Do you want to get up close and personal with the chef while he's cooking your meal? Or perhaps just enjoy a window into the kitchen where you can watch all the hard work that goes into creating your meal? We round up some of the best chef's tables in London.
Moorgate
Moorgate - South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, London EC2M 2AF
Of course one of the key draws here is the view - not just of the chefs at work, but as you’re in the heart of the City and up on the corner of the top floor you have a great view of landmarks such as the Gherkin. But, unlike the Heron or Shard, you’re only on the seventh floor here, so the view is less vertiginous for anyone suffering from vertigo.
- Seats: From six to 14
- What sort of food? British and seasonal with an emphasis on seafood.
- Terms: You can choose to dine off the regular a la carte or tasting menu or Executive Chef Tony Fleming will come up with a special menu just for you.
To book call 020 3215 1219 or email events@southplacehotel.com
Soho
11 Berwick Street London W1F 0PL
It may not quite be PC to say so, but dining down in the basement room at Polpetto in Soho is the only way to ensure a glimpse of the restaurant’s lovely Head Chef Florence Knight. This room also has the look of a place you could have a lot of raucous fun in. The only downside is that the room is on the same floor as the toilets.
- Seats: 12
- What sort of food? Very much Florence’s London take on Italian small plate cuisine
- Terms: No minimum spend but two table sittings – 6pm until 8pm / 8.30pm until close. Deposit required. You dine off the same a la carte as the rest of the restaurant.
To book call 020 7439 8627
Knightsbridge
The Berkeley, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RL
Wareing has taken the chef’s table out of his kitchen and given it pride of place when you enter the restaurant, so you’re linked to the buzz of the main dining room and you get an elevated view over the restaurant. It’s a suitably impressive space.
- Seats: 8-10
- What sort of food? Both the restaurant and menu have had a major do-over recently, but while the buzzword might be contemporary it’s still firmly fine dining.
- Details: A bespoke 5 course menu at lunch starts at £105 per person while an eight course bespoke menu at dinner begins at £150.
To book call 020 7235 1200
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Located just opposite the pass at the custom-built show kitchen here at the Mandarin Oriental, the Chef’s Table at Heston’s London restaurant puts you right in the heart of the action. You can also expect a tour of the kitchen.
- Seats: Up to 6
- What sort of food? A historical romp through English cuisine with fireworks and the odd bit of liquid nitrogen thrown in.
- Details: The menu comprises of 8 tasting courses created by Executive Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts and changes according to the seasons. The menu is priced at £150 per person for lunch and £200 per person for dinner with a minimum of 4 guests.
To book call 020 7201 3844 or email molon-dinnerpdr@mohg.com
Mayfair
12a Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BS
Set off the main dining room and raised up above the kitchen with a plate glass window running the length of the room, this Chef’s Table gives you a bird’s eye view of the action, without all the usual accompanying noise or smells.
- Seats: Up to 6
- What sort of food? Modern Indian food with a British twist and a notably good wine list.
- Terms: Here you can expect your own bespoke menu - picking dishes from the a la carte menu - with matching wines with dishes delivered by the chef. The minimum spend is £500.
To book call 020 7629 8886 or email events@benaresrestaurant.co.uk
Corrigan's29 Maddox St, London W1S 2PA
Right in the thick of things, this cosy little chef's table, The Kitchen Library, is directly opposite the kitchen pass of Corrigan's but set back into a booth surrounded by cookery books. Plus you can close a glass door in front of your table if the bustle of the kitchen gets too much.
- Seats: Up to 6
- What sort of food? High end cooking with an Irish twist
- Details: Two packages - 3 course seasonal A la Carte menu for £79, or a 6 course Tasting Menu for £100 per person.
To book call 020 7499 9943
Find out more about Corrigan's
Hibiscus
29 Maddox St, London W1S 2PA
Down on the lower ground floor, this dining room is actually used as a development kitchen when it’s not a chef’s table. You’ll see every dish from the canapés to the petit fours prepared and cooked right in front of you by the restaurant’s senior chefs.
