Set in the immense Grade 1 listed vaults beneath The Royal Exchange in Bank, The Libertine is a breathtaking venue to throw festive parties. Original brickwork vaulted arches span the entirety of the impressive open space, with cosy alcoves and booths dotted around which create an atmosphere that is both grand and understated. Undoubtedly, it is the atmosphere created by the very room itself, which can host up to 450 guests, that sets The Libertine apart.

The starting point for curating the atmosphere is understanding what the client is trying to create for their guests, and working back from there. Using our experience, we suggest options for entertainment, style of service, lighting, and event flow to give our clients’ guests a memorable experience. We are exceptionally flexible in variety of festive party experiences we can deliver.

As The Libertine is first and foremost a restaurant, parties often begin with a seated dinner. The style of this can vary based on the needs of our client; some prefer a formal meal with beautiful tablescaping, ambient background music and a stage for speeches, whilst others opt for more toned down tables and a live band to entertain their guests as they eat. However, many of our festive parties focus around drinks and dancing, with food playing a secondary role. For these occasions we can provide live bands, DJs, immersive lighting and AV options, performers; whatever our guests requirements are, we will offer our expertise to create an enchanting festive atmosphere.

We also do not charge venue hire fees, so all the clients budget goes towards food, drink, décor, entertainment and ‘extras’ that elevate the party and create incredibly memorable experiences for our guests.

We take a number of steps to ensure our guests can enjoy themselves safely at their Christmas party. For example, all of our team are trained in the ‘Ask For Angela’ protocols when joining, but at the start of the festive period we hold refresher training for all team members to make sure that if someone does need help at their party, they receive it. This is supported by our dedicated welfare officers, a role created to monitor atmosphere and intoxication at busy events and check in with guests who may appear to need help. We also limit any ‘open bars’ to 4 hours maximum to reduce the risk of guests becoming over-intoxicated.

The wellbeing of our team members during the incredibly busy festive period is just as important, if not more so, than that of our guests. The first step in this is ensuring we have enough team on the payroll for Christmas, allowing us to give our teams sensible shift patterns that allow for proper rest. We also offer all of our team members access to Self Space, an online mental health service which grants them access to licensed therapists whenever they need it. It is completely free to our team and totally anonymous, meaning that if they do become overwhelmed, they have somewhere to go. This resource is available to our team year round, but we highlight more it in team meetings around Christmas, where the schedule and guest demands can be more intense.

Like the rest of our offering, our Christmas catering options are extremely flexible across the group. For seated dinners, we offer 3 and 5 course Christmas set menus to cater to different price points, and these menus vary by venue depending on style of service. For standing occasions we have two different styles of food; traditional canapés which can be enjoyed in one bite, and our signature bowls, which are more substantial dishes served in bowls which can be easily eaten while standing.

Our drinks menus are carefully curated to be inclusive and flexible. We have extensive non-alcoholic options, with a robust list of interesting alcohol free cocktails, beers, wines and sparkling wines, as well as our regular drinks menu. Our clients can choose how drinks are served, whether it’s an open bar, a limited menu, drinks tokens or table service.

All of our menus have a range of vegan, vegetarian, fish, meat and sweet dishes, and we are able to cater to religious and other dietary requirements upon request.

Christmas is the time of year where guest expectations are highest, meaning meticulous planning and smooth delivery are more important than ever. As we offer such a wide variety of festive events and experiences, it’s important that the team clearly understand the client’s vision. Our clients have one point of contact throughout the entire process to eliminate breakdowns in communication, and we find this strongly encourages repeat clients as there is a relationship built over the course of planning an event.

Our central events team have a streamlined briefing process that conveys guest expectations, running order, food and drink arrangements, and every other important detail onto one piece of paper, which the venue team can refer to at any time before and during the event.

This is shared with the General Manager and the venue events co-ordinator (a specific responsibility created to act as liaison between the central team and the venue) ten days in advance of the Christmas party, giving the venue team ample time to raise any queries, ensure enough team are on the rota, ensure food and drink is ordered, and take care of all the details. The pre-event briefing for the whole team on shift takes place one hour before guests begin arriving, ensuring the everyone is on the same page before a guest steps foot in the venue.

Having all the small things in order leaves our team free to do what we do best; deliver outstanding hospitality.

We have a strong network of suppliers and entertainers which allows us to offer our guests almost anything. We have a trusted list that we know will deliver on the day come the festive season.

At The Libertine we have experiences such as a ‘red carpet arrival’, where we lay out the red carpet and hire multiple photographers to capture paparazzi style entry photos, or our live oyster shucker who roams the party with a market style oyster tray and shucks oysters for guests in front of them, adding garnish to their taste. We also offer extras such as musical evenings with live singers and bands, party games tables such as roulette, karaoke rooms for singing out Christmas classics, and so much more. These extras help our clients give their teams a truly memorable experience, and our network of suppliers allows us to deliver seamlessly.

We are also able to offer personalised branded elements to our clients via our in-house graphics team. Branded napkins, drinks menus and decorative banners are just some of the things we have created to bring a truly personal touch to our guests.

The Libertine deserves an award for Best One of a Kind Venue because it offers something genuinely rare for London, an experience that can’t be replicated or mistaken for anywhere else. It is set in the immense vaults beneath The Royal Exchange, a location where the very first royal alcohol licence in Britain was granted, and once a hub of boisterous traders and free-spirited revelry. This mix of living history and modern hospitality is rare in London venues.
The Libertine has a lasting impression on guests, whether this be a Bride and Groom, a corporate buy out or a family lunch in the Whisky Vault. People don’t just visit The Libertine; they talk about it, recommend it, and return to it.