The 10 best venues in London for entertaining clients

These London venues are ideal for client entertaining and sure to help you close your next big deal...

"All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust." – Bob Burg

It's a simple truth that cannot be repeated oft enough: people do business with people, and more importantly, with people they like. The decision maker that will have final say on whether or not you land a deal is just like anyone else – they have a favourite sports team, a favourite cocktail and a favourite hobby; in short, they are human.

With that in mind, taking your corporate entertainment can be of make or break importance. Like it or not, that decision maker is far more likely to choose to do business with someone they share a hilarious 2am tequila-fuelled story with over the 2pm lunchtime bore. So without further ado, here are the 10 best places in London for a night out with clients to help you get it right.

P.S. If you're looking for some inspiration on where to throw your next team building event, check out our round up of the top 10 team building nights out in London.

1) GŎNG Bar

Situated on level 52 of The Shard, GŎNG – part of the Shangri-La Hotel – is the highest hotel bar in Europe and boasts three distinct areas: a cocktail Bar, a Champagne bar and a Sky Pool (only open Wednesday – Saturday evenings with a live DJ). These areas enjoy the best views in London of the west, north and east of the city – a visual treat for any out-of-towner unfamiliar with London's famous skyline, and a fitting backdrop for a toast to profitable global business partnerships.

gong-shangri-la.com

2) Lucky Voice Holborn

Located at number 84 Chancery Lane, Lucky Voice Holborn is one of the largest private-room karaoke venues in the country - with 10 private karaoke pods catering for up to 200 people, a massive bar area and late 4am licence and live DJ on weekends. Room service is provided by a fun 'Thirsty' button, and there's a VIP room if you're really looking to impress, as well as a stunning lux pop interior decor that oozes class and quirky charm. Plus, there's a number of musically themed visual features especially designed to be Instagram-worthy – great for a follow up email the next day with some fun group shots of the night before.

A particularly good choice for entertaining clients that hail from SE Asia; in countries like Japan and China going to a private-room karaoke venue is like going to the pub for Brits: an important rite of passage for bonding with new acquaintances.

luckyvoice.com

3) Six Storeys

Six Storeys is a gorgeous six storey – clue in the name – Georgian townhouse right in the heart of Soho that specialises in private event hire, with six different spaces – clue still in the name – to choose from; one on each floor. The areas each have a distinct personality and function specialisation – from intimate private meetings and canapé receptions to formal sit down dinners.

The six storeys team are flexible with regards to catering and entertainment, offering up a variety of locally-sourced, in-house food and drink options to suit all tastes and occasions, so whether you're looking for a few pre-drinks in an intimate setting packed to the rafters with bohemian heritage and culture, or a hedonistic nine-course tasting menu that'll take a week to recover from – they've got you covered. Soho's famous night life is also only a short stroll away for afterwards...

sixstoreys.com

4) Mac & Wild City

As you'd expect from one of the best Scottish restaurants in London, Mac & Wild specialises in incredible juicy cuts of prime meat, punchy haggis and even punchier whisky. As well as being a wonderful choice for celebrating some of the finest food and drink that Britain's Highland heritage has to offer, there's also three virtual shotgun shooting ranges underneath the restaurant for entertainment with a bit more bang.

The Venison Scotch Eggs and award-winning Veni-Moo Burgers are particularly recommended with a wee dram of Laphroaig. And if your clients fall deeply in love with the meaty magnificence on offer, there's a butcher attached so you can send them home with plenty of the same prime cuts they've enjoyed in the restaurant.

macandwild.com

5) The Ivory Vaults

A lot of the rest of the world imagines Britain to basically be Game Of Thrones but with a lot more queuing and apologies, so you might as well go with the flow at a medieval banquet held in the Grade II Listed Victorian era vaults hidden underneath Ivory House. The show includes a four course meal, unlimited drink, and epic knight battles, jugglers, contortionists and minstrels for entertainment. If the cacophonous clash of crossed swords doesn't appeal, there's also regular burlesque shows, Venetian masquerades, prohibition speakeasies and immersive Viking theatre to choose as an alternative.

ivoryvaults.com

6) Lord's Cricket Ground

If you're hosting clients from cricket mad countries like India, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh or the West Indies, a trip to Lord's is guaranteed to impress. The famous cricket ground has a number of spaces available for drinks receptions and sit down dinners including the historic Long Room, MCC Museum and – if it's summer – the Mound Stand Terrace or Harris Garden.

lords.org

7) London Cabaret Club

For a more racy evening's entertainment, the London Cabaret Club never fails to deliver a night of salacious fun. Shows regularly boast some of the biggest names from the West End performing original cabaret routines with accompanying live music, and the club's VIP package includes a three-course meal celebrating the best of British produce, a private bar area beforehand, meet and greet with the cast after the show and a late night DJ until 3am to round the night off.

thelondoncabaretclub.com

8) The Four Thieves Pub

Set in a former music hall, The Four Thieves pub in Battersea is an all-singing, all-dancing boozer like no other. For starters the pub features lots of fun arcade games, including a massive 10 person remote controlled racing track (pictured above) called the Moonshine Raceway. There's also indoor mini-golf and VR booths where you can play games with clients like Sky Front where you fight in a Hunger Games-style battle to the death with jetpacks and guns, or for a more co-operative experience try Serious Sam – an over the top shooter where you fight off waves of aliens as a dynamic duo. There's no greater bond than between brothers in (virtual) arms!

fourthieves.pub

9) British Pullman

British Pullman offers guests the chance to take a trip back in time to the golden age of travel – the roaring 1920s. The train itself has a rich and storied history, having sheltered royalty and starred on the Silver Screen, and nowadays hosts an array of different journeys including afternoon teas, fancy lunches, brunches and murder mysteries, all while chugging happily along through the Great British countryside under the power of the locomotive's wonderful steam engine.

belmond.com

10) Sky Garden

The highest public gardens in London offer guests stunning views across the capital's skyline, and the three storeys of exquisitely landscaped gardens inside the observation deck are a visual masterpiece in their own right. The enlarged glass dome of 20 Fenchurch Street houses an array of different drinking and dining options – from an area in the main bar to enjoy a few cocktails and bar snacks while watching London come to life at night, to a full fine dining experience in the Fenchurch rooftop restaurant's private Viñoly Room. During summer, the Fenchurch Terrace also comes in to its own for 37 storey high al fresco feasting.

skygarden.london

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• Looking to impress your prospective clients with a trip to Lucky Voice? Why not hire an exclusive area in one of our venues!