London is home to some of the best dining in the world, and private dining spaces are no exception. Enjoy an intimate celebration with friends and family at one of these seriously impressive rooms.
No matter what type of event you wish to host – a birthday celebration, office lunch, wedding reception, or simply a special date night – there is a private dining space in London to suit. Dine amongst famous works from Freud, Warhol and Matisse; in the building once called home by Karl Marx; or with a singing waiter as entertainment. There’s also more conventional spaces where the food does all the talking.
These are 10 of the best private dining spaces in London.
1. Artemis, Bacchanalia, Mayfair
Indulgent and eccentric, Bacchanalia in Mayfair has been the restaurant name on everyone’s lips since opening in November 2022. Ideal for a drink at the bar or for dinner with friends, take the experience one step further at their private dining space, described as their ‘inner sanctum’. Named after Artemis, the secretive sister of Bacchas, the space lives up to its namesake: expect an extravagant and sublime hidden space decorated with fresh flowers. Live entertainment is available on request and is equally as extravagant as the space, choose from singing waiters, magicians, human statues or a Mariachi band, for example, or opt for something more conventional with a jazz singer, harpist or pianist. The list of options really does go on: there’s even an entertainment menu with 32 options – no less – to help you make an informed decision. You have a choice of four customisable menus too, each serving up a feast fit for the Greek Gods.
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2. Mount St. Rooms, Mayfair
Mount St. Restaurant is another of London’s current ‘must dine’ spaces. No surprise when you consider that its walls are adorned with £50 million worth of art, including from Lucian Freud: Self Portrait: Reflection (1996), A Plate of Prawns (1958), and Child Portrait (1962); Andy Warhol: Lobster (1982); and Henri Matisse; Éperlans (1920). Even the floor is a commissioned piece: Broken Floor by Rashid Johnson (2022). Above it all are four private dining rooms: The Italian Room, The Swiss Room, The Scottish Room and The Games Room. To continue your art immersion, book The Scottish Room (seats 28) with a Domenico Dupra portrait or The Swiss Room (seats 14) with its collection of seminal paintings by Ferdinand Hodler. Head chef, Jamie Shears has created a seasonal and sustainable menu working closely with UK producers.
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3. The Conservatory, Daphne’s, Chelsea
Daphne’s is one of the most romantic restaurants in London, serving as a local bistro to a well-heeled crowd. Their elegant private dining room, the Conservatory, is an ideal place for a celebration and can accommodate up to 32 guests for a private lunch or dinner, or up to 50 for a drink and canapé-style celebration. Opt for the latter this spring to enjoy small bites of calamari fritti with a lemon mayonnaise, zucchine and ricotta involtini and roast datterini, among other dishes. See their full spring 2023 menu here. This space is ideal for a spring or summer day, thanks to the retracting roof which offers an al fresco feel – yet equally enticing come winter, when a blazing fire makes for a cosy feel.
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4. The Salon, Spring, Somerset House
Spring at Somerset House is an ideal setting for many occasions, not least for the opportunity to dine amongst art. For something special, ask about their private dining packages in which a dedicated event coordinator will ensure every detail of your event or evening is covered. Private dining experiences take place in The Salon – a light-flooded atrium – seating up to 36 guests. Decor includes plenty of greenery combined with stringed fairy lights to make for an ethereal, soothing setting. Planning something more grand and need space for more than 36? You can also book the entire restaurant which can accommodate up to 116 seated guests or up to 150 for a standing reception. Accordingly, there are varied dining options. See the 2023 sample menu here.
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5. Brunswick House, Vauxhall
This restaurant gets its name from the Duke of Brunswick, for whom the space was originally built in 1758. Dine on hearty British fare amidst the antique-filled Georgian mansion – chandeliers, eclectic furniture, and conversation-provoking objects in every corner – and celebrate life’s events with a bottle or two of their rare wines. Depending on the nature of your event, you can hire the entire house or individual rooms including the Parlour, Smoking Room, Saloon and Library. Each room is truly unique and special but the Cellar, with space for up to 70 people seated or 120 standing, is ideal for larger parties, and the Study, with space for just 10 guests, is perfect for a more intimate affair. Find out more about all the available private dining options here.
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6. Scott’s, Mayfair
If you’re a fan of Scott’s Mayfair and their famous shellfish and seafood, enhance your usual dining experience in one of their two private dining rooms: The Private Room and The Platinum Arowana Room. The first accommodates groups of 24 guests seated on one long table, or 40 seated on round tables, while the second is an even more intimate experience and can host a maximum of eight guests. The decor is suitably grand in both. Walls in The Private Room are clad with gilded and painted glass mirrors and centred around a tropical fish-tank bar topped with marble, while The Platinum Arowana Room – named after one of the world’s most elusive fish – proudly showcases the works of Joan Miró, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Émilie Bernard and Marc Chagall.
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7. The Jungle Room, Blanchette, Soho
Perfectly sized for an intimate catch up with friends, Blanchette is located on Soho’s unassuming D’Arblay Street, but don’t let its humble exteriors fool you. What could pass as ‘just another restaurant’ on the outside offers a whole other world inside. The Jungle Room is their private dining space and serves a Parisian-bistro style menu on which you’ll find dishes such as Moules Marinière and Chicken Pot-Au-Feu, alongside charcuterie boards, breads and olives to start and a selection of desserts to end. The space can host a lunch or dinner of 14 guests and is set against a hand-painted rainforest-themed mural by artist Aldo Gigl. Enjoy with a glass of Pouilly-Fuissé.
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8. Canal-Boat Dinner, London Shell Co, Paddington
Setting sail from the Paddington Basin, this is an ideal choice when you and your guests want a dining experience like no other. This family-run seafood restaurant – that just happens to cruise as you eat – offers a scenic five-course fish supper or lunch on its canal-boat restaurant, setting out on a three-hour sail from Paddington through Little Venice, past London Zoo, and all the way to Camden. Dine on hearty fare; their spring 2023 menu features oysters, caviar, Cornish Cod and crab and saffron risotto. Each trip can cater for up to 35 people and can be enjoyed with a wine pairing if desired.
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9. HIDE, Piccadilly
Hide is an ideal space for a more casual take on private dining; you don’t have to be a large group to enjoy the experience. This architecturally-impressive, three-story restaurant by Ollie Dabbous is ideal for a catch up with friends or for an intimate date night. There are a number of private-dining spaces to choose from: The Broken Room holds just four people, while The Shadow Room and Reading Room both seat six to eight, each located in the restaurant’s basement vault. Upstairs, the Hide & Seek room can host 20 guests, or be converted into two rooms of 10. If you’re catching up with friends after a long time and don’t want to compete with the frenetic buzz of other people’s conversations, then seek out a space in Hide.
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10. Quo Vadis, Soho
Quo Vadis is a Soho landmark known for its playful outlook on life. Its former life includes as a brothel and as a home to Karl Marx but today the space is a private club usually reserved for members-only. Non-members are welcomed at its three private dining areas; The Marx Room, The Blue Room and The Library. A night here is one of endless possibilities; settle in for dinner with a seasonal British menu, and probably with a side of debauchery. Open until late, there’s no knowing where the night will take you.
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Main Image: Brunswick House
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