London has no shortage of private dining rooms, ranging from discreet enclaves and stylish nooks to cordoned-off, clandestine ‘wow’ spaces. Whether you’re looking for a small wedding venue in the capital, an intimate celebration space or simply somewhere to host the most lavish of dinner parties, welcome to the capital’s most exclusive and sought-after private dining rooms.

Central London

Private dining at Claridge’s Restaurant, Mayfair

Having only opened its doors in September 2023, the highly-anticipated Claridge’s Restaurant has already been making waves on London’s fine-dining food scene. A new addition to the space is its private dining room, seating up to eight guests and featuring a beautiful hand-painted mural at its centre. Dusky pink interiors are centred by a pine-wood, white table-clothed table where the restaurant’s a la carte menu is served – think Cornish sea bass with saffron foam, Dorset lamb loin, Fine de Claire oysters and black truffle crumpets – while the double glass doors allow the restaurant’s buzz to ebb and flow.

The private dining room at Claridge’s Restaurant can seat up to eight people, claridges.co.uk

The Cabana at Louie London, Covent Garden

Sprawling across a 19th Century townhouse between Covent Garden and Soho, Louie’s eclectic interiors and warren of spaces dedicated to all things gastronomic give it the feel of a luxe members club (but without the hefty annual fee). Its private dining room, The Cabana, is actually a multi-purpose events area on the top floor which can be used for parties of up to 35 standing or 18 seated. Bathed in natural light during the day and with a romantic low-lit vibe come evening, as well as the option of a dedicated bartender, take your seat at the elegant banqueting table to partake in exquisite fare including Yellow Tail crudo, New York strip steak with spice herb dressing, and chocolate fondant.

The Cabana can host 18 seated and 36 standing, louie-london.com

Private dining at The Ninth, Fitzrovia

Chef Jun Tanaka’s cosy neighbourhood French restaurant, The Ninth, pulls off the marvellous trick of simultaneously serving up exquisite Michelin-starred fare while creating a welcoming environment that feels anything staid or stuffy. Its contemporary private dining space, separated from the main restaurant by a spectacular glass wine cellar, is equally inviting thanks to its cacophony of filament lights and enormous sash windows. A variety of room arrangements are available depending on your party size while a Mediterranean set menu, featuring some of Tanaka’s favourite seasonal signature dishes, is guaranteed to impress. Hosting something really special? The entire restaurant is available for private hire on Sundays.

The private dining room at The Ninth can seat up to 20 people, theninthlondon.com

The Greenhouses at One Marylebone, Marylebone

One Marylebone, a former church turned events venue, has long been a favourite for everything from yoga classes to Christmas parties. It boasts an extensive list of spaces which, this year, have extended into the gorgeous landscaped gardens across a series of greenhouses decked out in verdant blooms. There are eight greenhouses on offer, catering for up to 24 guests on banquet-style seating, and available year-round. The perfect spot for a memorable and intimate occasion.

The Greenhouses at One Marylebone can seat from two to 24 and 30 standing, thegreenhouses.london

Private Dining at Story Cellar, Seven Dials

The latest venture from Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers, Story Cellar opened in Seven Dials in 2023, bringing with it a stylish new addition to the capital's private dining scene. Available five days per week and seating up to 18 people, food takes its inspiration from the main restaurant's counter-style Parisian fare and is designed to share, with highlights including small plates of oysters and burrata alongside whole rotisserie chicken, dry-aged pork chop, and Catch of the Day en croute. They'll even throw in welcome drinks and half a bottle of wine per person when you book the private dining space as well.

Story Cellar can host up to 18 guests, storycellar.co.uk

Woolf and Bell at Galvin Bar & Grill, Bloomsbury

Tucked away within the glamorous Kimpton Fitzroy London hotel, the private dining room at Galvin Bar & Grill promises quintessential Bloomsbury opulence. Set across two rooms which can host up to 40 guests, expect top-quality service, beautiful decor and a custom menu created by Michelin-starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin using local, seasonal ingredients. Delectable offerings from the sample menus include seasonal wild mushroom risotto, Redwood Farm chicken with smoked garlic, and apple tarte tatin.

