Pub Function Rooms for Christmas Parties in Central London & The City

Posh nosh & fine dining is all very well and good but sometimes you just want to let your hair down & have a good ol’ party in a pub. Here in the Capital we are in the middle of a pub-renaissance. London’s pubs just keep getting better and better on all fronts, be it the beers – craft of course, the grub – gastro bien sur, or the parties – private room darling.

So in our search to keep London’s pubbers (not clubbers) happy we’ve trawled the best of the Capital’s pubs for the ones that tick all three boxes: private rooms fit for a funky Christmas party, proper beer and great gastro-pub grub to boot.

For an authentic pub feel with top grub in the centre of town try the White Swan Pub and Dining Room on Chancery Lane. Reclaimed furnishings mix with elegant first floor private dining room for up to 52 to create a relaxed gastro experience.

Similarly, The Only Running Footman is the Mayfair embodiment of posh pub, with its sleek lines and modern pared-back urban-chic first floor dining room, the food definitely tips over into fine dining but the atmosphere remains firmly pub. Also worth looking up is the Time Out Love London’s best Mayfair pub, the Punchbowl – with gastro delights, top-drawer wine list, glitzy private room & private club on the top floor.

For pubs City style – It has to be the Oyster Shed or Crab Tavern – OK! We know that they’re probably pushing the boundaries of pub, but this is The City of London after all. The Oyster Shed’s riverside site & views of the Shard, dress down décor paired with deluxe menu including sharing platters and banquets are irresistible. Similarly at Crab Tavern on Broadgate Circle, the basement is the perfect pub party venue complete with bar, open kitchen and wide-screen TV for sports fans!

It doesn’t get more central than The Clarence by Trafalgar Square and its patriotically named Beefeater Room is a fine example of proud-to-be-British décor – without becoming a pastiche. Over in Notting Hill, at another Geronimo Inns site, we love The Elgin – an earthy mix of local characters and personalities in their trademark modern understated cosy decor combined with hearty pub grub and real beers. The three function spaces offer private dining for up to 90 guests, while other nooks & crannies in the pub provide plenty of space for smaller semi-private get togethers.