Full Venue Hire at Merchant Taylors’ Hall

A livery hall that has occupied the same site between Threadneedle Street and Cornhill since 1347, Merchant Taylors’ Hall hides a sequence of spaces behind its City façade that range from a soaring medieval Great Hall to a flagstoned courtyard garden with the atmosphere of a country house. Nine function rooms, in-house catering from the oldest continuously operating kitchen in the City, and step-free access throughout make it one of the most complete event venues in the Square Mile.

Merchant Taylors’ Great Hall

The Great Hall is the centrepiece: 338 square metres of floor space beneath a 13-metre ceiling, with three-metre-tall windows, an organ gallery, and the King’s Gallery windows that backlight dramatically after dark. At 400 standing, 150 seated, or 320 theatre-style, it handles everything from gala dinners and awards ceremonies to conferences and product launches. The generous dais at one end provides a natural stage, and access doors at both ends allow dual-flow guest management for events that need to move between drinks reception and seated service. The organ gallery doubles as a technical gallery for AV rigging and theming — a rare feature for a heritage space.

Merchant Taylors’ Drawing Room and King’s Gallery

The Drawing Room is the hall’s most visually distinctive space. Hand-painted Chinese silk floral wallpaper in pastel colours, natural daylight, and a capacity of 48 cabaret — it’s a room that photographs beautifully and suits private dinners, intimate celebrations, and corporate entertaining where the setting needs to feel special without the scale of the Great Hall. It adjoins the King’s Gallery, where James I dined in 1607, which takes 50 standing or 20 boardroom — a natural pairing for pre-dinner drinks before moving through to the Drawing Room.

The Cloisters and Courtyard Garden

The Cloisters run along the Courtyard Garden with a vaulted ceiling, pillared colonnade, and floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto the garden. At 175 standing, they work as a reception and circulation space — the kind of transitional zone that builds anticipation before guests enter the Great Hall. The Courtyard Garden itself, with its flagstone paving and wildlife-friendly planting, provides an outdoor element that most City venues lack. For summer events, it’s a genuinely pleasant place to hold drinks, and its enclosed, central position means it stays sheltered.

Smaller Rooms at Merchant Taylors’ Hall

The Parlour seats 80 for dinner beneath a chandelier and hand-carved oak panelling, with large Georgian windows overlooking the garden. The Court Room handles 48 theatre or 22 boardroom, with mullioned windows and a country-house atmosphere that suits board-level meetings and intimate gatherings. The Committee Room seats 10, and the Library — glass-panelled bookcases and a cosy fire — offers a character breakout space for smaller events.

Catering From the Great Kitchen

The Great Kitchen has been in continuous use since 1425. The in-house team works across the full range — modern experimental to traditional formal — with bespoke menus tailored to each event. High-spec AV comes with a dedicated technical team, and a late licence is available. The hall opens weekdays and Saturdays, with exclusive use available across the building. Bank station is a three-minute walk, with Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street mainline stations also close.