Woolf and Bell can host up to 40 guests, galvinrestaurants.com

Salon Noir at Park Chinois, Mayfair

Looking for a seriously decant private dining experience which doesn't sacrifice on intimacy? Salon Noir at Mayfair's Park Chinois is the spot for you. Decked out in rich dark woods and gilt dealing, and boasting its own Carrera marble fireplace, Salon Noir sets up to nine people at a vast Makassar ebony table complete with large lazy Susan - the ideal set up for the elevated Chinese fare on offer at Park Chinois. With its own separate bathroom, AV facilities and a range of indulgent set menus to choose from, whether you're treating clients or planning a birthday party, this adaptable space is definitely one to consider.

Salon Noir can seat up to nine people, parkchinois.com

Private Dining at Ochre, Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery's stylish new in-house restaurant, Ochre, sports a private dining room which, as you would expect of a venue housing some of the country's finest art, is one of the most beautiful in the capital. A statement round table hung with a dramatic wooden chandelier dominates the room, and impressive views across Nelson's Column and St Martin-in-the-Fields abound, while a choice of two set menus offers delights including Cornish sardines on toast, chicken Kyiv with herb salad and Valrhona chocolate brownie.

Ochre can seat up to 19 people, ochre.london

The Coral Garden at Dalloway Terrace, Tottenham Court Road

Long a London favourite for outdoor dining, Dalloway Terrace’s elegant Coral Garden is the ideal al fresco space to gather your closest compatriots for an intimate evening of open-air revelry. Sheltered via a combination of botanical canopy and traditional striped gazebo, guests are also protected from unpredictable climes by a cosy fireplace, while the flower-filled venue is strewn with enough greenery to make you forget the bustle of Tottenham Court Road, which lies just outside.

The Coral Garden at Dalloway Terrace can host up to 20 guests, dallowayterrace.com

The Chef's Table at KOL, Marble Arch

One for serious foodies, this may be the only private dining room on our list that also comes with its own private kitchen. Inspired by a traditional Oaxacan home kitchen, a dedicated team of chefs will create a unique menu in full view of you and your guests, giving unrivalled insight into the restaurant's haute Mexican fare. Five- and seven-course options are available, setting you back £120 and £180 per person respectively, while the adjacent mezcaleria is the perfect place to start and end your evening.

The Chef's Table can host 50 guests standing (including the mezcaleria) or 20 seated, kolrestaurant.com

The Lotos Room at The Beaumont, Mayfair

Approached via a sweeping flight of stairs, it's hard not to make a dramatic entrance when visiting The Beaumont hotel's glamorous Art Deco-style Lotos Room. This versatile cherry and walnut wood-panelled space was designed by Thierry Despont and can seat up to 45 guests, with food coming from the hotel's ground floor Colony Grill Room. A full suite of dining options are available, ranging from continental breakfasts and canapes to working lunches and four-course dinners.

The Lotos Room can accommodate up to 45 seated and 60 standing, thebeaumont.com

The First Floor at The George, Marylebone

Day-to-day Upstairs at The George runs as an elevated restaurant above the eponymous Grade II-listed pub offering food by James Knappett (of the two Michelin-starred Kitchen Table). Every so often, however, it transforms into one of the capital's best-kept private dining secrets. A truly flexible venue, there are eight private dining options ranging from the ten-seater Green Room to full venue hire for 140 - and, honestly, who hasn't dreamt of having an entire central London pub to themselves?

The George can host events for 8 to 140 people, thegeorge.london

The Salon at Spring, Somerset House, The Strand

One of London’s prettiest and most impressive private dining spaces, the ethereal Salon at Skye Gyngell’s Spring restaurant is framed by dark olive trees and climbing foliage, with high ceilings and cool, neutral tones. Light pours in through the atrium glass ceiling during the day, before it transforms into an enchanting, fairy light-lit setting at night. Set in the West Wing of Somerset House, the calm space reflects Gyngell’s thoughtful, unfussy menu, with a focus on low-waste and sustainability.

