CENTRAL

AULIS

For those of you who enjoy interacting with the kitchen team, you’ll get no better chance than at Aulis. Every diner at this tiny eight-seater Simon Rogan restaurant sits up at the counter in front of the kitchen. The main man’s trusted team offers an experimental foodie experience like no other. Up to eight people can enjoy learning about their food while it’s being cooked, and trying a carefully paired array of wines. Pricier than other options on this list, this is an experience to be savoured by a small party of fine diners.
 
16a St Anne’s Court, Soho, W1F 0BF
Visit Aulis.London

BLACK ROE

Great for a leisurely dinner with a hint of extravagance, Black Roe is a modern Asian Poke bar and grill in the heart of Mayfair. Private diners eat in the Rambutan Room, which will transport you to eastern Asia with its deep red interior and onyx dining table. Menus showcasing the best of Black Roe can be tailored to your group’s taste, with drinks supplied by the resident mixologist.
 
4 Mill Street, Mayfair, W1S 2AX
Visit BlackRoe.com

CHOTTO MATTE

A big player in Soho’s competitive pool of pan-Asian restaurants, Japanese-Peruvian hybrid Chotto Matte has a modest menu of sharing dishes available in one of its private dining spaces. The Lava Room has its own Dispense and Tostadita Raw Bar, as well as its own waiting staff. A top choice for sushi lovers.
 
11-13 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4RB
Visit Chotto-Matte.com

GAUTHIER SOHO

This 18th-century Soho townhouse has five distinctive rooms for a range of events from small romantic dinners to large-scale birthday celebrations. The four-seater Chefs’ Room is the most sought after, with dark-wood wine-stocked cabinets adorning its walls. With carefully chosen period furniture and individualistic design in each room, you’ll feel like you’ve fallen into a live-action game of Cluedo.
 
21 Romilly Street, Soho, W1D 5AF
Visit GauthierSoho.co.uk

GEZELLIG

Gezellig translates as ‘an atmosphere, which allows good times to happen’. This restaurant has two private dining rooms, each decorated in an eclectic style that will make you and your companions feel as if you’re sat in the comfort of your own home. Only you’re not: you’ll be in a stylish hotspot, dining on a menu of classic European dishes. The Library seats up to 16 people and is a great choice for a cosy winter supper.
 
193-197 High Holborn, Holborn, WC1V 7BD
Visit Gezellig.co.uk

XU

If you’re familiar with steamed bun specialist Bao, this is its foxier sister restaurant in Soho. The table tops can be converted into the Chinese tile game Mahjong – after you’ve enjoyed a selection of Taiwanese bites. The set menu in the private Mahjong rooms boasts dishes not available on the main menu. For a reasonable price, diners get three hours to enjoy everything on offer.
 
30 Rupert Street, Soho, W1D 6DL
Visit XuLondon.com

CHARLES DICKENS MUSEUM

Dine where great novels were once written – at the London home of Charles Dickens. Dinner guests get the chance to look at a collection of Dickens’ belongings and explore his home. This dining experience is run by the Social Pantry and is part of its collection of great party venues.
 
48-49 Doughty Street, Holborn, WC1N 2LX
Visit SocialPantry.co.uk

THE IVY COVENT GARDEN

At the original Ivy, the private room has had a refurb. It now features a flamboyant bespoke bar surrounded with contemporary artwork. Chef Gary Lee’s menus change seasonally and can be adapted to suit your event. Music can feature as well, with the option of a jazz band or pianist.
 
1-5 West Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9NQ
Visit The-Ivy.co.uk

THE HOXTON

The last word in refined urban hotels, the Hoxton is a serene space that has been cleverly designed with guests in mind. The Dining Room is spacious and versatile for any type of event you want to create. It can hold up to 12 people and is well equipped to take you from board meeting into dinner party.

81 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3HU
Visit TheHoxton.com


 

NORTH

104 NOTTING HILL

104 Notting Hill offers a range of lunch and dinner menus available in the relaxing atmosphere of their minimalistic restaurant. Up to 14 guests can sit down for either lunch or dinner to enjoy a carefully arranged bespoke experience.
 
