The best private dining rooms in London

There’s always a reason to celebrate over thoughtful food and wine in London. We could list a dozen – be it another year around the sun, the successful completion of a project, Yuletide or wedding festivities. Finding a private dining room in London for your party, however, can be an exhausting task. We’ve done the legwork and scoured the city’s restaurant scene to bring you the best and most beautiful private dining rooms in the British capital, whatever your size and budget – from delightful pubs and atmospheric cellars to affordable small spaces. All you need to worry about is gathering the troops…

The best private dining rooms in South London

The Laundry, Brixton

Vibe: Laidback spot that locals love
Address: 374 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8PL
Price: Set menu is priced at 35 GBP per person, lunchtime set menu (for bookings of 10-32 people) is 20 GBP per person.
Capacity: Up to 30 guests

Positioned on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton, this all-day neighbourhood restaurant, cafe and wine shop is housed in the historic steam press laundry building, which dates to 1904. Inside, the modern decor and seasonal menu are just as impressive as the bricks. The private dining room occupies the lower ground floor, with raw plaster walls and ambient lighting. Parties can select from a lunchtime set menu (from 20 GBP per person) or a reduced version of the à la carte menu, which also caters to vegans. Think mains of hearty autumnal vegetable cassoulet, teriyaki salmon or crispy pork belly, sandwiched by sharing starters of chopped salad, burrata on toast, and mini prawn cocktails, and a pudding of tiramisũ for the table.

Brunswick House, Vauxhall

Vibe: Opulent old London, beautiful private dining space
Address: 30 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2LG
Price:  The Vaults is priced at 65 GBP per person, with no minimum spend or room hire fee. Prices vary across the other spaces
Capacity: 6-110 seated guests

Brunswick House was originally built for the Duke of Brunswick in 1758. Today, the capacious Grade II-listed Georgian mansion houses a salvage shop and a restaurant, run by acclaimed chef Jackson Boxer. It is popular among the fashion and art crowds, including folks at Vivienne Westwood and Gucci, who rave about its antique-filled, candlelit private dining rooms, hung with chandeliers, candelabras and trailing greenery. Choose between two large dining spaces and The Vaults for 14 to 24 guests, nestled in the basement. The food is just as exquisite as the interiors, with organic fruit and vegetables from Brunswick House’s own organic farm in West Sussex, meats from butchers in Cornwall and Yorkshire, and line-caught fish. Don’t miss the live jazz on Tuesday nights.

Kudu Collective, Peckham

Vibe: Art-filled interiors, small private dining room
Address: 117 Queen’s Road, Peckham, London SE15 2EZ
Price:  Set menu is priced at 72 GBP per person; minimum spend 400 GBP
Capacity: up to 14 guests

Peckham Collective comprises several lauded restaurants in Peckham, run by South African chef Patrick Williams and his partner Amy Corbin, the daughter of renowned restauranteur Chris Corbin. Curious Kudu is the group’s private dining room and events space, which doubles up as a gallery during the daytime. You can therefore expect a rotating array of art, ranging from paintings to sculptures, presented in a beautifully low-key space.  The menu has a South African flex, with lots of smoky, fire-roasted cooking, with plenty of vegan options.

Camberwell Arms, Peckham

Vibe: Neighbourhood pub with private dining room
Address: 65 Camberwell Church Street, London, SE5 8TR
Price: 1000 GBP minimum spend
Capacity: 45 guests

Camberwell Arms is such a great pub that its earned a place in our list of London’s best restaurants, thanks to dishes such as Scotch bonnet pork fat on toast, slabs of Cornish sole and house made pappardelle pasta with lamb ragu. The upstairs private dining room comfortably sits up to 45 guests, complete with its own bar. Rent it out for lunch, dinner or a full-day party.

The best private dining rooms in east London

Bubala, Spitalfields, Soho

Vibe: East Mediterranean cuisine and neighbourhood vibes, set menu
Address: 65 Commercial Street, London, E1 6BD
Price: Set menu is priced at 50-85 GBP per person
Capacity: up to 24 guests

Bubala excels in vegetarian and vegan cuisine. This East Mediterranean restaurant (which roughly translates to ‘darling’ in Yiddish) started as a pop-up before winning over Londoners, and taking up permanent spaces in Spitalfields and Soho. You can walk in throughout the week, while larger parties can reserve its low-key private dining room. The Bubala Knows Best set menu will take you on a journey through the Middle East – from pickle plates and hummus to charred oyster mushroom skewers, fried aubergine with date syrup, and confit potato latkes with chilli. Bubala sources the best vegetables it can get its hands on and they works with some of the best UK’s top wine suppliers to offer an enviable natural wine collection.

