Our favourite Soho private dining rooms

With a David Collins-led design and a classic British and Russian menu, Bob Bob Ricard puts other spaces to shame – the beautiful and over-the-top interiors beguile and delight in equal measure. Where else could you dine surrounded by patterns lifted from backgammon boards, ‘press for champagne’ buttons, and food that looks like it came straight from the set of Ana Karenina?

For Private dining, you can hire out the ‘Royal Dining Carriage’ room, which seems to echo the style of the famously stylish Orient Express. The Soho private dining room can seat up to 16 diners, and the full à la carte menu is offered.

The minimum spend is £1000 plus service at lunch, reside to £1500 plus service at dinner. You can reserve online or call up. It’s truly extravagant and indulgent, but then what else would be more Soho than that?

In the heart of Soho, you’ll find this restaurant hidden away by the equally noteworthy Blind Pig cocktail bar. The Social Eating House prides itself on serving up simple yet innovative dishes in a comfortable, understated setting.

The menu takes seasonal ingredients and lets them shine in examples of classically inspired cookery. For private hire, you can expect standout plates like the Cumbrian beef tartare (served with an intriguing ‘bloody mary’ marmite egg jam) and Cornish turbot with a crab and salt turbot brandade.

Their exclusive hire option is available for 120 standing guests, with a seating limit of 72. It’s great food in an unassuming setting – and you can head up for a cocktail at the end.

Lending significant weight to the argument that ‘restauarant names sound better in french’, L’Escargot has been feeding Soho’s hungry francophiles since 1927.

Occupying 48 Greek Street, the building is a magnificent Georgian townhouse that dates back all the way to 1741 and has seen an embarrassingly rich list of culinary greats: From snail pioneer and founder Georges Gaudin, to restauranter Elena Salvoni and original kitchen nightmare Marco Pierre White.

The Le Vert room is decked out, disconcertingly, in a slime green colour, yet somehow remains a classy affair. The maximum capacity is for 45, but really you’ll want to max out at 12 if you want a sit-down meal on the large dining table. If you don’t know what to order here, run the restaurant’s name through google translate.

“Blue, blue, electric blue / That's the colour of my room / Where I will live” Sound and Vision, David Bowie.

Another historic joint, Quo Vadis has the curious honour of once being both the home of Karl Marx and a former brothel.

Forsaking vice and international revolution, the Great Dame of Dean Street now operates as a Private Member's club and restaurant. The latter boasts no less than three private dining rooms, one of which is, fittingly, very blue.

The Blue Room can hold up to 45 guests, who will be surrounded by tastefully chosen furniture and large windows overlooking the churn of Soho. The food is decidedly British and seasonal – if you’re feeling adventurous, we recommend the griddled Ox tongue, alongside some vinegared Oysters, both of which are rumoured to possess aphrodisiac properties. When in Rome.

With a name chosen so you’ll never have trouble finding it, 100 Wardour St is another excellent private dining room in the apparently very populated ‘heart of Soho’.

100 Wardour St. advertises ‘easy yet delicious’ food on its menu. This translates to a wide range of cuisines, you’ll find everything from salmon nigiri to aubergine paella and chocolate fondant. The ‘easy’ it appears, is in the eating, not the cooking.

The exclusive Playroom offers seated and standing options for 10 to 40 guests, and comes with its own billiard table, which can be transformed into a dining table if needed. The interior resembles a particularly comfortable study, with bookcases, heavy curtains and enough soft lighting to make anyone look attractive.

Located in a large warehouse-style space just off carnaby street, marsha is a refreshing departure from georgian townhouses and snug Soho dining rooms. The site was previously home to the vaunted Whyte & Brown, a much missed Kingly Court classic.

The huge, three-storey venue can cater up to 200 diners. With three distinct event spaces (including an outdoor area), versatility is the name of the game here.

Marsha’s food option is unapologetically dedicated to poultry. Expect chicken prepared in so many different ways, you’ll start to doubt the existence of other meats. For a full Marsha experience, opt for the Maple glazed chicken thighs with truffle fries, and a side of crispy chicken skins. It’s not fine dining, but it is good.

Scarlett Green is one of the many, many Daisy Green venues appearing all over London. The low-key, relaxed Australian food and coffee venues promise summery, Mediterranean ingredients prepared with an Asian twist. Scarlett green promises Soho an ‘iconic space that becomes a local destination and meeting point for local residents'.

Marketing schtick out of the way, Scarlett green comes into its own during the brunching hours. Avocados will be smashed, eggs will be poached, salmon will be smoked and there’s something called ‘cold fermented activated charcoal sourdough’ which, to be honest, makes us feel old.

The Aussies offer an underground space which brings a speakeasy vibe for 80 people. You can also hire out the whole venue, if you want, and get 200 guests fully brunched out.

Falling under the now-ubiquitous Bone Daddies group, Shack-Fuyu transitioned from pop-up to full-blown venue. The Japanese-with-a-twist eatery endeared itself with not-so-authentic dishes like Kinako french toast, Iberico Katsu Curry and Okonomiyaki prawn toast. Jiro has not dreamed of this, we assure you.

The private dining offering is a 16-seater table, in a room adorned with vintage Kurosawa film posters and an Izakaya-like feel.

Sometimes, all you want is a pub. Enter The Crown & Two Chairmen stage left.

Located on the corner of Dean and Bateman Street, this restored Soho boozer offers no-thrills pub food to the stumbling crowds of Soho. We’re talking pies, burgers and mash. The Steak, Shin & Pale Ale Pie, in particular, goes fantastically with a pint.

If privacy is your thing, then you can hire out the ‘Chairman’s Lounge’, an upstairs area with an impressive capacity of 100 people. The furniture can be moved to accommodate whatever sort of private dining you’re seeking, and there’s even a private bar. Now there’s no excuse not to get a round in.