Best Italian private dining rooms in London

Arguably the most popular world cuisine, Italian food has come to be omnipresent around the globe. In pizza and pasta alone, Italy boasts two world conquering dish formats that you’ll find spread across every continent, and you can widely assume that no matter where you are on the planet, there’s an Italian restaurant not too far away.

Updated on 09 December 2024

It’s no surprise, then, that many of us gravitate towards Italian food when we’re looking to book a private dining room. It has a comforting, easy-going nature that makes it perfect for feeding large groups (between pizza, pasta, risotto, antipasti dishes and other regional mains, there really is something for everyone on an Italian menu). Whether you want to share a stack of pizzas, clink glasses over fresh pasta, or just luxuriate in the embrace of typical generous Italian hospitality, Italian private dining in London is never a bad decision.

That’s also thanks to the proliferation of superb Italian restaurant in the capital. Outside of Italy itself, there are few cities on the planet that match London for quality. Many thousands of Italians call London home, and over many generations of free movement around Europe, we’ve been blessed with incredible hospitality in this city.

If you’re looking for the best Italian private dining in London, you’ve come to the right place. Our top picks range from signature, Michelin-starred spots to more casual Italian trattorias, pizza joints and glamorous aperitivo bars. If you’re struggling to find something that really fits the bill, you can always check out the entire collection of Italian private dining rooms in London and see if something takes your fancy.

Ember Yard

Ember Yard

60 Berwick Street, Soho, London, W1F 8SU

The Ember Yard menu oscillates between Spanish and Italian gastronomic traditions, marrying the two with a shared love of cooking over fire. We love The Jostper Room, which seats 24 around a rustic central table, but there are larger spaces here as well, like the Ember Bar which accommodates 42 on comfortable bar stools, or 50 standing for drinks and canapes.

Tapas
Spanish
Italian
Max Dining 42
Cantinetta Antinori

Cantinetta Antinori

4 Harriet Street, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 9JR

An offshoot of the lauded Antinori wine making family, Cantinetta Antinori is spaced over three floors of a beautiful Knightsbridge townhouse. The cooking is classic and luxurious, backed up by an incredible collection of Antinori wines, which you can enjoy in the cosy 10-seat private dining room, or hire out a section of the restaurant semi-privately for larger occasions.

Modern European
Italian
Max Dining 60
art

art'otel Battersea Power Station

3a Electric Avenue, Battersea, London, SW11 8BJ

The signature all day restaurant at art'otel Battersea Power Station is TOZI Pizzeria & Cicchetti Bar, which serves very stylish and luxurious pizzas (check out the lobster and cacio e pepe pizzas for size) as well as a fantastic aperitivo selection, and easy-sharing cicchetti plates too. The private dining room seats 12, and is beautifully appointed, with artwork by Jaime Hayon. 

Italian
Max Dining 12
Sale e Pepe

Sale e Pepe

9-15 Pavilion Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 0HD

Sale e Pepe has a reputation as a glitzy, glamorous paradise of elevated trattoria cooking, attracting its fair share of celebs and wealthy Harrods shoppers. Nothing is too much for the outstanding staff here, and private groups have a choice of two private dining rooms (at 12 and 25 capacity each) or exclusive hire of the whole venue for 100 if you're really splashing out.

Modern European
Mediterranean
Italian
International
Max Dining 100
Norma

Norma

8 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 2LS

This buzzy, colourful Sicilian restaurant on Charlotte Street is famous for rustic, hearty cooking - expect superb focaccia, seasonal arancini, homemade cannoli and generous pasta portions. There's a beautiful 14-seat private dining room on the top floor of the townhouse, but you can also hire the Ground Floor Atrium for groups of up to 22.

North African
Italian
Max Dining 22
Nipotina

Nipotina

49 South Audley Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 2QD

This relaxed, welcoming restaurant in Mayfair is part of Samyukta Nair's LSL Capital group (which also includes the likes of Jamavar, MiMi Mei Fair and KOYN). The menu is all about the homely comforts of Italian cooking, and is backed up by a wine list from London's pre-eminent Italian wine expert Luca Dusi of Passione Vino. 

