The best black tie Christmas party venues in London

Many places are called historic, but few truly are. Banqueting House, the last remaining building from the Palace of Whitehall, is one of them.

With its intricate chandeliers, high ceilings flanked by pillars, and of course, the pièce de résistance – the Charles I commissioned art painted across the ceiling by Peter Paul Rubens, this venue seems like the right place to revel in the season’s festivities like royalty.

Banqueting House was quite literally built for entertaining, so in the spirit of its original design, let the entertainment live on, with 380 guests for a regal Christmas party that you won’t soon forget.

One of the coolest things about London is that it’s home to so many repurposed buildings. Former power station turned museum? Got that. Banking headquarters turned hotel? Check. Car park turned multi-level marketplace? Yep. A former engine room turned venue? You’re looking at it.

Right in the heart of West London, Exhibition London sits just across from Westfield White City. Mixing the modern and the industrial – be prepared to see classic arched windows and exposed brick walls alongside lighting rigs.

Be transported to this Christmas party venue – feast on their extensive Christmas menu, sip on a choice of wine, beer, and cocktails and get your requests in early at the DJ booth.

27 feet high. Intricate mosaics that could have only come from a church. A dome ceiling. Stained glass windows. Pillars on every side. Chandeliers in every room.

One Marylebone sits proudly at, that’s right, 1 Marylebone Road. The 19th-century venue and former church was designed by the British architect John Soane in 1826, but much like Grandma’s top-notch recipes, the building remains (pretty much) the same.

It’s no doubt a grand building. Now picture that, but with decorations, lights, festive food and drinks, and up to 200 guests arriving for a black tie Christmas party to remember.

Black-tie events and 5-star hotels go together like salt and pepper, it’d be wrong (or at the very least, a little weird) to have one without the other.

Set against the backdrop of Hyde Park, you’ll find the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. With its floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers, and painfully-detailed pillars, the ballroom is a classic spot for festive black-tie parties.

Circular seating arrangements make for a comfortable dinner (plus easy pre-and-post dinner mingling) and when the food has been tended to and a few drinks have been had, the meeting terrace awaits with open arms (and fresh air).

Now, all that’s left is to decide is, who’s on the guest list?

The beautiful and elegant Grand Ballroom provides an extensive area catering for up to a maximum of 750 Guests for a cocktail reception and up to 500 Guests for a dinner.

This stunning and cavernous ballroom in one of London's most iconic hotels would prove a picturesque setting for any festive party that goes above and beyond the usual affair.

750 guests can be catered for in an elegant hall that is lit by chandeliers resembling something from Tolstoy. Take advantage of the Landmark Hotel's excellent service by organising a bespoke black tie event for Christmas, and make it one to truly stick in the minds of your guests.

For those who wish to divide this large room, an acoustic soundproof wall can be drawn across the centre of the room, giving you intimacy without compromise.