LONDON – Across London’s corporate sector, a pronounced shift is underway in how companies spend their entertainment budgets. Large-format conferences and annual galas are giving way to smaller, more intentional gatherings, and nowhere is that trend more visible than in the surging demand for private dining rooms.
Booking enquiries for private dining spaces in the capital rose sharply in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from several UK venue platforms. Canvas Events, a London-based venue discovery service that lists hundreds of private dining rooms for hire in London, reported that private dining now represents its fastest-growing category, with particular demand from financial services, legal, and technology firms seeking rooms for groups of 10 to 30 guests.
“What we’re seeing is a fundamental change in how companies think about corporate entertaining,” said Sascha Michel, chief executive of Canvas Events. “The days of defaulting to a 200-person drinks reception are fading. The briefs coming in now are far more specific: a dinner for 16, in a room that reflects the host’s brand, with the right food and the right level of privacy. The budget hasn’t disappeared. It’s being concentrated on fewer, better evenings.”
The pattern reflects a broader recalibration. A recent study from Booking.com for Business found that the global corporate events market is on course to nearly double to £441 billion by 2029, but that the growth is being driven by smaller, higher-frequency gatherings rather than flagship events. Separately, 85% of UK event professionals expressed optimism about the sector in 2026, the highest figure in five years, according to the Amex GBT Global Meetings and Events Forecast.
From Banqueting Halls to Boardroom Tables
Industry observers point to several converging factors. Rising venue costs, driven in part by increases in national insurance contributions, labour expenses, and food and beverage pricing, have made large-scale events harder to justify. At the same time, corporate clients have become more deliberate about the return on their hospitality spending. Latest UK Events Industry reports noted that budgets are being spent more carefully rather than cut, with a focus on fewer, higher-impact events where venue choice plays a larger role in shaping the experience.
Private dining rooms are particularly well suited to this new calculus. They offer controlled environments for relationship-building, client retention, and deal progression in ways that open-plan restaurants and large event spaces typically do not. Several London venue operators said they have seen increased demand for rooms with discreet audiovisual capabilities, allowing hosts to combine a short presentation with a seated dinner without changing location.
A Wider Range of Private Dining Spaces Than Ever Before
London’s supply of private dining spaces has expanded in parallel with demand. Restaurants that did not previously offer private hire have converted underused mezzanines, basements, and upper floors into dedicated rooms, a trend that accelerated during the pandemic. The range now extends well beyond traditional hotel restaurants: chef’s table formats where guests eat beside the kitchen pass, converted industrial spaces in East London, skyline rooms forty floors above the Thames, and heritage venues from Georgian townhouses to Grade I listed halls.
Platforms such as Canvas Events have responded by building searchable directories of private dining rooms in London that allow corporate bookers to filter by guest count, area, pricing model, and event type, with direct venue contact and no intermediary fees. Michel said the profile of users has shifted noticeably. “Three years ago, most of our private dining bookings came from EAs and PAs organising one-off events. Now we’re seeing heads of client relations and managing directors booking directly. That tells you how seriously companies are treating these dinners.”
What Private Dining Costs in London in 2026
Pricing varies widely. Minimum-spend models, in which the venue waives room hire in exchange for a guaranteed food and drink total, remain the most common structure. For a weeknight dinner for 12 to 20 guests at a quality Central London restaurant, minimum spends typically range from £1,500 to £4,000. Premium locations in Mayfair and the City can exceed £5,000. Industry figures say that companies are generally not spending less on corporate entertaining but distributing the budget differently: four to six targeted dinners throughout the year, each designed around a specific relationship or commercial objective, rather than a single large annual event.
Sustainability, Sober Guests, and the Experience Economy
Several other trends are reshaping the segment. Demand for low-alcohol and alcohol-free beverage programmes has increased as hosts account for guests who do not drink. Sustainability considerations, from seasonal British menus to transparent sourcing, have moved from niche to standard expectation. And the integration of experiential elements (wine tastings, chef interactions, culinary workshops between courses) has become a common way to give business dinners a more distinctive character.
The trend shows no sign of reversing. Research from BCD Meetings and Events found that corporations are increasingly focused on how events contribute measurable business outcomes, a dynamic that favours intimate, high-quality formats. Venue operators across London said their private dining rooms are booking further in advance than at any point in the past five years, with October through December already approaching capacity at many locations.
“London has always been one of the great dining cities in the world,” Michel said. “What’s happening now is that corporate clients are finally treating that asset with the serio
ABOUT CANVAS EVENTS
Canvas Events is a London-based venue discovery platform founded by Sascha Michel, connecting corporate and private clients with event spaces across the capital, including private dining rooms in London, conference venues, and party spaces. The platform offers direct venue contact, no booking or transaction fees, and best-price guarantees. Canvas Events is an MIA (Meetings Industry Association) Accredited Supplier, based in Westminster. Explore venues: canvas-events.co.uk/
Media Contact
Company Name: Canvas Events
Contact Person: Canvas Events Team
Email: Send Email
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://www.canvas-events.co.uk/