Lots of London's restaurants come with fancy new private dining rooms if you want to have somewhere all to yourselves - particularly in the run-up to the festive season. Here are some of the notable new PDRs that have been unveiled this year.
Kioku by Endo
Whitehall - The OWO, 2 Whitehall Place
Seats: 8
There are already some pretty good tables and an impressive chef's table up on the roof at Endo Kazutoshi's restaurant at The OWO. But this room, hidden away inside one of the hotel's turrets, has been one of the most impressive PDRs we've seen this year. With amazing 360-degree views and the beautifully grafted furniture that's throughout the restaurant, it's a pretty special little hideaway. Food-wise, there's the chef's mix of Japanese cooking with European techniques and some fantastic sushi.
Morchella
Clerkenwell - 84-86 Rosebery Ave, London EC1R 4QY
Seats: 14 (or 18 if you split the table in two)
Minimum spend: £750 at lunch, £1000 at dinner
One of the best restaurants in Clerkenwell, Morchella comes from the people behind Perilla and has a great menu of Mediterranean-inspired small plates. Their private room is downstairs from the main restaurant, with a beautiful airy design.
The Park
Bayswater - 123 Bayswater Rd, London W2 3JH
Seats: 12-14
Jeremy King's Bayswater restaurant features a design that's much more influenced by mid-20th century USA than his previous restaurants, with a sleek wood-heavy design throughout. That look is never more striking than downstairs in the PDR where we also loved the use of amazing classic photography. It's open all day from breakfast with a menu that, like the design, takes much of its cues from the USA.
Read our Test Drive of The Park
Lita
Marylebone - 7-9 Paddington St, London W1U 5QH
Seats: 8
The private area of Lita is actually just inside the front door (turn right instead of left). It's a small affair and although ostensibly private, you can actually open the doors out to have a semi-alfresco feel if you fancy. Food here is by chef Luke Ahearne and although billed as a neighbourhood bistro, it takes many of its cues from southern Europe and the Mediterranean dishes with some excellent live-fire-cooked sharing plate for the mains, including a whole Cornish turbot.
The Hero
Maida Vale - 55 Shirland Road, London W9 2JD
Seats: 12 in the private room; 30 seated or 70 standing in The Loft.
This pub, from the same team behind Notting Hill's The Pelican, has been an instant hit. They've also got two private rooms, both of which showcase the wonderful stripped-back nature of the building's design. At the top floor (pictured) is The Loft, a larger room for parties and bigger groups, but they also have another private dining room on the second floor for a more intimate dinner. The food is provided by The Hero's newer grill room, where there's a focus on cooking meat and seafood over fire. At the time of writing, that translates into sharing dishes of a pork T bone, bone-in sirloin, forequarter of cod with brown butter and more.
Cornus
Belgravia - 27c Eccleston Pl, London SW1W 9NF
Seats: 8-19 people
This restaurant comes from the same people who are behind popular Chelsea restaurant Medlar. With both a top-level chef and pastry chef working in the kitchen, this is a high-end fine dining affair. There's a huge attention to detail in the menu where they're using the very best ingredients. That is going to come at a cost, with some mains in the £50 territory, but you'll really be impressing any foodie up here and you can create your own bespoke menu. The room itself is relatively plain, but up on the top floor has views across Belgravia.
The Cocochine
Mayfair - 27 Bruton Pl, London W1J 6NQ
Seats: 14
The Cocochine is a beautifully designed restaurant blessed with excellent artwork and photography courtesy of owner (and famous gallery owner) Tim Jefferies. Up on the top floor, this private dining room feels almost more like an apartment as opposed to a simple PDR with both a dining and lounge area within the massive double-height room. It's a hugely impressive space and for something so jaw-dropping, there's an understandably high minimum spend of £8k (plus service). For that, they'll create a completely bespoke menu created by chef Larry Jayasekara and you'll be able to choose wine from their extensive wine cellar. If you're looking to properly wow your guests, this is a great option.
Read our Test Drive of The Cocochine
Kolamba East
The City - 12 Blossom St, London E1 6PL
Seats: Up to 20
The new Kolamba is a larger restaurant than the Soho original and that means they have room for a pretty large private dining area, curtained off along one side of the room. It's a beautiful space, making great use of that original brickwork. The food here is their take on modern Sri Lankan home-cooking with an emphasis on sharing plates.
Also see
For more great private rooms around town, here's our pick of the best that have opened in previous years.
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