Mark’s Bar is one of the most popular drinking dens in London, and for good reason. The effortlessly cool subterranean space is found beneath chef Mark Hix’s seafood restaurant HIX Soho, which is part of a restaurant portfolio that takes in sites both in and outside of London – various branches of Mark Hix restaurants can be found in Clerkenwell, Bankside and even Dorset.
At this Soho outpost though, Mark’s Bar has the feel of an exclusive members’ club, but without any of the snobbery – the room is mainly decked out with large Chesterfield sofas and a sleek sunken bar, but there are a few welcome touches of eccentricity too, including glowing neon signs and stuffed animals.
The space is well suited to buzzy Christmas parties and Mark’s Bar is available for private hire. If you choose it as your Christmas party venue, you and the rest of the office can make your way through the bar’s list of British-led cocktails, which includes a list of Mark’s Classics such as the Hard As F*ck, which is a blend of Pampero Blanco, pink grapefruit, lime and Maraschino. Elsewhere on the cocktail menu, you’ll find plenty of other winter warmers, including impressive and considered collections of Gin and Scotch.
When it comes to bar food, Mark’s Bar doesn’t do things by halves. Groups dine from a selection of canapés, and if the regular bar snack menu is anything to go by, you’re in for a treat – pork crackling with bramley apple sauce, crispy Korean chicken and toast dressed with Cornish crab all make an appearance.
The fabulously central location is sure to come in handy too, both for making sure your guests can get home easily and for those who wish to carry on the party at one of Soho’s late-night establishments well after closing time.