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Restaurant File: London’s Classiest Spots for Group Dining
Special occasion dining for intimate gatherings or large parties in London
When you're planning an evening out for a group of friends, clients or a family get-together, finding the right atmosphere and experience is key. In my hometown of London I've discovered some super finds for dining out in style with groups from 6 to 60. Whether it's a private wine cellar, a chef's table at a celeb restaurant, or an intimate dining room in a seventeenth century townhome, these places have all the elements for the perfect night together.
Amaya
Simply put, Amaya has great energy, and the community table in the dining room is the perfect place to soak up the energy—as well as contribute to it. The nouvelle Indian food lends itself to group dining, since the cuisine of the subcontinent has traditionally been served family-style. There's a private dining room that can fit up to fourteen, but it's a little to formal for my liking. And why opt for that when you can have all the excellent food and fantastic cocktails in a sultry setting and a great crowd? The dining room's design imbues the sophistication of the Mumbai elite with a vibrant retro-futuristic flare. Start by having a drink or dessert in the lounge area off to the side of the bar. It's great for parties of up to six.
Amaya
Halkin Arcade
Motcomb Street
London SW1X 8JT
+44 (0)20 7823 1166
amaya@realindianfood.com
Aspleys
Aspleys, new at The Lanesborough hotel, is definitely a grown-up kind of dining room, and the food is what I'd describe as stuffy. But with the elaborate floor designs, parlor style wall paper, chandeliers that practically drizzle light into the room and quilted leather couches, it's an elegant dining room for serious foodies with a serious budget. The private dining room reflects the same vintage royal class. It's a good idea to start in the cigar bar then move into the charming library before sitting down for a meal with a dozen of your close friends.
Aspleys
1 Lanesborough Place
Brompton
London SW1X 7TA
England
+011 44 20 7333 7254
Lindsay House
The posh, Victorian-style Lindsay House has private dining options galore. There are five separate rooms: the most intimate, the chef's table, seats six and the most spacious can accommodate up to 33. I love the vegetarian tasting menu—very inventive! I have not hosted a private party here, but I hear the service is impeccable, very classic in the sense that waiters in white gloves look after you like a hawk—in a good way! The clientele tends to skew towards diners in their forties and fifties. It's a great choice for a business gathering.
Lindsay House
21 Romilly Street
London W10 5AF
England
+44 020 7439 0450
reservations@lindsayhouse.co.uk
Berry Bros. & Rudd
This world renowned family-owned wine and spirits shop in Piccadilly has two excellent options for group parties. The cellar, where they historically stored wines, can accommodate up to 60 people. It's certainly a unique setting for a corporate or business event. The extremely knowledgeable staff will lead you through a wine tasting. For more intimate parties, there's the family's seventeenth century townhouse behind their old shop. The courtyard is charming and the main dining room upstairs is refined but cozy. They have a full waitstaff and kitchen staff on the premises. Food and wine pairings are, of course, part of the fun here. Berry's is an ideal location for oenophiles, as the staff will not only lead tastings, but they'll also share stories about each vintage and the shop's storied past.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
3 St. James’s Street
London SW1A 1EG
England
+44 (0)870 900 4300
L'Anima
With white furniture and dark wood, ceiling-high wine racks, L'Anima strikes a balance between the modern sleekness and classic coziness. For groups of up to eight, it's easy to dine comfortably at a table in the dining room. The private dining room seats up to 15. And as if the food—especially the antipastas, which are available for dining all day long—weren't enough of a lure, my friend Alexandra Ormet tells me that they have a rhubarb bellini. Yum!
L'Anima
1 Snowden Street
London EC2A 2DQ
England
+44 20 74227000
info@lanima.co.uk
Maze
The chef's table at Gordon Ramsay's Maze gets you in on the action. There's room for up to six at the table, which is the culinary world's equivalent to a ringside seat at a prize boxing match—a fight at which you're served course after course after course. All night you watch the chefs chopping and running around and yelling at each other. Personally I find the food a bit too contrived, but I'm probably in the minority. Whether you go to Gordon Ramsay's restaurants or not, go to Maze with food lovers who would enjoy a close-up view of what's going on in this highly acclaimed kitchen.
Maze
10 Grosvenor Street
London W1K 4
England
+44 020 7107 0000
Cecconi's
Cecconi's is hands-down one of the best Italian restaurants in London. I go here regularly and love to sit at the bar and order some of the fantastic antipastos, which come in fun casserole dishes. Maybe it's just Italian tradition, but this light-flooded restaurant seems designed for group dining. There are two large banquettes in the dining room that can seat up to eight. Almost every time I go there's a mega-watt celeb having supper, and people-watching is always more fun when it's a group sport. There's also a table in a semi-private room that seats twelve. The service is always flawless, so I would feel comfortable bringing lots of friends here at once.
Cecconi's
5-5A Burlington Gardens
London W1S 3AZ
England
+44 020 7434 1500
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