Athenaeum Club, London

This is a club, which means that the bar may be only open to members.

Founded in 1824 for men of intellectual interests who had attained some distinction in science or engineering, arts or literature. Women have been allowed as members since 2002. The name derives from Athena, the classical goddess of wisdom. Her golden statue on the building was sculpted by Edward Hodges Baily, who was also responsible for the more famous statue at the top of nearby Nelson's Column.

The clubhouse was designed by Decimus Burton at the age of only 24, in Greek Revival style. The frieze is a copy of that at the Parthenon in Athens and was enormously costly at the time. Members in fact wanted to spend the money on an ice-house instead, but the club founder, John Wilson Croker, got his way: “I’m John Wilson Croker, I’ll do as I please, They ask for an ice-house, I’ll give them a frieze.” The club has around 70 thousand books in its libraries. Relics left by past members include Michael Faraday's wheelchair, and a chair from Charles Dickens's Swiss chalet in Gad's Hill.

Membership is limited to 2,000 and includes those from the upper reaches of politics, the church, arts and literature. The club is proud of its number of Nobel laureates past and present, now more than 50.