are surrounded by celebrated people (would you recognise the directors and producers?), you will have a good night here.

Mahiki and Whisky Mist

Celebrity nightclubs are expensive, guest-list oriented and full of celebrities. Here the celebrities are not just from the world of theatre or music, there are sports personalities and royalty too. Mahiki on Dover Street is perhaps the most well-known. You need to get on the guest-list so phone a few days in advance.

Check out who’s playing the last night of their tour in London and hopefully they’ll turn up past midnight. A wedding anniversary party we attended with a private area ended up being next to Katy Perry’s private party, separated only by a bit of red rope, and the whole experience ended up being good fun.

Groucho Club

The Groucho Club means famous people, which is why you have to turn your phone off and hand over any cameras so that nothing can get sent to the tabloid newspapers. You do need membership to get in, and there’s no such thing as temporary membership, but you can go as a guest if you know a member. Actors at The Globe get automatic temporary membership to Groucho so make a friend there and you might just see inside the Groucho Club which teems with celebrities.