Guide to the best private dining rooms in London

Blanchette is a French bistro that's run by three brothers. It features a private dining room for up to 14 people, decorated with a stunning forest-themed mural by artist Aldo Gigli. The menu at this Soho restaurant includes classic dishes such as steak tartare or croque monsieur, as well as larger plates like mackerel escabeche or chicken ballotine. You can pair your meal with cocktails or bottles from the sizeable wine cellar.

The high-end Bob Bob Ricard restaurants are famed for their opulent setting and take that even further with their private dining rooms. The one in Soho seats 14 and is modelled after the Royal Dining Carriage, velvet blinds and "Press for Champagne" button included, while the ones at the City branch were inspired by the dining salons on the Royal Yacht and seat 18. There's a minimum spend and you can order from the full à la carte.

Occupying an entire Georgian mansion in Vauxhall, Brunswick House offers a variety of private spaces for hire, all lavishly decorated with antiques and the glamour of past eras. You can choose from beautiful private dining rooms and salons for dinner parties, or hire out entire floors for wedding celebrations and other large events. The venue can seat anywhere between six and 110 people, with a standing capacity of 250.

Famed seafood restaurant and A-list celebrity haunt Scott’s offers two private dining rooms at its original Mayfair location, perfect for everything from business lunches to client entertainment and large receptions. Whatever the occasion, you can be sure you’ll get the excellent service and fresh fish and seafood delicacies the restaurant is known for.

The Hawksmoor steakhouse group offers private dining rooms at several of its branches, ranging from an elegant wood-panelled dining room in Guildhall that's equipped for presentations and a 55-seater venue in Spitalfields, to a semi-private bar and eco-friendly floating pavilion in Canary Wharf. The Cook's Room at the Borough branch is a highlight, offering an immersive open kitchen experience with a unique Beef Feasting Menu.

Luca, a popular restaurant known for Italian cuisine that uses fine British ingredients, has three spaces for private hire. The Garden Room, styled after a romantic Italian garden, is the most intimate, for up to eight people, while the kitchen-like Pasta Room, where the chefs make pasta each day, seats up to 10. If you'd prefer to dine outside, you can book the lush secluded Terrace for up to 20 guests.

Sketch is regularly ranked amongst the top restaurants in the city, thanks to both its stunning decor and the fact that the cuisine in its main dining room has three Michelin stars. This is where the Millicent Fawcett Room for semi-private dining is located, offering a tasting menu of European cuisine with contemporary twists, paired with fine wines chosen by Sketch's wine director. The experience can be booked for up to eight people.

Reopened in 2023, Claridge's Restaurant is a luxurious destination for contemporary British cuisine. With the reopening came an exclusive private dining space with hand-painted details on the walls. This intimate space seats up to 12 guests. The upscale dishes served here are complemented by fine wines, with food served throughout the day.

Offering sophisticated Indian cuisine in a lavish environment, Mayfair's Gymkhana held a Michelin star for nearly ten years before receiving its second one in 2024. Inspired by the elite members' clubs of colonial India, it's fitting that the restaurant provides elegantly decorated private areas as well – two dining vaults on the lower ground floor, seating up to ten each. You can choose from a range of tasting menus, including the exclusive Lamb Raan Feast.

A Michelin-starred restaurant known for its bold Mexican cuisine, enhanced with high-end ingredients like caviar and British Wagyu, Kol offers a chef’s table experience in a private sanctuary on the lower ground floor. The space includes an Oaxacan home-style kitchen and chefs who guide you through your meal with first-hand insights about the food. Alternatively, you can book the stylish Mezcaleria bar for 25 people.

This one's a sneaky inclusion as you have to book the entire restaurant if you want a private dining experience. However, the venue seats only 16 people at most. Under the command of chef Richard Wilkins, the snug 104 Restaurant will serve your group bespoke tasting menus of British produce prepared with a French approach and paired with fine wine. If you want an even more exclusive experience, you can have Wilkins cook a private dinner in your own home.

The lavish experiential Chinese dining offered by Park Chinois in Mayfair includes three stunning private dining areas take you into 1930s Shanghai. The most glam of these is the Salon Rouge, where up to a dozen guests can enjoy a group dining menu in a vibrant, luxurious setting. The stylish ebony round table in the Salon Noir, meanwhile, seats up to nine and is a great spot for an elegant sharing dinner.

Two private rooms are available at The Delaunay, a grand Central European-style venue with wood-panelled walls and elegant decor. The spaces can also be combined for a larger capacity. The space is furnished with brass fittings, leather seating and original artwork, and can be split into two separate rooms to cater to smaller groups. The seasonal menus showcase classic European fare.

The semi-private dining room at Decimo looks out at the city skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows on the tenth floor. The plush interior features elaborate art and its own bar. On the menu, Mexican and Spanish influences shine through in ingredients like mole glaze and Iberico pork. There's a wide choice of Mexican spirits available, and the lively vibe from the main dining area is sure to seep through.

The Soho branch of famed fine dining and wining experience Noble Rot features a cosy, elegant boardroom on the second floor of a townhouse in Greek Street. Supposedly, it has seen numerous Labour party strategy meetings and clandestine trysts over the years. It seats up to ten people, who can order off the modern European à la carte and the complex wine list.

The opulent Balthazar brasserie in Covent Garden has two salons for private hire, the ground floor Le Petit for up to 24 people seated and the Le Grand for up to 49. Both are stunningly decorated and have antique floorboards, vintage wall sconces and a private entrance. You can select one of the different menus featuring French specialities and pair your meal with wine or cocktails.

By day, The Pie Room at the Holborn Dining Room restaurant serves up the humble British classic, but at night, it amps up the exclusivity as a luxurious private dining room. Charmingly decorated with brass moulds, it seats up to ten guests at a time and serves handmade savoury pies as well as other national staples.

