Rumour (Formerly Tabu) Dress Code: What to Wear on Dover Street

Rumour, formerly Tabu London, runs a smart, dressed-up door, and it is enforced. The club at 1 Dover Street in Mayfair reopened under its new name in October 2026: one room of about 200, built around red velvet booths, where the crowd dresses for the night. We book Rumour, so if you are unsure about an outfit, ask us before you go. Tables and guestlist are on the Rumour booking page.

The Rumour dress code at a glance

• The standard: smart and dressed up. Think of the best-dressed version of a Mayfair night out, not office smart.
• Women: heels are expected, with a dress, a tailored co-ord, or a dressy top with smart trousers.
• Men: a considered look. A collared shirt or a smart knit, tailored trousers or dark, clean jeans without rips, and leather shoes or smart boots.
• Trainers: at the door's discretion. Clean, minimal leather trainers with tailoring sometimes pass midweek; running shoes and anything scuffed do not.
• Refused: sportswear and tracksuits, shorts, caps, flip-flops and beachwear, fancy dress, and hen or birthday accessories such as sashes and tiaras.
• ID: Rumour is 18+, and everyone needs physical photo ID.

What to wear: women

Heels are the single most important detail at Rumour, and on the ladies' guestlist they are expected rather than suggested. Evening boots with a heel are the safe alternative in winter. Black is never wrong in a red, low-lit room, and a dress, a tailored co-ord or a silk top with smart trousers all work. Leave anything beachy or sporty at home, along with flat sandals.

What to wear: men

Men come in on a booth booking, so the door is judging a group that has already booked, but it still judges. A collared shirt or a fine knit with tailored trousers is the reliable choice; dark jeans pass when everything else is sharp. Leather shoes or smart boots are the safe footwear. A blazer is never a mistake on a Friday or a Saturday. Logos, sportswear and caps are the usual reasons a man is turned away.

Guestlist or booth

The ladies' guestlist runs free to £20 on the door depending on the night and how busy it is, and the dress code is applied strictly to it. Men are not added to the guestlist: groups with men book a booth, from £1,000 minimum spend (as of October 2026), which covers entry for the whole group. A booth buys certainty of entry, but every guest in the group still has to look the part, because the door judges the group as a whole.

Phones away: the no-photography rule

Rumour runs a strict no-photography policy: no photos or video in the main room or on the dance floor, enforced by the floor team. It does not change what you wear, but it changes the night: the room is dressed up for the people in it rather than for a camera. Take your photos before you arrive.

Tabu's dress code (history)

As Tabu London, the club ran a dress-to-impress door in line with the other premium rooms around Mayfair. Rumour keeps that standard and adds the no-photography rule, so a Tabu-era outfit that was sharp then is still the right call now.

Nearby, and the wider rules

99 Regent Street, formerly the Cuckoo Club, is a short walk away by Piccadilly Circus and runs an elegant, enforced door of its own, with a 19+ age limit. For what gets refused across the city, our London club dress code guide covers every rule. To book, tell us the night and your group through London nightclub bookings or get in touch, and send a photo of any outfit you are unsure about.