Private dining rooms in Soho for 8 to 40, and what they cost
Soho's private rooms are priced by minimum spend, not hire fee. Here is what each room holds, what it costs and what to order.
By Only Soho Editorial
Private dining in Soho works on one principle: you rarely pay to hire the room, you promise to spend a set amount on food and drink. That minimum moves with the day, the time and the season, and it climbs at Christmas. Tagvenue puts the Soho average at around £1,500 an event, with its cheapest options starting from £500 for the event or £20 a head. Treat every figure below as a guide and confirm it when you enquire.
Rooms for 8 to 12
Noble Rot, Greek Street. The upstairs dining room can be booked for private hire, with large murals by the Soho cartoonist Martin Rowson. The Infatuation lists a maximum of 10, a £500 minimum spend and a £250 deposit. The minimum rises to £1,000 over the festive period. Order from the wine list, naturally.
10 Greek Street. The Infatuation gives a capacity of 12 and a £500 minimum, rising to £750 at Christmas. Check the room details when you call.
L'Escargot, 48 Greek Street. The Blue Room (Salon Bleu) seats 12 on the second floor, with a minimum from £1,000 per session according to Tagvenue. Order the snails in garlic butter, the house signature.
Rooms for 16 to 25
Bob Bob Ricard, Upper James Street. The private room seats 18 and was designed by David Collins, with the Orient Express as its inspiration. The Infatuation says the minimum spend shifts by season, from none at quiet times to as much as £2,500 at the peak. Zipcube mentions set menus from £55 a head as an alternative.
Ember Yard, Berwick Street. The Josper Room seats 24, with a minimum from £750 according to DesignMyNight and Tagvenue, which makes it the cheapest of the mid-sized rooms. Tagvenue lists it as semi-private, so ask whether it is fully closed off. Order whatever comes off the Josper grill.
Quo Vadis, 26 to 29 Dean Street. The second-floor rooms include the Marx Room, named after the building's most famous former resident. DesignMyNight lists the Blue Room at 23 seated and the Leoni Room at 12 seated. The restaurant opened in 1926, so this is its centenary year. Prices are not published, so ask for the current minimum. Order from the seasonal British menu.
Rooms for 30 to 40
Bocca di Lupo, 12 Archer Street. The room takes up to 32 on a U-shaped table, 28 on two tables or 20 family-style on one long table, with its own chef in an adjacent kitchen. The terrazzo and marble panelling is topped with mythical-creature murals by Stewart Helm. A 2023 brochure said there was no room-hire charge, but that is three years old, so check it. Phone lines for private-dining enquiries are open 10am to 6pm daily. Order the regional Italian pasta.
Quo Vadis, Dean Street. The Marx Room is the largest, with 24 seated at one oval table, 32 on four small tables or 45 standing.
L'Escargot, Greek Street. The Library on the first floor seats 30, from £1,500 per session. Salon Vert seats 40 on the venue's own site (Hot Dinners says 36), from £2,000 per session, in a room Hot Dinners praises for its 18th century panelling. For a standing party, the top-floor Snail Bar takes 60, from £3,500. Order the snails.
The Ivy Soho Brasserie, Broadwick Street. The Blake Room seats up to 40 and holds 70 standing, with a pale orange onyx bar, an art deco glass screen and antique mirrors. It has its own Livonia Street entrance, which also gives wheelchair access. Pricing is a minimum spend that varies by time of day and includes menus, place cards and seasonal flowers. Ask the events team for the figure.
Cheaper and further afield
Tagvenue also lists Amalfi Ristorante's Neon Room for 22 from £750, and Zahter's Loft for 28 from £1,500. Verify both before you plan around them.
When to book
The one concrete guide is from Zipcube: in November and December, the rooms at Bob Bob Ricard and Noble Rot can book up 8 to 12 weeks ahead. Outside the festive peak, ask about availability when you enquire, and do it early. A weeknight in a quiet month is where minimums tend to be lowest.
- Ask whether the minimum includes service and drinks.
- Ask what the deposit is and when it is due.
- Ask whether the room is fully closed off.
Sources for pricing: Tagvenue, The Infatuation, L'Escargot and Bocca di Lupo.
