Christmas 2023: The best restaurants for groups and parties
"There are no good private dining rooms.” So tweeted the impish Ed Cumming once upon a time. There is something to be said for the take: private dining rooms rarely have the same buzz, décor nor sometimes even the same menu as the main restaurant itself.
Yet, as with any entirely-made-up rule, there are notable exceptions. Some of these are below; private dining rooms that stand toe-to-toe with the restaurant proper. And then there are places which cater for large groups within the restaurant itself, which come into their own come Christmas time. However the split, the best spots for big groups do something creative rather than crass with the décor, cater for a range of dietaries — there’s always at least one when it’s a group of seven — and have a wine list that stretches from “catering for the budget of a poor journalist friend” right up to “the boss is paying”. The worst, well... the worst are not on this list. Have a ball.
Pied à Terre
If you’re feeling fancy enough to book a private at Christmas in France, and as such they don’t do it here either, preferring that turbot take centre stage on the festive tasting menu. This comes with a veritable garden of herbs, as well as a gem lettuce fricassee, and is followed by Fallow deer graced with delicate white truffle.
