A hot towel shave at Truefitt & Hill

Why it is on the list

Truefitt & Hill dates from 21 October 1805, when Francis William Truefitt opened a salon at 2 Cross Lane, Long Acre; he was soon wigmaker to George III.¹ Guinness World Records named it the oldest barbering business in the world in 2000.¹² The firm has served nine consecutive British reigns, and Churchill was a client for decades; when he died in 1965 the shop closed for the day, the only time it has shut for one customer.¹ It has been at 71 St James's Street since 1994, and the six most senior barbers there have more than 350 years of service between them.¹

The shave begins, for a new client, with a consultation on his shaving routine. The face is prepared with pre-shave oil and a hot towel, lathered with the cream of his choice, and shaved by a Master Barber; it ends with an aftershave balm and a cologne, both of his choosing.³ It is the wrong booking for a man who wants to shave himself properly afterwards: the Traditional Shaving Class adds instruction on the open cut-throat razor to the half-hour shave.³ For a full morning, the Grooming Experience combines the shave with a haircut and a manicure in 60 minutes.³

How to get it

Call the barbershop on +44 20 7493 8496 or book online, and ask for the Traditional Hot Towel Wet Shave.⁴³ It takes 30 minutes and costs £60; the shaving class is £120 and the Grooming Experience £165.³ The shop is open Monday to Friday 8:30 to 17:30 and Saturday 8:30 to 17:00, and closed on Sundays and public holidays.⁴

Discretion

The shop is used to public figures: its clients include the royal family, members of visiting Royal Households, Members of Parliament, ambassadors and visiting dignitaries.² It sits on the lower stretch of St James's Street among the street's old wine merchants, hatters, boot makers and gunsmiths.¹