Italian
Max Dining 80
Bardo St James

Bardo St James's

4 Suffolk Place, St James's, London, SW1Y 4HX

Another all-out-glamour spot for special occasions, Bardo St James's leans into full Dolce Vita-era 50s Italia with gorgeous red velvet deating, huge glittering chandeliers and live crooners on a mood-lit stage as you eat. Dishes are just as luxurious, and the private dining room takes things up another notch with a huge polished wood dining table, leopard print chairs and photographs on the walls.

Italian
Max Dining 120
Murano

Murano

20 Queen Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 5PP

Angela Hartnett's famous flagship birthed three excellent Cafe Murano offshoots, but if you're looking for the ultimate in luxury Italian hospitality, this is the place to head. The 12-seat chef's table can be separated from the rest of the dining room via a curtain, and features a kitchen window so you can see the team in full-flow preparing some of the best Italian food in London.

Italian
Max Dining 12
The Italian Greyhound

The Italian Greyhound

62 Seymour Street, Marylebone , London, W1H 5BN

This smart, sophisticated Italian restaurant has long been a fixture of Marylebone (it was previously called Bernardi's) and it remains as excellent as ever, serving up seasonal pasta, moreish antipasti, pizzas and an excellent cocktail list. Proximity to Marylebone Town Hall makes it ideal for wedding dinners, but the wonderful menus are suitable for all occasions, and the bright, spacious private dining room can host up to 50 guests. 

Italian
Max Dining 120
Theo Randall at the InterContinental

Theo Randall at the InterContinental

1 Hamilton Place, Mayfair, London, W1J 7QY

Theo Randall has been one of the leading lights of London's Italian dining scene for decades, harking back to his time as head chef of the River Cafe. His cooking at the InterContinental is arguably just as good if not better, striking a nice balance of rustic, seasonal cooking with a touch of class. Two private dining rooms seat 20 and 40 respectively, or they can be combined for groups of up to 58 guests to feast on Randall's incredible cooking.

Italian
Max Dining 58
Margot

Margot

45 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden , London, WC2B 5AA

Slick, sophisticated Margot in Covent Garden is perfectly placed for those shopping or seeing a show on the West End. Expect regional classics like vitello tonnato and ossobuco with saffron risotto, served in a plus 32-seat marble and leather private dining room.

Italian
Max Dining 32
Alfi

Alfi

3 Crispin Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6DW

This Italian bar and restaurant is set right in the heart of Spitalfields Market, so it's ideal for anyone planning a day in and around Shoreditch and east London. Expect classic aperitivo at the bar, and a menu that includes house-baked pizzas, grilled focaccia with giardiniera pickles, steak tagliata with salsa verde, and a range of pasta dishes. Alfi also specialises in natural wines, and offers wine tasting sessions. Private dining options range from 12 to 200 in capacity, so this easy-going venue suits all sorts of events.

Italian
Wine Bars
Max Dining 200
Baccala

Baccala

Unit B3, 194-204 Bermondsey Street, Bermondsey , London, SE13TQ

This neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar in Bermondsey has built a rep as one of London's best Italian restaurants, combining friendly, informal, relaxed atmosphere with some top-tier home-style cooking. You can hire areas of the main restaurant semi-privately for your own lunch or dinner, or for something special, book out the whole venue for gatherings of up to 50 guests.

Italian
Wine Bars
Max Dining 50
Bancone Borough Yards

Bancone Borough Yards

Arch 213, Borough, London, SE1 9AD

The latest addition to Bancone's growing pasta portfolio, Bancone Borough Yards is set under the railway arches at Borough Market, and dishes up the considered pasta plates that have made the small group such a rousing success. A lovely private mezzanine has room for up to 20 overlooking the buzz of the main restaurant.

