Would you rather be in 151? You can soon be! Inside the legendary Chelsea basement nightclub, popular with royals and celebrities, as it is set to be reopened by Guy Ritchie’s best man

Popular with royals, including Prince Harry, and celebrities, such as Bob Geldof and the stars of Made In Chelsea, 151 was the basement nightclub on London’s King’s Road, known for its famous clientele and its red fire doors.

The venue has been closed since the covid pandemic lockdown, with club founder Giorgio Burlo retiring after nearly 40 years as keeper of the company’s secrets.

However, 151 is set to reopen in the new year, thanks to a nightclub veteran behind some of the royal family’s favorite watering holes, the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden revealed this week.

Piers Adam, 60, who was best man when his friend Guy Ritchie married Madonna, will relaunch the club in February. “London is the greatest city in the world and the King’s Road is the artery of fashion and style,” he told Eden.

‘151 holds a special place in my heart, as it does for many other Londoners, and I can’t wait to reopen it. We want people to feel that they don’t need to go to the West End to have a good night out.

George Michael was turned away from the venue – which featured the slogan “I’d rather be in 151” – because he was wearing an earring, although men with jewelry or tattoos were barred from the venue. club.

The club’s opening night in 1985 was attended by the so-called ‘Seducer of the Valleys’, Baronet Sir Dai Llewellyn, who became a fixture, as did Princess Diana’s former lover, James Hewitt.

Socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson “lived there,” Giorgio said, while Bob Geldof threw “many parties” at the club, “including his 50th.”

Last year he spoke to Eden about their royal clients: “Harry has come several times. He was walking around, talking to people. Guillaume was serious. He was sitting there in the corner. He behaved like a prince; like someone who would one day be king.

Another member of the royal family, not usually associated with nightly frolics, has arrived. “Prince Edward came,” Giorgio recalled, adding that he was accompanied by “an entourage” of friends.

On the evening of his visit, the paparazzi were in hot pursuit of Harry and Giorgio suggested the prince could escape their attention by exiting 151 via a rear fire exit.

The ruse certainly worked for Harry, but Giorgio’s thoughtful gesture had an unintended consequence.

The next day, a health and safety officer from Kensington and Chelsea Council arrived at the club to check its rear exit – and much to his dismay, Giorgio was ordered to resurface the entire area for a cost £1,200.

“Apparently there was concern that Prince Harry might trip and hurt himself next time,” Giorgio told the Daily Mail in 2013.

“I couldn’t believe it – not least because shortly afterwards Harry was sent to Afghanistan where, of course, there was a bit more chance of him being really injured!”

Giorgio, however, insisted at the time: “I don’t blame the municipality. The (health and safety) man was very nice and polite and he has a job to do. I agreed with him that the output was a bit uneven.

“But it was a surprise when he arrived the next day after it was reported that Harry had left through the back exit. I guess they saw a news report about it and just came back.

“I resurfaced the entire area, even though we almost never use the back exit because it’s really an emergency exit. But I just thought the prince and his friends would enjoy going that way because there were four paparazzi photographers waiting outside out front.

“Of course I can see the irony of it all. I did him a favor and ended up having to pay for the repairs. It doesn’t bother me, but I haven’t seen him since.

The club was not only loved by members of the royal family, but it also became a favorite of Made In Chelsea stars, such as Binky Felstead.

“I kind of treat it like a second home,” Binky said previously. “If I don’t get enough attention or if I’ve had a lot to drink, I just take off my heels and go to sleep. »

Speaking about what the inside of the club was like, a 151 guest told Femail: “I remember going there the first time and you walked down the basement steps and were taken towards the door .

“Inside it was really dark but the music was really good and as I walked in I saw Jerry Hall smoking and she was with friends. It was such a cool place that no one thought twice about Jerry’s presence.

Its closure caused consternation among worshipers, with one writing: “I feel like a part of me is missing.” »

Piers Adam’s partner in his business 151 is Marc Burton, 40, with whom he worked at Mahiki and Whiskey Mist in Mayfair.

With his friend Guy Pelly, Burton then opened Tonteria, a Mexican-themed nightclub in Sloane Square, of which Harry was a regular.

Known for hosting some of the capital’s wildest nights, Tonteria regularly featured dancers dressed in bondage-style lingerie. A bottle of tequila cost £5,000 – and VIP customers could have their drinks delivered to their table by a small train.

Such was Harry’s affection for the club that he visited on a Monday, Thursday and Saturday for a week in 2014.

At a World Cup party, Burton allegedly snatched the phones from two excited Chelsea girls who dared to point them at Harry as he walked past them to join his entourage of friends in the small VIP room .

The girls ended up crying and their phones were eventually returned, but only after the blurry photos were deleted.