104 Chepstow Road, Notting Hill, W2 5QS
Visit 104Restaurant.com

HOT STONE

Available for exclusive hire, Hot Stone is the spot for an evening of fun, cooking yourself Japanese Wagyu or entertaining clients in an informal setting. Diners choose from an assortment of steaks and seafood to cook on a slab of granite. Menus can be personalised to your event and are accompanied by a selection of sake or wines. Interactive and entertaining, Hot Stone is a good alternative to your standard sit-down dinner.
 
9 Chapel Market, Islington, N1 9EZ
Visit HotStoneLondon.com

RADICI

Choose from one of two private dining rooms here. In either the Private Dining Room or Wine Room, you have your pick of menus offering food inspired by the southern Italian roots of chef-patron Francesco Mazzei. If you feel like letting loose, these stylish spaces in the heart of Islington are available for weekend bottomless brunches.
 
30 Almeida Street, Islington, N1 1AD
Visit Radici.uk

THE WHITE HAUS

Transport yourselves to the Alps in the unique chalet-style private dining rooms at the White Haus. This German pub in Farringdon features timber-clad walls, a gondola hanging from the ceiling and a warming open fire. The Private Dining Room is ideal for smaller groups; the Balcony can host up to 40 people if you’re planning a bigger bash. Choose between canapés and a set menu, where you can expect to see alpine delights such as mountain cheese fondue and roast bavette steak.
 
17 Farringdon Street, Farringdon, EC4A 4AB
Visit TheWhiteHaus.co.uk




 

SOUTH

ARTHUR HOOPER’S

Arthur Hooper’s is a great viewing platform for lively Borough Market. Its Fruit and Veg Private Dining Room is an elegant 12-person space where groups can enjoy private wine tasting and feast on a menu of fresh local produce sourced from market suppliers. Dishes are vibrantly presented to match the buzz of the surrounding London Bridge neighbourhood.
 
8 Stoney Street, London Bridge, SE1 9AA
Visit ArthurHoopers.co.uk

BRUNSWICK HOUSE

Never before will you have seen such a large collection of chandeliers and candelabra. Well versed in the art of entertaining, Jackson Boxer’s Brunswick House is a grand setting for an exclusive get-together. The Study is impeccably decorated and boasts an ornate fireplace for dinner guests to gather around for a pre-dinner drink.
 
30 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, SW8 2LG
Visit BrunswickHouse.London

CANOVA HALL

For groups that want to party until 1am and still be able to order pizza to round off the night, this is the place. Airy and light with a distinctively urban feel, Canova Hall hires out its Bitters Bar every day of the week until late. A bartender is part of the private-dining package, so drinks are sure to flow.
 
250 Ferndale Road, Brixton, SW9 8BQ
Visit CanovaHall.com

COAL ROOMS

Smokehouse chef Sam Bryant has converted the former women’s toilets in Grade II-listed Peckham station into a chic spot for dinner. Decked out with lots of votive candles, the interior is subdued and moody. The menu is heavy on meat, so possibly not one for your vegetarian friends.
 
11a Station Way, Peckham, SE15 4RX
Visit CoalRoomsPeckham.com

HIXTER

Focusing on quality ingredients, this modern-industrial style eatery is run by Mark Hix. The CNB private dining room is a small but light space for entertaining guests, with eye-catching pop-art decorating the walls. The kitchen is built with bricks made out of Himalayan salt, so you know you’re food will be well seasoned.
 
16 Great Guildford Street, Southwark, SE1 0HS
Visit HixRestaurants.co.uk

NO 29 POWER STATION WEST

Dine inside the iconic Battersea Power Station in one of its quirkily styled private dining rooms. This place even has its own cinema room for up to 30 people. The menu focuses on sharing dishes such as rotisserie chicken with fries and paprika aioli.
 
