November is a critical month in the business life of any leading London restaurant. This is not so much to do with actual sales — European restaurants don’t benefit from the Thanksgiving Day celebrations that fill so many US restaurants at this time of year — as it is with how frequently the phones keep ringing and how often enquiries come via the net.
This is because November is the month when many of us, and in particular the more magnanimous companies, are on the lookout for a new and memorable location for a Christmas or New Year celebration. Small, private dining rooms seating between 12 and 30 are an important ingredient in the financial make-up of any restaurant today. There are only a few larger than this, such as the room above The Ivy which can seat up to 50, but most bigger groups are best looked after in one of London’s numerous hotels. Here, however, are a few of my favourite locations for entertaining larger numbers.
CORRIGAN’S MAYFAIR
28 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1,
020 7499 9943, corrigansmayfair.com
Richard Corrigan, the passionate and peripatetic chef, opened here a year ago and it is unlikely that he will ever find himself in a more luxurious setting. The main restaurant has a sumptuous feel to it, with a large bar behind which barmen dressed in stiff white jackets stand and deliver. There are two private dining areas: a chef’s table that seats 12 and has a full view of the busy kitchen and The Lindsay Room, which seats up to 30. Corrigan the chef, has, however not changed. His menu still celebrates his Irish roots and love of strong flavours often created from inexpensive ingredients. There are great game dishes, too, at this time of the year.
LE CAFÉ ANGLAIS
8 Porchester Gardens, London W2,
020 7221 1415, lecafeanglais.co.uk
Rowley Leigh’s inspired rendition of a large, bustling Parisian brasserie is set somewhat incongruously on the first floor of Whiteley’s shopping centre in a former McDonald’s.
Today, Le Café Anglais serves the kind of food that so many of us would like to eat as often as we could afford to. A large hors d’oeuvre selection offers Parmesan custard and anchovy toast, kipper pâté with a soft boiled egg and fennel salami. Then from the two large, open grills comes a selection of meat, fish and whole roast chickens and, finally, an impressive dessert menu, which Leigh uses to show off a singularly overlooked ingredient, fresh fruit. Because of its size, Le Café Anglais works well for larger tables of six to ten and has a private room for 20.
THE GREENHOUSE
27a Hay’s Mews, London W1,
020 7499 3331, greenhouserestaurant.co.uk
Tucked away in a peaceful Mayfair mews, The Greenhouse boasts a private dining room that seats ten, and exudes a sense of extreme luxury if not pure indulgence. These sentiments are amplified by a kitchen that’s overseen by chef Antonin Bonnet, as well as an extraordinary wine list that is cared for by its owner, Marlon Abela, and his buying team, and a highly motivated service team.
As a consequence, The Greenhouse is the perfect venue for the more intimate celebrations and for those who will fully appreciate the ingredients on Bonnet’s menus: foie gras, lobster, veal, delicious desserts and petits fours.
RULES
35 Maiden Lane, London WC2,
020 7836 5314, rules.co.uk
The oldest restaurant in London has two small private rooms: the John Betjeman seats eight and Graham Greene seats 12.
While the attraction of Rules for many has been its traditional British menu, most notably the Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, steak, kidney and oyster pies and the golden treacle sponge pudding, what Rules also exudes is the atmosphere of how people used to entertain in days gone by. Its various floors are made up of series of different alcoves and tables tucked away in discreet corners that definitely add to the pleasure of the food and wine.
QUO VADIS
26-29 Dean Street, London W1,
020 7437 9585, quovadissoho.co.uk
Since it reopened 18 months ago under the leadership of Sam and Eddie Hart, the long-established Quo Vadis has come to epitomise the new Soho. The restaurant is on the ground floor and while the room is broken up into several distinct areas, the sound of ringing mobiles and BlackBerries from those in the new media that work nearby and eat here is ever present.
The first floor belongs to the members’ club while the top floor is made up of a couple of private dining rooms that seat 12 and 30, the latter named after Karl Marx who once lived here. In any of these locations, the classic British menu is well-sourced and ingredients extremely well-cooked. Quo Vadis’s location also makes it convenient for a pre-theatre supper.
Nicholas Lander is restaurant critic of the Financial Times
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