Martello Hall, London Fields

Vibe: Renovated three-storey stripped back pub, affordable private dining
Address: 137 Mare Street, London, E8 3RH
Price: Prices from 100 GBP hire fee and 200 GBP minimum spend
Capacity: 6-110 seated guests

Martello Hall in London Fields, Hackney, is a renovated old pub that’s been stripped back to its bare architecture. Original Victorian boards lie underfoot, cast iron pillars hold the high ceiling up, and raw plaster and partially stripped paint cover the walls. There are various private spaces to hire out for eating and drinking, including the main hall on the ground floor, a banquet hall at the back with a big pizza oven, and a cocktail bar on the first floor with a connected roof terrace. You can book the banqueting table next to the pizza oven on the ground floor for up to 18 people, or book the cocktail bar, which has space for 60 people standing, or 30 seated. The same team run Serata Hall in Old Street, which also offers private hire spaces.

Sager + Wild, Bethnal Green

Vibe: Smart, casual wine bar, small private dining room
Address: 250 Paradise Row, London, E2 9LE
Price: 45 GBP pp for sharing menu
Capacity: 12-25

Sager + Wilde, which started out as a wine bar on Hackney Road, also has a larger space on Paradise Row in Bethnal Green, below an old railway arch. The increased space allows the team to host more people for meals, inside, on the terrace out front, and upstairs in the private dining mezzanine level. Here, up to 25 guests can sit and enjoy a meal together surrounded by stored bottles of wine. They also host wine tastings and cocktail masterclass sessions.
sagerandwilde.com

The King’s Head Members Club, Haggerston

Vibe: Eccentrically brilliant, blow-out party
Address: Kings Head, 257 Kingsland Road, Whitmore Estate, London, E2 8AS
Price: From 100 GBP hire fee
Capacity: Up to 300

The King’s Head Members Club captures East London at its most eccentric. Although inconspicuous from the outside, inside is a riot of colour and creativity. Guests can cut loose alongside taxidermied animals, including zebras, giraffes and a ginormous polar bear, while velvet armchairs and clashing patterns add to its kooky, immersive charm. Rent out the entire house for up to 300 guests, or opt for one of the many plush, private rooms across its four floors, including The Wildcat Room or The Polar Bear Room, for a sit-down dinner. The food is the work of FU:DIZM Tapa Room & Restaurant, mixing Mediterranean, Asia and Middle Eastern flavours to create colourful small sharing plates.
thekingshead-london.com

Luca, Clerkenwell

Vibe: Sophisticated blend of worlds, beautiful private dining space
Address: 88 St John Street, London, EC1M 4EH
Price: on enquiry
Capacity: Up to 24 guests

At Luca in Clerkenwell, chef Robert Chambers’s menu brings together high quality, seasonal ingredients from both the British Isles and Italy. Meat, fish and cheese are sourced in the UK – including shrimps from Morecambe Bay, grouse from Yorkshire and cheeses from across the country – while the team looks to Italy for its wine, including rare vintages from famous growers Gaja and Sassicaia. The restaurant is also primed for private dining, with numerous dedicated areas designed for parties, weddings and events. The ridiculously pretty terrace boasts natural daylight and allows for year-round al fresco dining, with a retractable roof and open fire. Elsewhere, the equally beautiful conservatory overlooks the Tuscan terrace, the garden room mimics a southern Italian garden and views the open kitchen, and the pasta room is designed as a traditional Italian domestic kitchen, and is where the chefs make their pasta each day.

Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, Angel

Vibe: A relaxed, plant-filled haven
Address: 42 Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HU
Price: minimum spend from 500 GBP
Capacity: 12-55 guests

The private dining rooms at Bourne & Hollingsworth are Instagram catnip, furnished with hanging plants, lush ferns, cane furniture and House of Hackney fabrics. Choose between the light-filled greenhouse, the B&H kitchen (which is ideal for dinner parties and private functions), and the private dining room, flanked by antique display cabinets. Aesthetics aside, Bourne & Hollingsworth is also big on local British produce, and ferments, freeze dries, and preserves so it can use seasonal ingredients to use throughout the year.

Cycene, Shoreditch

Vibe: Atmospheric dining in a London townhouse, intimate private dining
Address: 9 Chance Street, London, E2 7JB
Price: Set menu is priced at 160 GBP per person
Capacity: 4-6 guests

Cycene at Blue Mountain School is tucked away in a converted Shoreditch townhouse. Headed up by Theo Clech, the menu spans ten thoughtful courses that draw on Eastern Asian and Australasian influences, with a focus on seafood. The candlelit Hearth Room is a beautifully designed, designated private dining area for just six guests, hung with artworks by Tyler Hays. Begin with an aperitif at the ground floor bar before continuing your night.

The best private dining rooms in central London

Barrafina, across London

Vibe: Modern Spanish tapas in a smart yet relaxed setting
Price: Set menu from 65 GBP per person for the pork belly feasting menu; 115 GBP per person for the signature menu
Capacity: 6-30 guests

Barrafina has four private dining spaces available for exclusive hire across its locations in Covent Garden, Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross and Borough Market by London Bridge. Rooms have exposed brick walls and plenty of light, with the option of an open kitchen and a private chef. The menu draws on the tradition of family feasting in Spain, with many of Barrafina’s bestselling dishes on offer including ham croquettes, octopus and sizzling prawns. The pièce de résistance is perhaps the whole Segovian suckling pig served with a rosemary jus. The extensive wine menu includes specially bottled magnums of Spanish wines, which are ideal for getting the celebrations started. Bar Daskal, the group’s upstairs cocktail bar at Borough Yards can also be hired for up to 25 people for a private party.