29 Circus West, Battersea, SW11 8NN
Visit No29PowerStationWest.co.uk

EAST

BISTROTHEQUE

The private dining room at this east London institution is known for its pared-down aesthetic and pianist, who plays for diners as they enjoy a menu of European classics. Groups can add on champagne and oysters to any set menu. A blank canvas, the space can be decked out however you like to create a unique dining experience.
 
23-27 Wadeson Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9DR
Visit Bistrotheque.com

BRIGADIERS

This has all the elements for a boys night out: exclusive whiskies, beer snacks, Indian food and a private room with a screen for the football. The three individually decorated private dining rooms are rich in colour and provide diners with decadent seclusion.
 
1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, Bank, EC4N 8AR
Visit BrigadiersLondon.com

MERCHANTS TAVERN

This is east London, so you won’t find a standard private dining room here. Down in the bare-brick storeroom, groups of up to 22 guests can enjoy five-course menus of reinvented British classics. The kitchen counter is also available for private hire, if you want a place amid the action of the main restaurant.
 
36 Charlotte Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3PG
Visit MerchantsTavern.co.uk

THE CULPEPER

A rooftop with a canopy and fire pits already sets the scene for a picturesque dinner. Add in a private bar and chef, and you’re onto a winner. The leafy theme of this Spitalfields pub nods to Nicholas Culpeper, a local resident and herbalist in the 17th century. It’s quaint, atmospheric and has a great selection of English wines from Kent and Sussex.
 
40 Commercial Street, Spitalfields, E1 6LP
Visit TheCulpeper.com

THE COAL SHED

A stone’s throw from Tower Bridge, the Coal Shed specialises in rare-breed meat and sustainable seafood to its diners in a contemporary setting. The private dining room holds 20 people and is suited to either a personal or corporate event. The open-plan design of the restaurant gives a relaxed feel, which extends to the private dining room as well.
 
One Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge, SE1 2SE
Visit CoalShed-RestaurantLondon.co.uk

THE JONES FAMILY PROJECT

This Shoreditch restaurant boasts an array of private rooms, each decorated in a unique and characterful way. The New York Style Bar has a rugged appeal, with its brick walls and tiling. Snacks such as a charcuterie board and salt-and-pepper squid make nice sharing bites if a low-key drinks party is more your thing.
 
78 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3JL
Visit JonesFamilyProject.co.uk

 

WEST

DINNER BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL

Never dined in a mock Tudor dining room at an Arthurian dining table excavated from Westminster Abbey? Now’s your chance. With views overlooking Hyde Park, up to 12 guests can enjoy a three or four-course dinner presented by Heston Blumenthal. His menu celebrates traditional British cuisine in an old-world style that gives you a real sense of antiquated grandeur.
 
66 Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
Visit MandarinOriental.com

KINDRED

Each of the three private dining rooms at Kindred are stylishly decorated and offer the options of either fine dining or more rustic sharing dishes. The 18th-century building is brimming with character and is conveniently located next to Hammersmith tube station. With two fully stocked bars and a broad menu, Kindred is a good all-rounder that will ensure every guest is well catered to.
 
Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9BW
Visit WeAreKindred.com

THE WOLSELEY

Private diners at the Wolseley get their own discreet vantage point nestled above the main restaurant. This dark and alluring space feels elegant and sophisticated; indeed, it’s often described as one of the most beautiful in London. Available to book for breakfast, lunch, dinner or afternoon tea, this is a decadent location for an elegant affair.
 
160 Piccadilly, St James’s, W1J 9EB
Visit TheWolseley.com

TOM’S KITCHEN

Founded by renowned chef Tom Aiken, Tom’s Kitchen is a celebration of locally sourced British produce crafted into a menu of comfort-food classics. The restaurant has a relaxed air that extends to three private dining areas, where guests can choose from a number of menus. Look out for a British cheeseboard that’s perfect for sharing with friends.
 
27 Cale Street, Chelsea, SW3 3QP
Visit TomsKitchen.co.uk