Mark Hix to launch first standalone Mark's Bar next month

Chef Mark Hix is to open his first standalone Mark's Bar.

Hix opened the original Mark's Bar at his restaurant in Soho, before opening another at Hixter in Bankside.

The new site will be at the Old Vic in London, located in its Dress Circle and Upper Circle bars, and will open on 17 October.

Open until 2am from Thursday to Saturday and 1am Monday to Wednesday, its opening is timed to coincide with the launch of the 24-hour tube at weekends.

Hix said: "I have always been a huge fan of the Old Vic theatre, so when this opportunity arose, I knew it was the perfect location for our first standalone Mark's Bar. I'm looking forward to enjoying a cocktail during the interval and after the shows."

Cocktails take a historical theme and include creations such as: Pharmaceutical Stimulant (Merlet coffee liqueur, fresh coffee, dash of sugar); Temperley Sour (three-year-old cider brandy, apple juice, Kingston black, lemon, sugar, egg white, Morello cherry); and Dorset Donkey (black Cow pure milk vodka, cherry eau de vie, lime, sage, seasonal berries, ginger ale).

Customers attending the shows at the theatre can also order their pre-theatre and interval drinks in advance with the ‘speedy menu', which includes: Mark's Bar's classic HIX Fix (Temperley cherry and apple eau de vie topped with Taittinger Champagne); Vic's Punch (Tangier gin, lemon sherbet, lemon juice, soda, fresh mint); Artist Special (Jameson whiskey, Pedro Ximenez sherry, lemon, redcurrant syrup).

The design of the new site will feature an illustration by Chris Martin, and artwork by Oliver Durcan, Charming Baker, Jimmy C, wallpaper designed by Mat Collishaw, and neon by Tim Nobel and Sue Webster, as well as details such as smoky mirrors, ambient lighting and an assortment of furniture sourced by Hix.

Sally Greene, chief executive of the Old Vic, said: "We are thrilled to welcome the genius that is Mark Hix to The Old Vic. Mark's Bar is going to transform our bars into the coolest theatre cocktail hangout in London; without doubt the hippest place to be when the lights are down."

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