Nestled in the natural womb of Crouch End, under the…read moreraging heights of the always obtrusive, sneering snobbery of Shepherds Hill, Coolhurst is a home for those who seek the thrill of sport , tempered with an egalitarian enviroment . Truly , all are welcome , princes and paupers , proffesors and ill-read , gay or straight , black or brown or white or yellow ,( or even green -- hee, hee ) . Party politics, is left at the door , all philosophies are welcome - red , blue, yellow , - ( even green -' hee , hee hee ) , oh and Remoaners ,so I've been told. Fun for all the community, and all the family. All this of course, it depends on If really can stomach the mind numbingly tedious game of lawn tennis and it's aficionados Hours of fun to be had for all.

I am just speaking of dining here. I was fortunate enough to be invited by a member to dine and wow…read morethis was some exceptional fine dining! Expectations management - with drinks it comes out to be about 90 to 100 pounds (assuming you get a multi course meal. It can be more depending on what you order). Guests receive the menu without prices, so you don't know what you order unless it is divulged by the host. Service - the best service I have ever had for fine dining across 19 different countries. Wine - this is what makes this place the best. The sommelier is personable, and knows ever wine off the menu pretty much (we went across the board) and gave us perfect pairing advice. Desert - to die for. Be it formages that custom served off a board or cream, perfectly put together and served.

My friend has access to the club and took me there for afternoon tea. We sat in a beautiful parlor…read moreroom for tea that basically made me feel like Ron Burgundy - I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. Tea is reasonably priced at 25 GBP per portion - and each portion was huge. The server very wisely recommended the three of us to order two afternoon tea servings instead of three, and even two servings were too much. Each order came with four scones, eight large pastries, four finger sandwiches, and a tasty prawn tartlet. Definitely recommend the tea service if you get a chance to visit the Royal Automobile Club!

Hello there, this is a message to the members of the Holland Park Tennis Club. I am a tennis player…read moreand I would love to have a chance to play on grass one day! Since I am not a member myself and I am only going to be in London for the next 5 weeks, I was wondering whether I could play with one among you and so fulfill this little dream of mine. Thanks for your kind attention, Nino

This place is so much more than a tennis club; it's my second home. Tennis clubs and I have known…read morea few can be elitist, cold places, full of cliques and rules. Take Hurlingham, where if you're not wearing 87% white, some haughty octogenarian will shuffle over and delight in ticking you off. And where despite the fact they boast dozens of often deserted, pristine courts, you can't book for more than an hour. And don't get me onto the 10-year waiting list. HPLTC is infinitely friendlier with far more sensible rules. What makes it special is the fact it's small enough to encourage a community feel, but not so small as to feel claustrophobic. The grounds are also wonderful. If you don't have any outdoor space at home as I don't you can while away summer days with a few sets on grass courts, before collapsing with a newspaper and Pimms in a deckchair on their generous lawn. The club, tucked away in Holland Park, has a unique atmosphere and is the type of place where you can turn up alone and find someone to chat to and probably play with. There's a club night on Wednesday with a dinner afterwards, a singles league, tournaments, barbecues in the summer and a dedicated core of regulars. Really, if you're tennis-mad, as I am, there's no better place to be on a sunny day...and no better tennis club in London.