St James's has just gained one of its most appealing addresses for anyone serious about wine and whisky. Justerini & Brooks, the merchant that has supplied the British royal household since 1761, has reopened its London headquarters as a four-floor private townhouse where clients can taste, dine and talk drinks surrounded by three centuries of heritage.
Fine wine director Giles Burke-Gaffney is keen that nobody mistakes it for a shop. The idea, he says, is a community hub — a place where collectors rub shoulders with winemakers and blenders. Street level holds a reception and a small boutique stocked with a rotating cast of around 60 bottles, from a Château Margaux 1996 or Lafleur 2001 to a South African Chenin Blanc, plus space for impromptu tastings with passing names like Champagne producer Charles Philipponnat.
Below that, a vaulted cellar has been rebuilt as a bright room for up to 20 guests to dine and taste among the racks. On the first floor — past a staircase hung with framed royal warrants — sits the Library, a duck egg-blue salon where clients consult J&B specialists about their collections at a table that has hosted everyone from royals to film and sports stars. Past customers have reportedly included Fred Astaire and Charles Dickens, and everyone who dines there signs The Book, a guest ledger said to be great fun to leaf through.
The top floor is the showstopper: a dining room with a Michelin-grade kitchen seating 14 for invitation-only wine dinners and chef collaborations. A recent Burgundy client dinner poured 21 vintages of Comte Liger-Belair's La Romanée, presented by the Vicomte in person — an occasion that left even jaded collectors slack-jawed. Whisky nights might feature Diageo master blenders; J&B's parent company owns the likes of Brora, Port Ellen, Talisker and Lagavulin, and runs the invitation-only Casks of Distinction scheme giving collectors access to rare single casks, with distillery visits possible for established clients.
For visitors to London, this isn't a walk-in attraction — it's a private client operation, and the former gentleman's club vibe is very much intentional (the neighbours are Boodles, Brooks's and White's). But if you're a collector, a serious enthusiast, or an itinerant drinker who wants advice on building a cellar, it's worth knowing the door exists in one of the most atmospheric corners of the capital, a short stroll from Buckingham Palace and Jermyn Street's specialists.