Looking for somewhere to have a private celebration? We've wandered the length and breadth of London to find the city's most extraordinary private dining rooms.
Fortnum & Mason
St James and The City
For an iconic London store that has been around since 1707, Fortnum's has a surprisingly diverse range of spaces for private dining and events. There are 11 spaces in total on offer across their flagship Piccadilly home and the Royal Exchange. Options range from The Boardroom with its antiques and fine art through to the modern, open-plan Food & Drink Studio and the atmospheric The Crypt - their hidden treasure in Piccadilly. Whether you're looking for an intimate lunch for 12 or a canape reception for 100, there's a space that's perfect for you.
Capacity: From 12 seated to 450 standing
Promoted listing
Best for the views
Kioku's rooftop turret
6th Floor, The OWO, 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX
Seats: Up to 10
Set in one of the turrets of The OWO, the private dining room at Kioku enjoys 360-degree views over the classic London skyline, looking out over Whitehall, the London Eye and more.
See also: In the City of London, The Vinoy Room at Fenchurch Restaurant at the Sky Garden enjoys amazing views from the 35th floor of the Walkie Talkie.
Duck and Waffle has London’s highest private dining room with room for 18 on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower.
Hutong at The Shard has two PDRs with views over Tower Bridge, or St Paul’s Cathedral depending on the size of your party.
Best for wine aficionados
Savoy Grill Wine Experience Room
100 Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
Seats: Up to 8
This golden-hued private dining room is situated just off the main dining room at The Savoy Grill, and it's perfect for oenophiles. Not only are you surrounded by amazing wine, but when you dine here, you'll also have your own dedicated sommelier for the event who's happy to put together a bespoke wine pairing for you and your guests.
See also: The Wine Room at Maison Francois
The Sommelier’s Room at Benares seats 10 for wine-matched fine Indian dining.
The Wine Room at Gloria can be booked as a private dining space for 20-30 people and is surrounded by Barolos from the best winemakers of Piedmont.
Best for fine art
Mount St Restaurant Swiss Room
41-43 Mount St, London W1K 2RX
Seats: Up to 14
Pretty much every aspect of this restaurant has a strong art connection, and the private dining rooms are no different. Our particular favourite is the Swiss Room with artworks by Nicolas Party and Pipilotti Rist and, the piece de resistence, a floor-as-art inspired by the Davos-born artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1889–1943) and created by the artisan Ian Harper.
See also: Also in Mayfair, Scott's Platinum Arowana Room has paintings by Renoir, Miró, Chagall, Pissarro and more adorning the walls.
Wild Honey St James's PDR features a selection of art from Glasgow collective ARTPISTOL.
Best for Soho nights
L’Escargot's Salon Vert
48 Greek St, London W1D 4EF
Seats: Up to 36
As green as the garlic butter that adorns the restaurant’s signature dish, L’Escargot’s Salon Vert is a gorgeous room complete with 18th century panelling. It would be the perfect spot for a bacchanalian night in the heart of Soho.
See also: Noble Rot Soho’s upstairs dining room can be booked out for a private hire, complete with large murals by Soho cartoonist Martin Rowson.
Andrew Edmunds has a cosy panelled dining room that seats 23 upstairs.
Quo Vadis has a range of private dining spaces - the best known of which is The Marx Room named after the building’s most famous previous inhabitant
Best for underground fun
The Stafford's Wine Cellar
16-18 St James's Pl, St. James's, London SW1A 1NJ
Seats: Up to 32 people
Head downstairs at this St James hotel to find their 380-year-old Wine Cellar. Used as an air raid shelter during WWII, there are over 8,000 bottles of amazing wine down here and you can book it for wine tasting and wine pairing dinners hosted by Master Sommelier, Gino Nardella, who’s been in residence here for over 40 years.
See also: There are four semi-private vaults tucked in under Wigmore Street at Hoppers’ Marylebone location. So if you’re after your own space, but don’t want to miss out on the vibes of the main restaurant.
Michelin-starred Gymkhana has two underground private vaults for dining, both seating up to 10.
Best for river views
Scott's Richmond's Terrace
1 Crisp Walk, London W6 9DN
Seats: Up to 25, seated.
The views over the River Thames from the first floor of Scott's Richmond are so good you're practically in the water. The covered and heated terrace is a spectacular space for a party and perfect for watching rowers gliding past.
See also: With floor-to-ceiling glass that frames the river views at Sam’s Riverside, you couldn’t do much better for a view over the Thames, and Hammersmith Bridge to boot.
Ivy Tower Bridge saves the room with the best view of the river and bridge for private dining. The River View room is huge and can seat up to 50.
In the Docklands, The Gun Docklands’ River Room seats up to 16, on a lovely oval oak table that looks out over the river.
Best for almost alfresco
Luca's Terrace
88 St John St, London EC1M 4EH
Seats: Up to 20
Although their Pasta Room is a PDR favourite, we think Luca’s Terrace space is their real USP. The new cover will keep you dry even if the weather bails and it’s a lovely rustic space to enjoy their Italian food and good company.
See also: The Club Room at Fredericks in Islington has its own terrace looking out over their gorgeous garden
Best for next-level glamour
Brunswick House's The Library
30 Wandsworth Rd, London SW8 2LG
Seats: Up to 28
Pretty much every part of this Georgian mansion in Vauxhall is a treat for the eyes, but it’s The Library which is the real drop-dead private dining space. Surrounded by cabinets filled with gorgeous objets d’art and festooned with chandeliers, it serves up a super menu from Jackson Boxer and his team.
See also: The private dining room at Bob Bob Ricard was modelled on the royal dining carriage and has room for 16 guests wanting to be treated like royalty.
The Salon Rouge at Park Chinois really does have the wow factor with its knock ‘em dead red and gold design scheme.
A Wong’s Madam Wong’s Lounge seats up to 10 and takes its design influence from Shanghai in the 20s and 30s
Best for privacy nuts
Hide
85 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NB
Seats: 10-20
The Hide & Seek first-floor party space here at Hide has one very special talking point - the car lift. That means that you can drive your car right to the door of your private dining room. It’s the kind of USP that numerous stars have already taken advantage of and guarantees no pap snaps.
See also: Hide Downstairs which has three beautifully individual private dining rooms seating from 4-8 people.
Best board room vibes
Hawksmoor Guildhall
10 Basinghall St, London EC2V 5BQ
Seats: Up to 22
Right in the heart of the City, Hawksmoor Guildhall’s private dining room is the kind of dark panelled room you could imagine guilds of old having their meetings in. It’s the perfect spot to soak up the atmosphere of medieval London while watching platters of steak being brought in.
More about Hawksmoor Guildhall
See also: The Boardroom at the Guinea Grill is an aptly named space that’s as good for board dinners as it is for general celebrations. It seats up to 22 at one table
Best for lording it on high
The Wolseley
160 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9EB
Seats: Up to 15
Any trip to The Wolseley feels like a celebration, but the best way to enjoy it can be found up the private staircase to the right as you go in. With glass windows all round looking out on to the main dining room, the private dining room here provides an excellent star-spotting vantage point - unless you are the A-listers, of course.
See also: Galvin La Chapelle’s The Gallery is suspended above the dining room of this Victorian building with glass and steel - it seats up to 16.
The Prince of Wales Room at Quaglino’s has a wall of glass looking out over the bustling main room and seats between 18 and 40.
In King's Cross, Cafe BAO has a very stylish PDR with a view, which seats between 6 and 12 serving up a set menu of their classic baos and more. Book by emailing cafebao.bookings@baolondon.com
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