The Salon can accommodate up to 36 guests seated, springrestaurant.co.uk

The Mezzanine at Wild by Tart, Pimlico

Situated in a light-filled mezzanine overlooking Wild by Tart’s pretty-yet-industrial restaurant, this elegant private dining room is the perfect spot for intimate dinners with atmosphere. The bold, modern decor is matched by a menu of contemporary Mediterranean dishes, including the restaurant’s famed flatbreads and delectable vegetarian plates. Alternatively, opt for the Feasting Menu and have a parade of dishes brought to your table to share family style for the ultimate convivial experience.

The Mezzanine at Wild by Tart can seat up to 15 guests seated and 20 standing, wildbytart.com

Private dining at NoMad, Covent Garden

London's buzziest new hotel comes with a host of dining options to match, meaning those looking to host a decadent private event have the choice of no fewer than seven venues. The star of the show is the Magistrates Ballroom, occupying the space that was once the main courtroom during the building's former life as a police station and court. This stunning room is entirely decorated with a darkly whimsical mural by painter Claire Basler and even offers its own stage and bar. Elsewhere, the intimate De Veil room and majestic Fireplace room are the perfect options for smaller-scale dinners.

NoMad can host private events for 10 to 120 people, thenomadhotel.com

The Wolseley, Piccadilly

In 2003, destination-restaurant builder Corbin & King presented its vision of grand European hospitality in the form of the soon-to-be celebrity favourite The Wolseley. Monochrome and marble-clad, the imposing, column-lined restaurant quickly became the meeting place of choice for PRs and media types. A.A. Gill even wrote a book about the breakfast served there.

Overlooking the perpetually-buzzy, gilded restaurant below, The Wolseley’s private dining room features arched windows on each of its four sides, ensuring that it is flooded with natural light during the day and the glow from Piccadilly at night. The space can accommodate up to 15 guests and is available to hire for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. While there is no hire charge, a minimum spend (starting from £250) does apply.

The private dining room at The Wolseley sits up to 15 guests, thewolseley.com

Quo Vadis, Soho

Meaning ‘where are you going?’ in Latin, the Quo Vadis restaurant and members’ club occupies a stately townhouse on Dean Street. Formerly a brothel and home to Karl Marx, this late-night Soho institution attracts a glamorous and eclectic crowd, who come for the warm hospitality and modern British menu, created by chef Jeremy Lee (formerly head chef at Blueprint Café). Venturing up the lacquered stairway, choose between three private dining rooms: the Marx Room, the Library and the Blue Room, each offering a different ambience and capacity that can be tailored to help create your perfect event.

The private dining rooms at Quo Vadis accommodate 9-32 people seated and up to 45 people standing, quovadissosho.com

The Langham, Oxford Circus

Private dining at The Langham is no ordinary affair, with menus overseen by double Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr. The hotel has a superb variety of rooms to suit each occasion. For a chic space with wonderful views of All Souls Church, there’s the Postillion room; or for impressive natural light and expansive space then The Mayfair would be our recommendation. If you’re looking for something more casual, opt for The Snug or The Green Room in The Wigmore – a modern British tavern with characterful interiors by Martin Brudnizki. We could go on (there are 14 private dining rooms in total) but suffice to say, whatever ambience your event calls for, The Langham has a space to match.

The Langham’s private dining rooms cater for groups from six to 300, langhamhotels.com

Hide and Seek at Hide, Mayfair

Hide, the Michelin-starred Mayfair super-restaurant by celebrity chef Ollie Dabbous and world-beating vin de pays specialist Hedonism Wines, is rumoured to have cost its backers £20 million before it opened its doors in 2018. A considerable chunk of that investment presumably went on its central feature, an exquisite spiral staircase that corkscrews through the airy restaurant’s three light-filled floors. On the top floor, which boasts its own private entrance and lift, you’ll find Hide and Seek, two private dining spaces that can be brought together to accommodate 20 guests. Alternatively, three cosy basement rooms are available for groups of up to eight for a truly intimate experience.

Hide and Seek seats up to 20 guests, hide.co.uk

Bob Bob Ricard, Soho

Famous for, reputedly, pouring more champagne than any other restaurant in the UK – it helps that every table has its own ‘Press for Champagne’ button – Bob Bob Ricard is a ritzy, banquette-only party restaurant where the only thing more extravagant than its wine and vodka shot list is its overblown, Gatsby-esque-and-then-some décor. Modelled on the royal dining carriage of the Orient Express, Bob Bob Ricard’s private dining room can seat up to 16 guests. There is no room hire fee, although the minimum spend at lunch is £1000 and at dinner £1,500 (plus service charge). Small change to any host with most.