Mediterranean
Italian
Max Dining 20
Café Luca

Café Luca

17 Devonshire Row, Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 4SQ

At its core, Café Luca is designed as a refuge from the hustle and bustle of Liverpool Street, and trellised, foliage-laden walls really give the dining room a breezy Mediterranean terrace vibe. Seasonal menus are fairly broad, travelling from Italy to North Africa and around the Mediterranean, and private dining guests can choose between a beautiful private mezzanine, and other semi-private spaces, all of which host between 20-35 guests.

Middle Eastern
Mediterranean
Italian
Max Dining 35
Bocconcino Soho

Bocconcino Soho

58-59 Great Marlborough Street, Soho, London, W1F 7JY

Glamorous crowd-pleasing Soho spot Bocconcino is a sister site to the equally excellent Bocconcino Mayfair, serving excellent, very classic Italian dishes. Interiors are visually striking, with glowing Italian marble bar, ornate overhead lighting and sculpted metal leaves lining the walls. It's perfect for a birthday or celebration, and puts you in striking distance of Soho's nightlife.

Central European
Bars
Italian
Max Dining 80
Sette Restaurant and Nolita Social

Sette Restaurant and Nolita Social

4 Knightsbridge Green, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7QA

Sette's slick private dining room can host 18 guests for a banquet, or up to 25 for drinks and canapes, and the styling is as glamorous as you'd expect for the in-house restaurant at the Bvlgari Hotel. Meanwhile, the kitchen team are seasoned event caterers too and can lay on anything from canapes to full-on banquet menus, with dishes including yellowtail crudo, duck and foie gras ravioli, and short rib and bone marrow agnolotti.

Italian
Max Dining 85
Twist Connubio

Twist Connubio

42 Crawford Street, Marylebone, London, W1H 1JW

Convivial and cosy, Twist Connubio blends Spanish and Italian plates to great effect, serving them in a busy, rustic space. That means that private dining guests have a wide array of choice here, ranging from pintxos and antipasti to pasta bowls and big cuts of meat and fish cooked on the Josper grill. The upstairs dining room seats up to 30 along long rectangular dining tables.

Modern European
Mediterranean
Vegetarian
Vegan
Tapas
Steak
Spanish
Italian
Max Dining 30
Mortimer House Kitchen

Mortimer House Kitchen

37-41 Mortimer St, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 3JH

Former Duck & Waffle chef Tom Cenci dives into his Italian heritage with his menus at Mortimer House Kitchen, rustling up hearty, comforting plates of seasonal Italian food. The private dining rooms are beautiful too - we love the Conservatory with its rustic stone flooring and glass ceiling, and the Kitchen Table, which hosts just nine guests alongside a central table, in a farmhouse-style kitchen.

Italian
Max Dining 20
Trullo

Trullo

300-302 St Paul's Road, Highbury, London, N1 2LH

One of London's signature Italian restaurants, Trullo is more than worth a trip up to the top end of Islington. The downstairs dining room is available for private hire, though only at lunch - Trullu does not currently host private dinner events. You can't go wrong anywhere on the menu, whether it's smart seasonal antipasti plates, mains grilled over charcoal, or superb pasta dishes.

Italian
Max Dining 34
Ponti

Ponti's Italian Kitchen

5-7 John Princes Street, Soho, London, W1G 0JN

The dark wood panelling and exposed brick makes Ponti's feel very old-school and luxurious, and the menu is equally trad, offering a huge range of cured meats from all over Italy, as well as classic antipasti, pasta dishes, Roman-style pizzas and lots more. You can also hire the whole of the basement bar, where you can arrange for live music to serenade you for your special occasion. 

Pizza
Italian
Max Dining 45
Cafe Murano St James

Cafe Murano St James's

33 St James’s Street, St. James's, London, SW1A 1HD

If it's Italian cooking you're craving, Angela Hartnett's Cafe Murano should be one of the first names you think of. We've picked out the St James's site as it's well-placed in central London and the 25-seater private dining room is particularly lovely, but all three Cafe Murano sites are superb, offering excellent food at reasonable prices.

