Three of the world’s most stylish men share their tip for the best places to drink and dine.

Perhaps you’ve had a few drinks to start off the night and are enjoying the atmosphere where you are; or maybe you’ve got your dancing shoes on, ready for a night on the tiles and prefer the freedom of a more convivial establishment, away from the constrains of a proper table cloth and a proper chair. Or perhaps, if you’re anything like us, you’re just too darn busy this festive season to commit to a multiple-course affair. Whatever the reason for choosing the bar instead of the restaurant, you’re likely to want some nibbles to go with those libations. Unfortunately, a bar’s idea of food is often a well-fingered bowl of peanuts, a dish of martini olives and perhaps – if you’re very lucky – a sub-standard burger. Thankfully, our Style Council members know a thing or two about drinking and dining, and have recommended some sophisticated spots where the food matches the drinks in both flavour and flair. Here are three of the best.

Serving up absinthe and oysters to the trendy Bedford crowd in Brooklyn, New York, into the early hours, Maison Premiere is a place that encourages late-night revelry. The team behind this cocktail den have taken inspiration from Paris and New Orleans for their venture – a combination that’s a heady mix of elegance and soul. These are evidently qualities appreciated by Style Council member Mr Michael Chernow, who praised the bar for “the best cocktails in New York City, an amazing atmosphere, and a top-notch raw bar.” Pick and mix from the more than 20 oyster varieties on offer, or order La Grande Plateau for a seafood smorgasbord. And wash it all down with an “absinthe drip” (don’t worry, it’s just a cocktail).

**Visit Maison Premiere on The Style Council **

A Scandi speakeasy hidden behind a secret door at the back of Michelin-starred Swedish chef Mr Niklas Ekstedt’s restaurant Niklas in Stockhom, Kåken is a hipster hangout with a twist. Eschewing stripped-back Swedish design in favour of 1940s style, Kåken serves up Iberico baby back ribs and cocktails to the cool crowd ­– including stylist and designer Mr Shaka Maidoh, who recommended it to us. Bartenders will happily whisk up any drink you can think of, and depending on how many you choose to knock back, you can order the smoked meat by the gram to soak it all up – before dancing the night away on the DJed terrace, of course.

Visit Kåken on The Style Council

Head underground beneath Mr Mark Hix’s Hix Soho and you’ll find Mark’s Bar (get it?), a small but stylish establishment that has become a staple on the Soho circuit. Mr Jefferson Hack often stops by for a cocktail or two, and recommended the bar for The Style Council. The deep Chesterfield sofas and inventive cocktails – order the signature Hix’s Fix (a mix of fruit brandy and sparkling wine) or for something slightly stronger, a Hard As Fuck Hemingway (a rum-based concoction) – are what most head there for, but the seasonal (and substantial) bar snacks are not to be missed. You’ll find everything you need to help you settle in for the evening.

Visit Mark’s Bar on The Style Council