The Hari Bar

The Hari Bar occupies the ground floor of The Hari, the Harilela family's hotel on Chesham Place, and reads more like a private library than a hotel bar. Floor-to-ceiling shelving runs the length of the room, broken by lit alcoves and a long metal-topped counter. The seating is vintage Danish, the artwork is contemporary and British, and buttoned booths sit at the far end against exposed brick. It takes reservations from non-residents and holds its atmosphere well after dark.

Taken privately, the bar holds 100 standing across 107 square metres, and hire brings exclusive use of the Garden Terrace until 11pm, which lifts the combined reception to 120. The terrace is the more unusual of the two rooms: living ivy walls, pendant bulbs, heaters and a retractable glass roof that keeps it in use through the winter. On the mezzanine above, The Snug adds a smaller room with a fireplace and deep sofas, at 40 standing or 15 seated. It suits drinks and canapés on its own, or works as a quieter corner of a full bar hire.

The three spaces are let as one floor and run by the hotel's events team, who handle menus and layouts. The Hari publishes no music or licensing policy for the bar, so a DJ set-up is agreed directly with the house rather than taken as read.