Italian
Max Dining 25
Ladbroke Hall

Ladbroke Hall

79 Barlby Road, Kensington, London, W10 6AZ

Stunning, Grade II listed Ladbroke Hall is right up there with the most striking restaurant buildings in the city, and inside you'll find Pollini - an equally beautiful Italian restaurant with some incredible private spaces available to hire. Guests can hire out the original 1944 Prouvé House in the garden, the cosy Library or larger gallery, with Emanuele Pollini catering with his more modern, international take on Italian cooking.

Italian
La Terrazza at Hotel Xenia

La Terrazza at Hotel Xenia

160 Cromwell Rd, Kensington, London, SW5 0TL

The stylish restaurant inside hotel Xenia hosts all sorts of events, from Prosecco brunches to celebratory dinners. Many of these head to the Multifunction Room, which seats 60 for private dinners, but there's also the more intimate Bohemia room for 10 lucky guests. 

Italian
Max Dining 45
Luca Restaurant

Luca Restaurant

88 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 4EH

One of London's relatively few Michelin-starred Italian restaurants, it can be famously hard to get a booking at Luca, especially on the stunning Mediterranean terrace. You can hire it for yourself though, as it can host up to 20 people for a very special dinner under the stars. Check out the intimate Garden Room and Pasta Room too - two distinct spaces that will make your event extra special. 

Vegetarian
Vegan
Italian
Max Dining 20
Sotto Cucina & Bar and The Orangery

Sotto Cucina & Bar and The Orangery

Black Lion House, Aldgate , London, E1 1DU

Sotto Cucina's Orangery is a beautiful and very in-demand private space, so we recommend planning well in advance if you want to dine on rustic Italian dishes surrounded by the verdant living wall of plants. The restaurant also has another 20-seat indoor space called The Nook, where you can enjoy saffron arancini, sardine rolls with Parmesan and lots more.

Pizza
North African
Modern European
Mediterranean
Vegetarian
Vegan
Tapas
Cheese
Italian
International
Halal
Max Dining 20
The Balcony Lounge & Bar at Middle Eight

The Balcony Lounge & Bar at Middle Eight

66 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5BX

Looking for somewhere special to host dinner in Covent Garden? Middle Eight is one of London's more luxurious boutique hotels, and in-house bar The Balcony is ideal for something intimate and special. Take over the whole space and you'll have room for 70 guests, with the menu dishing up a feasting menu of nibbles, gnocco fritto, and sharing mains like an incredible Chianti-braised short rib with savoy cabbage, barley and porcini mushrooms.

Pizza
Mediterranean
British
Brasserie
Bars
Afternoon tea
Italian
International
Max Dining 80
Scalini

Scalini

1-3 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 2JD

A famous west London celeb-magnet, Scalini has been going strong for 35 years and shows no signs of slowing down. The private dining room hosts up to 24 guests, and is a lovely elegant spot to enjoy dishes like stuffed courgette flowers, seared scallops with pea puree, and fettuccine with white ragu and black truffle. 

Italian
Max Dining 24
Ricco London

Ricco London

11 Russell Gardens, Kensington, London, W14 8EZ

The Ricco London team are events specialists, so if you're looking for somewhere that knows how to pull off something big, this is the place. The glamorous, moody private dining room suits up to 50 for a celebratory dinner, and you can sink into plush velvet banquettes and enjoy roast beef with truffle, octopus with potatoes and a clever prawn Milanese.

Pizza
Modern European
Mediterranean
Vegetarian
Vegan
Tapas
Italian
Max Dining 55
Bolton

Bolton's

13 Cullum Street, City of London, London, EC3M 7JJ

This City of London institution is a relaxed haven of typical Italian hospitality and luxury. First opened in the 80s, Bolton's has survived and thrived against the test of time, serving home-style dishes with a touch of elegance. There's a private dining room for 18 guests, as well as a lovely mezzanine balcony for 26, and other larger areas. Or, hire the whole restaurant floor for banquets of up to 100 guests. 

Italian
Max Dining 100

We have loads more guides to help you find your perfect dining room - here are a few to get you started: Our list of the best private dining rooms for birthdays is loaded with fun and fancy locations for celebrating; check out our guide to the best private dining with a view in London; or head to this handy hub page where you can find your perfect private room in every part of London.

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