Bob Bob Ricard’s private dining room sits up to 16 guests, bobbobricard.com

The Platinum Arowana Room at Scott’s, Mayfair

Another Richard Caring classic, Scott’s on Mount Street is one of London’s landmark restaurants. Opening at this location in the late 1960s, it is rumoured to spend £45,000 on fresh fish each week but – as anyone who has eaten here can attest – it’s well worth the expense. One of two private dining spaces at the restaurant and discreetly tucked away behind the main restaurant, the mirror-panelled Platinum Arowana room is adorned with works of art by Renoir, Miró and Chagall and is named for the world’s rarest fish. A special menu, only available to guests dining in the room, highlights the restaurant’s market-fresh specialty seafood.

The Platinum Arowana room sits up to eight guests, scotts-restaurant.com

The Millicent Fawcett Room at Sketch Mayfair

What list would be complete without the restaurant that brought us infinite egg-capsule bathroom selfies, theatrical interiors and no less than three Michelin stars? It could only be Sketch, the Mayfair haunt serving a delicious dose of tongue-in-cheek humour, theatricality and modern-French cuisine. The three Michelin stars belong to Sketch’s Lecture Room and Library, located on the upper floor of the Regency townhouse. Groups of eight can dine in the cordoned-off Millicent Fawcett room, so-called in honour of suffragist Millicent Fawcett, who campaigned for the enfranchisement of women in 1869 on the site where Sketch now stands.

The Millicent Fawcett Room can seat up to six, sketch.london

Old Gotham City and Monarch Theatre at Park Row, Piccadilly

For an experience-led private dinner, you really can’t do much better than DC Comics-themed establishment Park Row. A moody, low-lit lounge, inspired by the origin stories of supervillains Poison Ivy and Scarecrow, Old Gotham City invites guests to release their inhibitions and indulge in some villainous late-night debauchery.

Enjoy creative themed cocktails and set menus or a selection of canapes, including lobster rolls, fired chicken and caviar. For an even more immersive experience, opt for the Monarch Theatre, where you and your guests will be treated to a 10-course tasting menu and drinks that pay homage to favourite characters from the DC universe as the surrounding floor-to-ceiling screens take you on a visual journey through Gotham City itself.

Old Gotham City at Park Row can host up to 20 guests seated and 100 standing, Monarch Theatre can host up to 20 guests, parkrowlondon.co.uk

East London

The Tapestry Room at The Ned, City of London

Since opening in 2017, private members' club and hotel The Ned has swiftly become one of the capital’s hottest spots for drinking, dining and socialising. Housed within the former Midland Bank headquarters, The Ned has six Grade I-listed private rooms to choose from, but the historic Tapestry Room is truly the jewel in its crown. Featuring a dramatic crystal chandelier, original walnut panelling and an enormous tapestry wrapping its walls, this cavernous hall certainly delivers on grandeur. Menus are personalised for each event, so whether you’re planning a big white wedding reception or the party to end all parties, you can be sure that all tastes will be well catered for.

The Tapestry Room at the Ned can host up to 140 guests seated and 200 standing, thened.com

Bourne & Hollingsworth, Clerkenwell

The Bourne & Hollingsworth team are a dab hand at events, with several venues across London and a portfolio of immersive pop-ups hosting all manner of parties and celebrations. Positioned on the corner of Exmouth Market, this bright and airy bar and brassiere is peppered with House of Hackney floral fabrics and hanging greenery making it perfect for a post-lockdown spring get-together. Various areas are available to hire, including the light-filled Greenhouse and an intimate private dining room for 12.

Spaces can fit from 12 to 55 guests, bandhbuildings.com

North London

Decimo at The Standard, Kings Cross

If you’re looking to impress your guests, Decimo’s semi-private dining room is sure to do the trick. Tuck into the best of Decimo’s Spanish-Mexican fare, including lobster with limo chilli, gambas rojas and croquetas de jamon, or opt for a bespoke sharing menu (including cocktail and wine pairings) envisioned by executive chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, while you dance the night away to records spun by the restaurant’s resident DJs. Set on the 10th floor of The Standard hotel, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a private bar and access to The Standard’s 11th floor rooftop terrace, this vertiginous venue, open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, is the ideal location for your late-night knees-up.

