For a welcome dinner the night before a London wedding, the hotels we list have private rooms from a kitchen chef’s table for 12 to a restaurant room for 46, nearly all separate from the ballroom used on the day. Only a few publish prices for private dining; where they do, the figures below say what they cover.
Rooms for 12 to 30
At Claridge’s in Mayfair, L’Epicerie, the chef’s table inside the kitchens, seats 14, the Foyer private dining room seats 24 and The Fumoir, a bar since 1929, takes about 40. The hotel’s 2026 private events menu prices each course separately: starters from £40, mains from £44 and desserts from £23 per guest, food only, VAT included, with a 15% service charge on top. A three-course dinner therefore starts at about £107 a head before drinks, and room hire is quoted separately.
The Dorchester on Park Lane has a Chef’s Table for up to 12 in its kitchen, and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, which holds three Michelin stars, has private rooms for up to 30. At the top of the building The Penthouse and The Pavilion open onto a private roof terrace, for dinners of 16 and 34. No private dining prices are published.
At Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal holds two Michelin stars, and The Aubrey, the hotel’s Japanese bar, has a private dining room for up to 18. Off Berkeley Square, The Lansdowne Club has the Findlay Room for up to 18 and the Shelburne Room for 20 to 50, both used for its own wedding packages.
Rooms for 40 and more
When the welcome dinner includes most of the wedding guests, a restaurant room or a whole restaurant works better than a hotel dining room. At InterContinental London Park Lane, Theo Randall Cucina Italiana, opened in the hotel in 2006, has the Puglia room for 22 and the Amalfi room for 46, and the whole restaurant can be hired for 145.
At Sofitel London St James on Waterloo Place, Wild Honey St James, Anthony Demetre’s restaurant, has held a Michelin star every year since 2021. Its Private Dining Room seats 16, and the whole restaurant can be hired for 70 to 150 guests.
The wedding hotel or a second address
Holding the dinner in the wedding hotel means guests who checked in that afternoon only take the lift, and the couple can meet the events team on site. The trade-off is that the same team is setting the ballroom for the next day, so ask which rooms stay free and quiet that evening.
A second address gives the weekend another setting and a separate bill. Claridge’s, The Dorchester and The Lansdowne Club are all in Mayfair, so a dinner at one and a wedding at another keeps travel short. The London Wedding Atlas covers the city’s neighbourhoods and overall wedding budgets; this page covers the night before only.
What to ask before booking
- The minimum spend or room hire for that evening, and whether it changes if you also hold the wedding there.
- Whether a single set menu is required for your numbers, and the date by which choices must be confirmed.
- The service charge: Claridge’s adds 15% to its published menu prices.
- How late the room can be used, so the wedding party is not up past midnight.
Questions couples ask
Can we hold the welcome dinner in the hotel where we marry?
Yes, at most of the London hotels we list. Claridge’s, The Dorchester, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and The Lansdowne Club all have private rooms that are separate from their ballrooms.
How much does a private welcome dinner cost in London?
Claridge’s 2026 menu gives about £107 per guest for three courses, food only, including VAT, plus 15% service, with room hire extra. The other hotels here quote on request, so ask for a minimum spend in writing.
Can we book a Michelin-starred restaurant privately?
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester has private rooms for up to 30, and Wild Honey St James can be hired in full for 70 to 150 guests.
Updated 1 October 2026
