Where to Host a Festive Party in London

A good festive party is decided by the room - somewhere with a character of its own, where people stay later than they meant to.

If you're looking for a private venue in London to host your next event, here are the 10 that we'd book across each corner of the city: east, west, north, south and centre. In each, there is an option for 150+ guests and another option for a smaller, more intimate gathering.

East

For 150 plus: Bistrotheque, Bethnal Green

A converted warehouse with whitewashed walls, a good vibe and an energy that carries from the first drink to the last. The menu is seasonal, French and English. Taken whole, it holds between 120 and 350 guests.

For a smaller group: Planque, Haggerston

Two railway arches, converted: polished concrete underfoot, touches of cobalt blue and mixed furnishings that give the room its ease. A long communal table anchors the dining room, with smaller tables and corners for quieter conversation. Part restaurant, part wine drinkers clubhouse, with a list built around the Loire, the Jura and Beaujolais.

West

For 150+ Guests: Ladbroke Hall, Notting Hill

Part gallery, part restaurant, part stage, in a Grade II-listed former car factory from 1903. Art and design are on show throughout, Pollini serves Italian dishes beneath a giant cocoon chandelier, and a garden among the bamboo carries sculpture between the tables. A charity fills the year with live music, jazz, screenings and talks, so it feels as much a neighbourhood's as a gallery's. The studio, the theatre and the garden can be hired and each hold up to 300 standing.

For a Smaller Group: The Lounge, The Pilgrm, Paddington

Ours. The Pilgrm sits within four merged Victorian townhouses, steps from Paddington Station. The Lounge itself is a room with a character all its own, for up to 60 standing or 35 seated. Our chefs in residence, Duda Diner, bring a Malaysian family-style feast, and whether you're seated or standing, with a DJ or without, our team will make it happen. And if nobody wants to go home after, there are rooms waiting just upstairs.

North

For 150+ Guests: The Cross, King's Cross

Six floors, hired a room at a time or as a whole building, for up to 500. A cocktail bar with a horseshoe counter and tall period windows. A timber-panelled room called the Barn. The Belle Époque Red Room. A club in the basement, and a roof terrace above the skyline. Every floor has its own mood, so a party can travel upwards through the night.

For a Smaller Group: The Baring, Islington

A neighbourhood spot with beautifully simple interiors: green banquettes, plain tables, a bar where you can sit and eat. Restrained, and all the better for it. The private dining room takes up to 32.

Central

For 150+ Guests: Carousel, Fitzrovia

Three Georgian townhouses, with a whole floor given over to events. The Upstairs room holds up to 200 standing, and the smaller rooms hold 100 and 45. Guest chefs take up residence here, so the food changes with each one and promise something interesting.

For a Smaller Group: St JOHN

Each St JOHN offers something different, in capacity and in mood, and all of them put the food and the wine first. Smithfield, the original location, has a private dining room in a former loading bay for 16, and a restaurant and bar that seat 110 or take 150 for a reception. 

South

For 150+ Guests: Brunswick House, Vauxhall

A beautiful Georgian mansion with panelled rooms, chimneypieces and chandeliers, each furnished with antiques from the architectural emporium that shares the house. The whole of it holds 110 seated or 250 standing.

For a Smaller Group: Levan, Peckham

A neighborhood bistro on the site of the old Peckham Refreshment Rooms, from the team behind Salon in Brixton. Contemporary European cooking, a wine list that leans towards the Jura, and a dining room for up to 40.

Before you book

Ask three things: what the minimum spend is, what time the event has to finish, and who does the food. Then book early, you can be sure that the good rooms go first.

And if you're looking for a private event space in West London, we'd be glad to host. Email us to enquire or find out more about the Lounge here.