- Seats: Up to 6
- What sort of food? French finesse using seasonal British ingredients
- Details: Two packages - £95pp for a bespoke 4 course menu or £105pp for a bespoke 6 course menu. Each package includes canapés on arrival and a gift bag on departure. There will be a personal chef and sommelier on hand.
To book call 020 7629 2999
Notting Hill
Mall Tavern
71-73 Palace Gardens Terrace, Notting Hill, London, W8 4RU
Up at the top of the stairs at this gastropub you have their Kitchen Table. Turn right and you’re in a private dining room, but just across the landing is the kitchen, so you can hear the buzz and see them without actually sitting in the chefs’ laps.
- Seats: From four to 12
- What sort of food? Old pub classics given a glorious gastropub makeover - think Arctic Roll and Chicken Kiev
- Details: The set menu, served up at lunch and dinner is a pick of the Mall Tavern's favourite dishes for £40 per person. Each meal ends with a massive dessert to share.
To book call 020 7229 3374 or email Info@themalltavern.com.
King's Cross
Gilbert Scott
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, London NW1 2AR
A horseshoe shaped bar attached to the kitchen means everyone gets a great view. Grab at least six friends or family for lunch on Sat or Sun (and dinner on Sunday) when it’s one of London’s bargain chef’s tables. A four course menu with either roast chicken or pork for just £45 per person - with a supplement if you choose beef.
- Seats: Up to 10
- What sort of food? A modern take on a range of historical and traditional British classic dishes
- Details: They ask for 50% of the menu price as a deposit when you make your booking to secure the reservation. A chef's menu is offered with your choice of 5 courses (£700 for the table) or 8 courses (£900 for the table).
To book call 0207 278 3888
Shoreditch
Merchants Tavern
36 Charlotte Rd, London EC2A 3PG
One of the newest spaces here (it launched today) this is counter dining at its finest, looking right into the kitchen. The best bit is that you don’t have to have come up with a group of friends or clients to dine here - the minimum number is two.
- Seats: From two to 10
- What sort of food? They say it’s influenced by France, Spain and Italy with a little bit of British for good measure.
- Details: You can eat a la carte or get chef Neil Borthwick to come up with a bespoke Chef’s menu for you at £50 for 5 courses of £65 for 7.
To book: Call 020 7060 5335 or email booking@merchantstavern.co.uk
Les Trois Garcons
1 Club Row London E1 6JX
Could there be a more cosy chef’s table in London? This is part of the wine cellar at Les Trois Garcons and rustic shutters flank a one-way window into the kitchen where you can watch the chefs hard at work. With bare brick walls and a smattering of the eclectic decor you’ll find in the rest of the restaurant, this is about as far from other more corporate fine dining chef’s tables as you could get.
- Seats: 8-10 (although you can hire it with fewer and pay a room charge of £350)
- What sort of food? The menu might be in French but there’s a distinct South East Asian edge to many of the dishes.
- Details: Choose from a limited choice three course menu for £45 per person or a five course tasting menu for £66 with an optional pairing wine for £34.
To book call 020 7613 1924
City Social
24th Floor, 25 Old Broad St, London EC2N 1HQ
The private dining room here on the 24th floor of Tower 42 has the better view, but City Social’s Chef’s Table combines a view over London with a window into the kitchen too and is more intimate space.
- Seats: 10
- What sort of food? They may be showcasing the best of British, but this is the only place where Atherton is doing pasta and there are plenty of City-style showstoppers on the menu here.
- Details: There are three private dining menus at £65, £85 and £110
To book email privatedining@citysociallondon.com or call 020 7877 7708
What did we miss?
If you think we've missed out a great Chef's Table - and we're not claiming this is the definitive list - we'd be happy to consider it, just let us know by emailing us.
