St James Bar

St James Bar occupies the ground floor of Sofitel London St James, in the 1923 building that was once the Cox & Company bank. Jim Hamilton's design keeps the room low and dark: deep emerald velvet banquettes curve around brass-rimmed tables, antique mirrored surfaces catch the lamplight, and gilded panels run the length of one wall. Set into the coffered ceiling, in a heavy carved frame, is a painting of a cockerel in military dress, a French bird in British uniform.

The bar trades seven days from noon to midnight. The current cocktail list, La Nuit Parfaite, is arranged as a French evening, from the aperitif hour through to the last drink, and a short menu of small plates runs alongside it. Drinks service ends at 11.30pm.

For a private event the room holds 30 seated or up to 70 standing across roughly 48 square metres, and the team will build a drinks list around the occasion. Outside caterers are permitted, though the Michelin-starred kitchen of Wild Honey St James is in the same building. Hire is arranged through the hotel's events team rather than sold as a fixed product.