The private dining room at Decimo can host up to 38 guests seated and 50 standing, decimo.london

West London

The Garden Room at The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner

Usually operated as a cocktail and cigar terrace hidden behind lush greenery, The Lanesborough's Garden Room is a sophisticated outdoor option that blends the leather furnishings and dark woods of a classic members' club with the escapist vibe that comes from tropical flora and fauna. Happily, the hotel's expert team are also dab hands at transforming this space into a beautiful private dining venue that can seat up to 15 for everything from cocktail parties to unforgettable wedding breakfasts.

The Garden Room at The Lanesborough can seat up to 15 guests, oetkercollection.com

The Conservatory at Daphne’s, South Kensington

A veteran of South Kensington, Daphne’s has been owned by Richard Caring since 1998. Many of the restaurateur’s signatures are there, from the Martin Brudnizki-designed decor – marble-topped bar, green leather furnishings and floral festoons – to the unpretentious Italian menu by head chef Michael Brown. Long a neighbourhood favourite among the well-heeled residents of Kensington and Chelsea, Daphne’s pretty conservatory can host up to 32 guests for a seated meal or 50 standing guests for drinks and canapés and is the perfect backdrop for sophisticated celebrations. There is a retractable roof during summer and a roaring fire come winter.

The conservatory hosts up to 32 seated guests or 50 standing; daphnes-restaurant.co.uk

The Trophy Room at The Chelsea Pig, Chelsea

Inspired by the grand age of Victorian exploration, The Chelsea Pig's Trophy Room private dining space is decorated with shelves heaving with more than 400 antique trophies - curiosities that are guaranteed to break the ice at any event. The vibe is relaxed but elevated - think an old-school sporting club - while food by head chef Fionnan Flood is of the classic British variety. A crowd pleaser if ever we saw one.

The Trophy Room can host 25 seated and 40 standing, thechelseapig.co.uk

Fenn, Fulham

This chic West London eatery goes hard on seasonal British dishes with ingredients of the finest provenance (its suppliers include Flying Fish, Shrub Provision and HG Walter) while celebrating wines from around the world with an extensive list that includes an entirely separate menu just for magnums. Needless to say, its cellar private dining room is the perfect place to settle in to sample a set menu with paired libations. Foodie highlights include Cornish crab crumpet, beef tartare, and cod with wild mushrooms.

The private dining room at Fenn can seat up to 15 people, fennrestaurant.co.uk

South London

La Table de Carmen at The Laundry, Brixton

Image :Jack Lewis Williams

Image: Jack Lewis Williams

One of two private dining rooms at Brixton's popular all-day bistro, The Laundry, La Table de Carmen is situated in a bright subterranean space bathed in natural light from an overhead skylight creating a gorgeous indoor-outdoor ambience. Able to host up to 14, or be combined with the adjoining Drying Room to accommodate up to 32, food makes the most of head chef Sami Harvey's seasonally-changing menus. Expect the likes of sweetcorn fritters, autumn salad, bavette steak and herb-crusted roast cod before ending with The Laundry's signature sharing tiramisu.

La Table de Carmen can seat up to 14 people, visit thelaundrybrixton.com

Brunswick House, Vauxhall

Set in a capacious Georgian mansion in Vauxhall, Brunswick House is an unlikely treasure among the area’s high-rise buildings and urban developments. This outré antiques and salvage shop unfolds into a café and restaurant, run by Jackson Boxer. The restaurant has long outshone the shop as a destination, serving seasonal, British dishes amid hanging candelabras and trailing greenery. For larger parties, the whole venue is available for hire while a range of private dining spaces cater for groups as small as ten. If you’re looking for an unpretentious and memorable private dining space with more quirky photo props than you can swing a chandelier at, then this is it.

Brunswick House caters for up to 110 seated guests and 250 standing, brunswickhouse.london

Read more: London's best pub gardens