The best private dining restaurants in Chelsea, NYC

Café Chelsea is one of the best places to people watch in the neighborhood. You may not see Bob Dylan or Patti Smith anymore, but there's still something so exciting about the possibility that once was. Warm lighting, unique fixtures, and art on the walls (by former artists in residence) make it a cozy escape from the NYC streets.

The menu offers classic French brasserie dining options like steak frites and maitake au poivre, but consider coming for brunch too – the omelettes and the pain perdu are worth the early wake-up call.

If people-watching isn't your thing, or if you're a celebrity that wants a little more privacy (if you are, call us), there are a couple private dining rooms in the Café Chelesa. The Cave Á Vin and the adjoining Solarium Bar accomodates 36 seated guests or 50 standing, with menus starting at $125/person.

Ci Siamo, located steps from Hudson Yards, is an upscale Italian restaurant offering life-fire cooking and fresh, handmade pasta by NYC restauranteur Danny Meyer. Private dining is as exclusive as it can get in New York – you get a fully private floor for you and your guests, with views of the Empire State Building and a (weather-dependent) outdoor terrace. With room for 40 guests for a seated lunch or dinner and 60 for a cocktail reception, it allows for a unique blend of privacy, intimacy, and space. A full restaurant buyout can also be booked, with 100 seated guests or 250 standing.

The Private Dining menus offer family-style lunch ($95pp) or dinner ($185pp) options of market fish, housemade pastas, and antipasti, along with an hors d'oeuvres option for more relaxed standing events.

Hav & Mar is a seafood restaurant offering vibrant, seasonal dishes inspired by global dining. The colorful dining area is highlighted by original artwork by Derrick Adams, and the menu has influence from Sweden, Mexico, Ghana, and Japan, among others.

For a less secluded semi-private dining option, Chef's Table in the Round is a ring-shaped booth in the center of the dining room for up to 8 guests, allowing gentle privacy without sacrificing the lively energy of the restaurant. The Cove is Hav & Mar's fully private dining room, seating 16 guests or standing 25 guests. The entire restaurant can be bought out for up to 120 seated guests.

LOULOU Petit Bistro and Speakeasy provides an alternative to the pretentious, minimalist restaurants of Manhattan. With a warm wood-paneled dining room covered in florals and plants, this charming Chelsea dining spot evokes the spirit of an Impressionist's countryside villa. You'll find a menu full of French bistro classics, like escargots, French onion soup, and steak frites. And there's a dog menu, if your furry friend is prone to FOMO.

For a more casual private dining experience, book one of the fully enclosed wooden Cabanas, seating 24 guests. There's also the option to book the Speakeasy, which has an entrance through a vintage vending machine in the main dining room and hosts up to 36 seated guests.

A full-venue private dining buyout includes all three spaces accommodating 250+ guests. Open bar options, sharing platters, and passed/stationary hors d'oeuvres are available to customize, along with prix-fixe lunch and dinner options starting at $80pp.

Calle Dao seeks to transport diners to Havana's Chinatown. This casual spot strives to capture the height of El Barrio Chino with a fusion of Cuban and Chinese culture and cuisine. The funky and informal interior, potted palms, and themed drinks modernize an era of the country’s history.

The menu has items like lobster noodles with miso butter, cuban fried rice, and chicken empanadas. The cocktails are experly crafted with ingredients like mezcal, tamarind, rose syrup, and sweet corn.

This immersive Chelsea private dining space accommodates groups of 20 for semi-private events in the mezzanine, fully private events for 70 seated, or 100 guests for a cocktail reception.

There aren't that many restaurants from the Sex and the City era that remain – but Buddakan isn't one of them. Large and extravagant, it's the perfect place to have a private dinner – and Carrie and Big would agree. Dim lighting, chandeliers, and high ceilings offer a lavish setting, and private dining options are available for groups of 13 or more.

Claiming to combine the "serenity of Asia with the flamboyance of 16th-century Paris," Buddakan's menu presents vivid, approachable dishes like ginger scallion chicken, whole sea bass, and chilled peanut noodles. Tasting menus are available to parties of 4 or more, starting at $90/person.

Eastern Mediterranean restaurant Zou Zou’s stands out among the skyscrapers of surrounding Hudson Yards. Its Art Deco style and colorful accents allow for a lively atmosphere, bringing the serene Mediterranean sea to downtown New York City. The menu offers sharable mezze and specialties like Morrocan fried chicken and smoked cherry Colorado lamb chops, alongside unique cocktails like the Sumac Spritz.

The Mural Room and The Parlour Room can be combined for a larger Chelsea private dining space, accommodating 42 seated guests or 60 guests for a cocktail reception. Individually, The Mural Room allows 24 seated guests and 30 for reception. The Parlour Room seats 18 guests and 20 for reception.

Located in a charming four-story brownstone, The Orchard Townhouse offers an inviting, home-like dining environment along with comforting American cuisine. Among exposed brick, banquettes, and checked floors are multiple private dining spaces accomodating 7 to 100 guests.

Enjoy a curated menu of familiar dishes with a twist, like spicy crab spaghetti with burrata and canteloupe with pickled chili and honeycomb. Prix-fixe menus are available family style for 8 to 12 guests, along with cocktail receptions and buffets for larger groups.

Spaces include the heated garden, which is brick enclosed and heated in the colder months, for up to 36 seated guests. Full restaurant buyouts can accommodate 100 guests seated or standing.