Decimo at The Standard, King’s Cross

Vibe: Sleek skyline bar with Mexican references
Address: 10 Argyle Street, London, WC1H 8EG
Price: on enquiry
Capacity: 38 sit down/50 standing

Travel ten floors up at The Standard in King’s Cross and you’ll be met with wafts of Spanish and Mexican cooking, from croquetas de jamón to pork ribs marinated in mole. Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’ debut London restaurant, Decimo, is a celebration of the Spanish cuisine he grew up with along with his love for Mexican dishes – and it’s reflected in every inch of the restaurant. In the semi-private dining space, floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views create a spectacular setting, complete with its own bar. The cocktails here are excellent, with a comprehensive list of mezcals and tequilas, and we especially like that each dessert comes with a recommended digestif pairing. You can also book The Standard’s rooftop bar, which is considered one of the best in London.

Hoppers, Marylebone, Soho and King’s Cross

Vibe: Sri Lanken flavours and a buzzy afterwork crowd
Price: Set menu is priced from 30-45 GBP per person
Capacity: 25-200

For a taste of Sri Lanka and South India, head to Hoppers, with outposts in Marylebone, King’s Cross and Soho. Order its namesake hopper (a pancake made from rice flour and coconut milk), along with dosas, kothu, and rice. Each central London restaurant offers private dining, but Marylebone is perhaps most secluded, set in the atmospheric vaults. Spilling out onto the verandah from the concrete-clad bar, the open plan dining experience at King’s Cross is ideal for parties seeking to be semi-private, while menu exclusives include black peppered curry leaf prawns and sizzling beef poriyal.

KOL, Marylebone

Vibe: Michelin-starred British-Mexican cuisine in a very special setting
Address: Lower Ground Floor, 9 Seymour Street, London W1H 7BA
Price: Set menu os priced from 180 GBP per person
Capacity: The Chef’s Table sits 20; the Mezcaleria sits 25 guests, or 40 standing

Centrally located between Marylebone and Marble Arch, KOL combines Michelin-starred chef Santiago Lastra’s Mexican heritage with the best of Britain’s larder. Expect an inventive menu of family-style sharing dishes, including tostadas with chalk stream trout or salt-baked beetroot, lobster tacos, and succulent pork cheeks. The Mexican influence extends to the interiors, which take their cue from architect Luis Barragán in buttery tones with wooden accents. For extra-special occasions, groups of up to 20 can book the Chef’s Table, inspired by a traditional Oaxacan home, overlooking its own private kitchen. Concrete walls are offset by tropical greenery for a dramatic and immersive setting. A seven-course menu is priced at 180 GBP per person, while the adjacent Mezcaleria pours a lively array of Mexican spirits and cocktails, and fits 40 guests (when booked with the the Chef’s Table).

34 Mayfair, Mayfair

Vibe: Lavish West End
Address: 34 Grosvenor Square, South Audley Street, London, W1K 2HD
Price: on enquiry
Capacity: 60-80 guests

Richard Caring’s 34 Mayfair is as lavish as its Grosvenor Square address. The private Emin Room is outfitted with specially commissioned artworks by Tracey Emin, fresh flowers, candles and place cards. Tucked away on the top floor, it is suitable for 60 seated or 80 standing guests, and receives the special treatment – with head chef John Edwards devising seasonal menus for private guests. These are designed around what 34 Mayfair does best: grill. This restaurant has mastered the art of steak and fish, which it cooks on its imported Argentinian grill, and the result is dishes including yellowfin tuna tataki, Korean spiced stone bass with glazed bok choy, and slow-cooked Hereford beef with parsley mash. To top it off, there’s also the option of enjoying musical entertainment via a pianist, jazz trio, saxophonist or string quartet.

The best private dining rooms in west London

The Elgin, Maida Vale

Vibe: Candlelit dining and exposed brick, pub with private dining room
Address: 255 Elgin Avenue, London, W9 1NJ
Capacity: Up to 120 seated/240 standing

Book the private dining room at feted pub The Elgin for craft beers from London, old and new wines from the UK and further afield, and seasonal, quality ingredients. Dubbed ‘Maida Vale’s front room’, The Elgin is loved by locals for its small and large plates that span beef shin croquettes with Tewkesbury mustard to chargrilled cauliflower, with a spiced lentil and herb stew. Book out the first floor and feast with up to 80 people, before making the most of your own private bar, a built-in projector and a stellar sound system. Don’t want to leave anyone out? Invite up to 240 people to dance the night away across the entire venue.
theelgin.com

Sill thirsty? Try London’s best cocktail bars, or make a night of it at one of the city’s brilliant boutique hotels.