Dirty Martini Bristol is a cocktail bar at 47 Corn Street, in the city centre, that organisers can hire for private events of up to 250 guests. The choice runs from a semi-exclusive area for up to 90 standing guests to the whole venue with its own bar. Typical bookings are drinks receptions, product launches, engagement parties, birthdays and daytime company conferences.
Seminars and company events
The bar presents itself first as an evening address, but its official private hire page lists daytime company conferences among recent bookings. A team can also use it for an after-work drinks reception, a client party or a product launch. The venue is part of a small group with other bars in London (Bishopsgate), Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, so a company with several offices can run the same kind of event in more than one city.
Teams that want an activity can add a cocktail masterclass. Guests work behind the bar, shaking, stirring, muddling and pouring, and each person enjoys two cocktails. The bartenders can split the group into teams for timed games, which suits team building and the start of an evening event.
Entertainment is arranged through the group's regular suppliers: sax players, DJs, photobooths, photographers and drag artists. These are add-ons to the hire and are booked through the events team.
Rooms and capacities
There are two ways to book. The first is an area of the bar, described as semi-exclusive, for groups and small parties of up to 90 guests standing. It suits birthdays, special events and after-work drinks. The second is full venue hire. For the whole bar the site gives 100 guests seated or 225 standing, and exclusive hire for up to 250 guests. Full hire comes with a private bar and private toilets.
The interior is finished in royal blues and golden hues, and the Angel Wing neon signs serve as a photo backdrop. The site does not list separate meeting rooms, a stage or fixed audiovisual equipment. An organiser who needs slides, a plenary session or a sit-down meeting for many people should ask the events team what can be installed before choosing this venue.
Catering
The group's Executive Chef, who according to the site has more than ten years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants, wrote a dedicated menu for private hire bookings. It is built around canapes, bowl food and gourmet sliders, which suit a standing reception better than a seated dinner. Sample menus are in the Private Hire brochure on the site.
Drinks are sold as packages: a Prosecco or Champagne reception, drink vouchers, or an all-inclusive package. When none of these fits, the team works with the organiser on a bespoke package.
Booking and getting there
The enquiry form asks for the location first, then for Area or Full Venue Hire depending on the number of guests expected. An organiser who is not sure which to choose picks Area, and one of the event co-ordinators calls back to discuss the requirements.
The bar is on Corn Street, in the city centre, and the official site gives a walk of about 15 minutes from the train station. Guests coming from other cities can therefore arrive by rail and walk to the venue.
