‘Want to take your eating habits – and those of your friends and clients – into a secluded space?’ asks our restaurant expert Hernan Castro Vidal. ‘Private dining rooms in restaurants are increasingly popular with members for birthdays, special dinners and Saturday nights with a big group of friends or clients.
‘Diners can relax without having to worry about being noisy or people listening in, and the private space allows you to combine the joy of eating at home with the atmosphere and food of London's top restaurants. Best of all, there’s no washing-up.’
Here are some of our members’ favourite private rooms – call us to make reservations at these or any other venues.
Nobu London
19 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB
Nobu London has been among the capital's most fashionable restaurants for more than a decade. These days, however, its tables are sought after more for chef Nobu Matsuhisa's Michelin-starred 'new style' Japanese cooking than the celeb-spotting opportunities. Hernan says: 'The private room is a white canvas that can be decorated to your requirements, making it very flexible for a champagne or sake reception followed by dinner.'
Diners can choose from a sushi bar or table service from the kitchens, but don't miss Matsuhisa's signature dish, black cod with miso.
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester
53 Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA
'This is one of my favourite fine dining restaurants in London,' says Hernan. The Table Lumière private room at the centre of the restaurant is swathed in a shimmering curtain of fibre optic light and offers seating for six. Its Salon Park Lane, meanwhile, can accommodate 24. Hernan comments: 'It's one of only four restaurants in the UK with three Michelin stars, and one of the few fine dining venues with a private room this size. There's lots of natural light and you can have a couple of doors open to still get the buzz from the restaurant.'
Benares
12A Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BS
This seductive Mayfair venue has a number of private rooms, including a chef's table that offers an insight into Atul Kochhar's delicate and deftly balanced Indian cuisine. Hernan says: 'Benares can accommodate groups of up to 30. Throw open the doors of the long private room to capture some of the effervescent atmosphere of the restaurant.'
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's
Brook Street, London W1K 4HR
For larger groups, the art deco style private rooms at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's can accommodate up to 60 people for a big family celebration, such as a wedding, birthday or anniversary. ‘Members praise its elegant, modern European food, renowned wine list and impeccable service,’ Hernan comments.
The Ivy
1-5 West Street, London WC2H 9NQ
‘The Ivy is a more informal option,’ says Hernan. ‘It remains perennially popular among members, thanks to its relaxed atmosphere and simple, well-cooked food.’ This Theatreland classic is as famous as the celebrities that push their way past its paparazzi-lined doors. Its first-floor private room, which can accommodate 60 people for a sit-down meal or up to 120 for a canapé reception, has the same decor as the main restaurant – stained glass windows, modernist paintings, period furniture and wood panelling throughout. Members say it's great for a large business lunch or product launch.
Bleeding Heart
3 Bleeding Heart Yard, off Greville Street, Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8SJ
Bleeding Heart is one of our members' favourite restaurants, serving elegant French cuisine to City lawyers and bankers during lunchtime and couples on romantic dates in the evening. The dishes are inventive and superbly prepared. Try the roast Landes black leg chicken or assiette of suckling pig. It has four private rooms that seat between 12 and 44 people. If you have a bigger party the Tavern accommodate up to 63 people, or the Crypt can stage events for 120. ‘The 600-year-old Crypt is where King Henry VIII held his wedding feast,’ adds Hernan.
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