Mark's Bar in the Hix Belgravia
When you have cocktails at the second branch of Mark’s Bar, they are just as good as the drinks at the original bar in Soho. Maybe even better.
Located on the mezzanine, just upstairs from the Hix Belgravia, is the newly revamped Thompson Belgraves Hotel in Belgravia, the latest wateringhole by restaurateur Mark Hix. It pays homage his bar in London's Soho but this location has a fancy cigar garden with a heated terrace to keep drinks warm while you have a smoke break. It is also a bar that has artwork commissioned by British artist Mat Collishawa as well as cushy seats that have to be booked in advanced. Bookshelves are lined with a few of Hix's cookbooks and a warm fireplace to give it a sleek, stylish look.
As for the cocktails, Hix joins forces with the legendary mixologist Nick Strangeway, who created the bar's fabulous cocktail menu. The first thing you’ll notice is the list of bottle cocktails. No need to be confused as you’re still getting a great cocktail, but it comes in a bottle with enough to share with a friend. Strangeway wanted hotel guests to have the same quality drinks as they would if they were drinking at the bar. The cocktails, which in part come from a batch that is frozen and part is made fresh, is blended together to make a tasty cocktail just the way Strangeway wants it. He should know as he tastes each batch to make sure they are perfect.
Now if you’re not up for a bottle, there are some perfectly nice champagne cocktails that will knock your socks off, such as the famed Hix Fix with Marello Cherries in Somerset Eau de Vie crowned with prosecco. Or maybe a dainty drink such as a Buck’s Px Flip made with Beefeater gin, PX Sherry, cacao, sea buckthorn, chocolate bitters and egg yolk. There's also a few alcohol-free cocktails, as well as an impressive wine and spirit list. No matter what you order, you're making the right choice.
Image by Jason Lowe
