For more than six decades, Annabel’s has embodied a particular strain of London privilege. Since opening in 1963, the members-only townhouse on Berkeley Square has existed as a world within a world, an address where heritage, hospitality and taste converge behind a single unmarked door. Today, that most recognisable of London institutions steps into an altogether different landscape, as Annabel’s returns to AlUla for a seasonal residency that repositions the club’s storied DNA beneath one of the world’s most theatrical skies.
In AlUla, what emerges is not a replica of Mayfair, but a study in translation, where sandstone massifs stand in place of marble columns; silence replaces city hum; and constellations emerge in lieu of chandeliers. Inside, a wooden deck threads through the oasis, palms are laced with warm lights, and low-lit tables glow against the vastness of Jabal Ikmah, an ancient valley inscribed with history and recognised by UNESCO for its archaeological significance. Annabel’s has always understood atmosphere as a form of luxury, though here, it becomes something entirely cinematic.
At the table, the menu is a measured exercise in confidence. Signature Paccheri Pasta remains the headliner — al dente, bright with tomato, kissed with chilli, and easily a rival to the world’s most talked-about rigatoni. Wild Sea Bass is clean and classic with a subtle sauce vierge, while grilled Lamb Chops arrive thick, rosy, and deeply seasoned. Desserts lean into cult nostalgia, with the famed Annabel’s Chocolate Cake, a pistachio-dusted ice cream filled with olive oil and sea salt, and an Exotic Pavlova crowned with mango. In place of champagne rituals, an elevated alcohol-free programme sets the tone, offering polished signatures such as the Belli-no and Rose Petal Spritz.
Service is finely paced and unforced, and a London DJ directs the energy with a mellow set that lifts the atmosphere without overpowering it. In many ways, what makes Annabel’s AlUla special is not simply its cuisine or pedigree, but its restraint. The brand knows when to dazzle, and when to let the land speak. The desert is the décor. The sky is the ceiling. The mountains are the backdrop no designer could ever invent. The club has carried Mayfair to Saudi Arabia, but left room for AlUla to take the lead.
For now, the residency is a mere two-month chapter open from 17 October to 13 December 2025, with limited capacity and evenings reserved for those who plan ahead. But like all things that understand desire, Annabel’s leaves a question hanging in the night air of AlUla: is this a preview of something more permanent in the Kingdom?
