A Society Reimagined
The story behind the name, and the room it inspired.
The Rhymers' Club takes its name from a secret poets' society founded by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats in 1890s London. Its members met monthly for dinner in an upstairs room at a Fleet Street pub, gathering by candlelight to drink wine, smoke pipes, and critique each other's verse.
Meetings were arranged through secret handshakes and settled, on occasion, by the roll of a dice — a small ritual of intrigue that gave the club as much mystery as literary purpose. It's that spirit of candlelit fellowship we've tried to carry into our own room on St Marks Place.
“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met.”
— William Butler Yeats
Part of the Host family
Host Restaurants is a hospitality group rooted in storytelling, inspired by Irish heritage and the lyrical spirit of W.B. Yeats. Each of our venues reflects a place and a poetry of its own, built to bring people together over food, cocktails, and atmosphere — from the East Village charm of The Rhymers' Club to sibling rooms across the city. Different neighbourhoods, same heart.
