Mark Hix confirms imminent closure of his Soho restaurant

Mark Hix has confirmed that he will be closing HIX Soho on December 22nd after ten years as he continues to downsize his London footprint.

The chef shared the news on his Instagram account, saying it was "a sad day" but that he is doing so as a result of "challenging market conditions and rising rents."

The chef has notoriously been vocal about these struggles - he previously said he wouldn’t be opening any more restaurants in the capital, citing excessive rent and operating costs.

There are many examples of restaurants promised for success that have closed for similar reasons, not to mention the restaurant chains like Jamie’s Italian who have suffered the same fate on a bigger scale.

The chef, author and Great British Menu veteran (he featured in the series in 2007, taking the title from reigning champion Michael Caines) still has venues in Hackney, Vauxhall, Bankside and Farringdon, as well as his Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis, all of which will continue operations as normal. The chef is now said to have set his sights further afield in Weymouth.

The Soho restaurant could be taken over by Tortilla Republic, a modern Mexican casual dining offering, though this has yet to be confirmed by any of the involved parties.

Commenting on the closure, he said: "We have had some great times and built many memories over this time. I’d like to thank you all for your support of the restaurant - whether you dined with us, had a cocktail or three in Mark's Bar or simply admired us from afar and followed us on social media. It's all greatly appreciated by myself and my teams.

"We've celebrated birthdays with you, been privileged to be a part of many engagements... and weddings, danced on the bar after too many Negronis at Mark's Lates...the list goes on. It's been a blast - good times that will no doubt travel over the river to continue at Mark's Bar Bankside.

"I would like to thank all of my HIX Soho team who have worked with me over the last decade and for making Soho the restaurant it was, and still is, until our final supper on 22nd December."