Private Dining Rooms in London for 40 – 50 Guests
London has an excellent choice of private dining rooms for groups of 40 to 50 guests, although rooms comfortably accommodating this number of people are naturally less common than smaller private dining spaces.
At this size, the room needs to work for more than simply seating everyone for the meal. Space for arrival drinks, speeches, presentations and guests to mingle can all become important considerations.
Private Dining Rooms (PDR) brings together private dining venues across London for different party sizes. The venues below offer private rooms and event spaces suitable for groups of around 40, 45 or 50 guests.
Private Dining Rooms for 40, 45 or 50 Guests
A private dinner for 40 to 50 people sits somewhere between traditional private dining and a larger event.
London venues capable of accommodating groups of this size include restaurants, hotels, pubs and dedicated event spaces, with options ranging from formal dining rooms to more contemporary and informal settings.
Some rooms can accommodate everyone at several round tables, while others work with long tables or alternative layouts. The best arrangement will depend on the shape of the room, your number of guests and the type of event you are organising.
Ask the venue how they would normally arrange the room for 40, 45 or 50 people rather than relying solely on its maximum seated capacity.
Private Dining for Corporate Events
Private dining rooms for 40 to 50 guests are well suited to company dinners, corporate entertaining, team events, presentations, networking events and larger business lunches.
For a business event of this size, audiovisual facilities may be important. If presentations or speeches are planned, check whether the venue can provide screens, microphones and other AV equipment and whether these are included or charged separately.
For daytime events, private rooms can also be used for breakfast meetings, conferences and longer meetings followed by lunch or dinner. You can explore PDR’s London breakfast meeting venues if you are planning an earlier event.
Business locations with a good choice of private dining venues include the City of London, Mayfair and Fitzrovia.
Private Dining for Parties, Weddings and Celebrations
A private room for 40 to 50 guests can also work particularly well for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, family celebrations, wedding meals and other special occasions.
At this size, it is worth considering the flow of the whole event. Guests may arrive at different times, and having somewhere separate for drinks before dinner can make the occasion feel more relaxed.
Some larger private dining rooms have their own bar or an adjoining reception space, while other venues may be able to reserve an area nearby for drinks before or after the meal.
For central London celebrations, areas such as Soho and Covent Garden offer a wide variety of restaurants and event spaces.
Seating and Room Layouts for 40 – 50 Guests
Room layout becomes particularly important for a private dinner approaching 50 guests.
Depending on the venue and occasion, seating might be arranged around several round tables, one or more long tables, or a combination of tables throughout the room.
Round tables can work well for larger celebrations, while long tables can create a more communal atmosphere. For corporate events involving a presentation or speeches, the layout should also give guests a clear view of the speaker or screen.
If you are planning both a seated meal and a standing drinks reception, check the capacity for each separately. A room that accommodates 50 people seated does not necessarily have enough additional space for the same number of guests to mingle comfortably.
Private Bars and Reception Areas
One advantage of some larger private dining rooms is that they come with their own bar, reception area or adjoining room.
This can be particularly useful for groups of 40 to 50 because guests can gather for drinks before moving through to dinner, rather than arriving and immediately taking their seats.
If an additional area is important to your event, ask whether its use is exclusive, whether there is an additional hire charge or minimum spend, and how long it is available before and after the meal.
Menus, Minimum Spends and Event Costs
For groups of 40 to 50, restaurants will often offer a set private dining or group menu rather than the full à la carte menu.
Minimum spends and room hire charges can also become more significant with larger private rooms. The arrangement varies considerably between venues: some charge a room hire fee, some operate a minimum food and drink spend, and others may combine the two.
When comparing venues, check exactly what is included, particularly if you also require reception drinks, AV equipment or additional event space.
Choosing a Private Dining Room for 40 – 50 Guests
When comparing London private dining rooms for a group of this size, consider:
- your expected final number of guests
- maximum seated and standing capacity
- table and room layout
- menu and dietary requirements
- minimum spend and room hire charges
- space for arrival drinks
- private bar or adjoining reception space
- AV facilities for presentations and speeches
- accessibility
- location and transport
If your numbers may move either side of 40 or 50, compare neighbouring capacity ranges before choosing your venue.
Find Private Dining Rooms for Other Party Sizes
If you need a different size of room, explore PDR’s other London private dining room capacity guides:
- Intimate private dining rooms – up to 6 guests
- Small private dining rooms – up to 10 guests
- Private dining rooms for 10 – 20 guests
- Private dining rooms for 20 – 30 guests
- Private dining rooms for 30 – 40 guests
- Private dining rooms for 50 – 100 guests
- Private dining venues for over 100 guests
You can also see all London private dining rooms by capacity.
Find a Private Dining Room for 40 – 50 Guests
Browse the London private dining rooms below to find venues suitable for your group.
If you would like help finding the right venue, PDR’s free Venue Finding Service can recommend venues according to your guest numbers, preferred location, occasion and budget.
PDR does not charge a booking fee for this service. Our Events Team can also be contacted on 020 7305 5044.
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The panelled side room at The Larrik gastro pub in Crawford Place, Marylebone seats up to 45 guests for private dining events and is also available for standing drinks receptions of up to 60 guests.
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The legendary Mosimann’s in Belgravia has seven impeccable private dining rooms seating from just 2 to 50 guests. Main dining room seats up to 80.
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The Coral Reef private dining room at Sexy Fish – located on Mayfair’s Berkeley Square – seats 20 – 48 guests and is also available for standing drinks receptions for 20 – 80 guests.
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Located in the heart of the St. James’s district of Central London, 116 Pall Mall is a stunning Grade I listed venue with a number of private dining rooms available to hire for 24 – 250 seated guests.
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The private dining room at Covent Garden’s legendary original Ivy restaurant accommodates up to 60 seated guests at round tables. The room is also perfect for drinks receptions of up to 100 standing guests.
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Bluebird Restaurant on the Kings Road has five private dining rooms seating from 30 to 120 guests. Exclusive hire available for up to 200 seated (500 standing) guests.
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Located close to Chancery Lane underground station, The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn has private rooms available to hire for 12 – 176 seated guests for private dining events as well as for standing drinks receptions for 20 – 350 guests.
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Primo Bar – located at Park Plaza on Westminster Bridge Road – has private dining spaces which can accommodate 30 – 55 seated guests or 40 – 100 standing guests for drinks events.
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The Ivy Soho Brasserie is one of the highly distinguished stable of restaurants operated by Caprice Holdings. The restaurant’s private dining room can accommodate up to 26 guests at one long table or up to 50 seated guests at round tables. The room also accommodates up to 60 guests for standing receptions.
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The first floor dining room at Café Murano in Covent Garden can accommodate up to 50 seated guests or up to 70 guests for standing receptions. Pastificio is an elegant private dining space available for dinners of up to 22 seated (30 standing) guests. Restaurant exclusive hire is also available for larger events of up to 70 seated (100 standing) guests.
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The private event space at Engel Bar and Live at Engel & Jang – located at The Royal Exchange, close to Bank in the City of London – can accommodate up to 50 seated guests or up to 150 guests for standing drinks receptions.
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Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen in the St. Paul’s area of The City has private dining space for up to 42 guests or 35 – 80 guests for standing drinks receptions.
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