In addition to its three main spaces, the multifaceted Hide, an all-day dining sanctuary in Mayfair, also offers multiple private dining rooms. Three are located in the basement vault and seat up to eight people, while the large Hide & Seek chamber on the first floor can fit 20 and has its own entrance and washroom facilities. All are beautifully decorated and serve dishes from the main restaurants.

Both of the Sushisamba restaurants in London serve Nikkei-style food and both boast impressive private dining options. The Covent Garden branch private chamber is situated in one of the oldest parts of the original market building and has its own balcony and a centrepiece round table for up to 15 guests, while the Heron Tower space looks out over the city from its mezzanine perch on the 39th floor.

Two-Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers' Neal's Yard venture is distinguished not just by his rotisserie chicken, but also by a sophisticated wine programme with a walk-in cellar. The latter also features an exclusive space for private dining for up to 18 guests. The sharing menu includes small plates, mains from the grill with sides and sauces, desserts, and cheese, accompanied by welcome drinks, half a bottle of wine per head, and hot beverages throughout.

Duck & Waffle is sure to get you your fill of the London skyline, what with sitting up on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower and boasting floor-to-ceiling windows. The private dining room here is the highest one in the city and can accommodate up to 16 seated guests. The group dining menus, also available in the main restaurant, feature playful takes on international cuisine. Alternatively, you can choose one of the exclusive set menus.

If you're after something that's a bit more off the beaten path for your private dinner – completely off any walkable path, really – consider booking The Prince Regent barge and cruising down Regent's Canal in style. The boat can fit up to 35 people, and you can enjoy a menu of the finest British seafood while floating on the water and watching sights like the London Zoo go by. Private dining is also available aboard the stationery Grand Duchess.

The two Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal boasts a majestic 16th century Tudor-style private chamber for up to 12 guests, with sumptuous velvet chairs around a rosewood table inspired by King Arthur’s legendary table, embossed leather walls and a grand chandelier. The cuisine here is similarly rich in history, as the dishes are based on recipes from British cookbooks dating back to the 13th century.

A landmark of London dining, Covent Garden’s beautiful The Ivy restaurant has an artfully appointed private room with stained glass windows, oak panelling, contemporary art pieces, a bespoke bar and a baby grand piano – a variety of live music options are available as well. The venue accommodates up to 60 seated or 100 standing, and you can choose from among more than ten menus of classic British fare and international favourites.

The enchantingly decorated Salon at Spring is located in an enclosed interior atrium at Somerset House, meaning garden-style dining is on the menu regardless of the season. It seats up to 36 people, who can enjoy chef Skye Gyngell’s signature seasonal menus that showcase quality produce. You can book The Salon for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Two stylishly-appointed group dining rooms for 14 and 20 people are available at The Laundry, an informal all-day restaurant in Brixton serving seasonal dishes. The rooms can be opened up into one larger space too so that bigger parties can be accommodated. A special set menu is available for larger groups, offering two courses of elegant cuisine.

Acclaimed French chef Alexis Gauthier’s plant-based base of operations in Soho offers different private spaces for hire across its three floors, each uniquely themed and stylishly decorated. They range from the intimate Chef’s Room, perfect for the most special, romantic occasions or the playfully Cluedo-esque Games Room to the Grand Salon, a bright dining room for up to 40 guests and a flexible table layout.

The sophisticated Michelin-starred Quilon specialises in cuisine from the southwestern coastal regions of Goa and Kerala in India, crafting personalised tasting menus as well as offering à la carte options. It also boasts a unique private dining concept, with its private dining room featuring not just its own kitchen and chef, but also its own bar and entrance.

This neighbourhood pub in Stoke Newington comes from the team behind The Anchor and Hope and features a tasteful private dining room. The venue has large windows that floods the space with natural light, making it an ideal choice for afternoon events and evening meals. The room can seat 26 people and serves a seasonal sharing menu, along with low-intervention wines, draft beer and house cocktails.

Continuing the restaurant's theme of divine debauchery, Artemis, the private dining room at Mayfair's Damien Hirst-blessed Bacchanalia, is a sumptuous, dramatic affair that goes heavy on escapism. Beneath the watchful gaze of sculpted figures from antiquity, up to 20 guests can indulge in carefully-curated Mediterranean feasts and exclusive wines. Other grand spaces for hire are on-site too.

Under the guidance of chef Jeremy Chan, the cosmopolitan Ikoyi forges its own path with a unique culinary style revolving around spice-based cuisine and British micro-seasonality. There restaurant has an intimate private dining room for up to six people at a time, with dishes including the likes of confit pork agrodolce & curried courgette. Exclusive hire of the restaurant is also available.

Louie in Covent Garden is based in an elegant townhouse and serves refined French dishes with a New Orleans twist. This lively spot has a busy programme of live music but private spaces are available for more intimate experiences. The Cabana is a multi-purpose private dining and events space with a banqueting table and its own bartender.

Based at the National Gallery, Ochre is a stylish and modern bistro with a private dining room that gives you impressive views over Trafalgar Square. Seating up to 19 people, the room has a dramatic feature table over which a wooden chandelier hangs. Set menus are available. You can also book out the entire restaurant for bigger groups.

Classic dining destination The Wolseley is a fixture of the London food scene, bringing a European grand café to the city. There's the sophisticated main dining area as well as a more intimate private dining room that offers sweeping views over the restaurant. The space seats up to 15 guests and can be booked for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Jun Tanaka's French fine dining restaurant The Ninth is known for its intimate atmosphere and cosy interiors. The private dining room makes your experience even more special, separated from the main restaurant by a glass wine cellar. A set menu of specially-selected seasonal dishes is available for group dining.