London’s Best Private Dining Rooms

Decimo, King’s Cross

Offering panoramic views across central London via floor-to-ceiling windows, Decimo is the place to head if you want to impress guests. A sweeping private bar separates the room from the main restaurant, allowing the space to still have the energy of the main restaurant. When it comes to food, head chef Sanchez-Iglesias merges the Spanish cuisine of his family with his love of Mexico. Expect tonnes of flavour via para picar gambas over ice; aguachile crab and suckling pig shoulder, XL langoustines and quail with mole glaze.

10 Argyle Street, King’s Cross, WC1H 8EG

Visit Decimo.London

Sabor, Mayfair

El Asador, the first-floor space in Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant Sabor, is a great private dining spot for larger groups, with communal tables overlooking the open kitchen and seating for up to 29 guests. A special feasting menu is also on offer, including some of chef/owner Nieves Barragan's signature dishes, such as pulpo a feira – octopus cooked in traditional copper pans from Galicia with olive oil and paprika. 

35-37 Heddon Street, Mayfair, W1B 4BR

Visit SaborRestaurants.co.uk

Thomas’s Café, Mayfair

Did you know the flagship Burberry store in Mayfair has its own stylish restaurant? The pretty Thomas’s Café is one of our favourite spots for breakfast – the homemade crumpets with rosebud jam are incredible – but it also has a slick restaurant upstairs, complete with a private room for 18. The Snug is just that – dark and moody, it makes a great spot for late-night parties and candlelit dinners. We’d order the rose harissa sweet potato falafel with kale, roast pumpkin, puy lentils and preserved lemon.

5 Vigo Street, Mayfair, W1S 3HA

Visit UK.Burberry.com

Wright Brothers, Soho

This seafood specialist has private rooms across its five London sites, but it’s the one in Soho that really gets people talking. Aptly named The Cage, the dark and atmospheric semi-private space is modelled on a lobster cage. From within, up to 20 guests can peek into the open kitchen and watch the catch of the day being cooked before them. Group set menus start from £43pp and include the likes of grilled king prawns, garlic and smoked chilli butter followed by whole lemon sole with sea vegetables and brown shrimp butter.

13 Kingly Street, Soho, W1B 5PW

Visit TheWrightBrothers.co.uk

Blanchette, Soho

This French bistro has one of the prettiest private dining spaces in London. Hidden away behind a curtain at the back of the restaurant, the Jungle Room lives up to its name: verdant hand-painted wallpaper by artist Aldo Gigli is complemented by bright fresh flowers, candlelight and an opulent chandelier. Within, up to 14 guests can tuck into French wine and sharing snacks such as crispy frog’s legs, miniature croque monsieur, charcuterie and cheese before devouring feasting dishes such as braised lamb shoulder with anchovy, rosemary and soubise sauce.

9 D'Arblay Street, Soho, W1F 8DR

Visit BlanchetteSoho.co.uk

Aulis, Soho

For those 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

Xu, Soho

If you’re familiar with steamed bun specialist Bao, this is its more refined sister site in Soho. The tabletops 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 offers dishes not available on the main menu – think cuttlefish toast with whipped cod roe and char siu iberico pork and cucumber. For a reasonable price, diners get three hours to enjoy everything on offer.

30 Rupert Street, Soho, W1D 6DL

Visit XuLondon.com

Arthur Hooper’s, Borough

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 tastings 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, Vauxhall

Never before have you seen such a large collection of chandeliers and candelabra. Well versed in the art of entertaining, Jackson Boxer’s food-focused 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

Coal Rooms, Peckham

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 – the restaurant’s centrepiece is a charcoal grill – but expect a great turn in veggie dishes too: think cep gnocchi with maitake, enoki, grilled fennel and buckwheat whey; and milk buns with kelp butter or rhubarb chutney.

11a Station Way, Peckham, SE15 4RX

Visit CoalRoomsPeckham.com

Merchants Tavern, Shoreditch

This might be an Angela Hartnett establishment, but it’s in east London, so don’t expect to 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

Bistrotheque, Bethnal Green

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 bright blank canvas, the space can be decked out however you like to create a one-off dining experience. From £32pp, guests can order a three-course meal including leeks vinaigrette with toasted hazelnuts; cod with confit potatoes and salsa verde; and sticky toffee pudding with smoked butterscotch sauce.

23-27 Wadeson Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9DR

Visit Bistrotheque.com

The Coal Shed, Tower Bridge

A within viewing distance of Tower Bridge, The Coal Shed specialises in rare-breed meat and sustainable seafood to its diners in a contemporary setting. The open-plan design of the restaurant gives a relaxed feel, which extends to the 20-seater private dining room as well. Expect inventive dishes such as sticky pork belly with gochujang, apple and radish; and fire roasted scallops with pork belly jam and XO crumb.

One Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge, SE1 2SE

Visit CoalShed-RestaurantLondon.co.uk

The Jones Family Project, Shoreditch

This Shoreditch restaurant offers an array of private rooms, each decorated in a 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

Dinner By Heston Blumenthal, Knightsbridge

With views overlooking Hyde Park, up to 12 guests can enjoy dinners presented by Heston Blumenthal. His menu celebrates traditional British cuisine in an old-world style that gives you a real sense of antiquated grandeur. A three or four-course menu is available and include Dinner's signature dishes, such as Earl Grey-cured salmon and roast cod with cockle ketchup, complemented by wine pairing options to suit every occasion.

66 Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA

Visit MandarinOriental.com

The Wolseley, St James’s

Private diners at the Wolseley get their own discreet vantage point 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

The Zetter Townhouse, Clerkenwell

Set on the lower ground-floor of Clerkenwell’s Zetter Townhouse, The Games Room can seat up to 30 people. The room also benefits from a small terrace those in need of fresh air and a sound system for when you want to dance. For smaller gatherings, The Dining Room is a regency-style spot that seats up to 12 people adjacent to the venue’s award-winning cocktail lounge.

49-50 St John's Square, Farringdon, EC1V 4JJ

Visit TheZetterTownhouse.com