LAGuide

The Private Dining Directory

71 places to have a private dinner, no matter how many people are in your party.
The Private Dining Directory image

photo credit: Wonho Frank Lee

Maybe your boss is finally retiring, or your brother is turning 40 for the third year in a row. Perhaps you’re planning a big holiday party, and the consensus is that the place must have wooden chairs and a piano. Whatever the occasion, the “dining room” at your apartment only fits four in a pinch, so you’re going to need a private room.

Here’s a guide to our favorite restaurants with private rooms that can hold anywhere from eight to 800 of your family members, colleagues, or whomever else you need to have a secluded meal with. Call ahead though, because these places book up quickly.

Small Groups (6-18 People)

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Italian

Koreatown

$$$$Perfect For:Date NightDinner with the Parents
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This Koreatown spot might feel like a calm, intimate neighborhood restaurant, but it's not-so-secretly a luxurious pasta palace. If your party is centered around the finer things in life, like delicate handmade tortelli and four-inch-high clouds of focaccia, this is the venue for you. 

Capacity:  Parties of 7-12 people require a family-style set menu. Parties of 12+ require a full buyout, which seats up to 54. 

At Dunsmoor in Glassell Park, you'll find a live hearth filling the room with a beautiful, warm glow. It's some next-level mood lighting, but the fire pit also serves another purpose: to cook delicious Southern-leaning dishes. There are three communal tables available for events, each one accommodating a different party size. There's also a private wine bar in the back that's available for cocktail receptions, plus the option of a full buyout. 

Capacity: Parties of 10, 12, and 16 for communal tables. 40 people inside the wine bar and 80 seated for a full buyout. 

Love & Salt is a great neighborhood Italian spot in Manhattan Beach and one of the few places in the area where words like buzzy, noisy, and lively come to mind. If you’re planning a private event in this part of town and that’s the ambiance you’re aiming for, here’s your answer.

Capacity: Private wine cellar room seats up to 20 people and a family-style menu is required. 

Ospi is one of our favorite Italian restaurants on the Westside with razor-thin pizzas, spicy rigatoni, and creative dishes like butter chicken parmesan, all of which you can enjoy in the private dining space above the Venice spot’s bar. Everyone chooses their courses from prix fixe menus, which means more wine and less debate about what plates to order for the table.

Capacity: Private dining room seats up to 18 people.  

As the name suggests, Catch Steak is the meat-focused franchise of Catch a few blocks away, but it attracts a similar crowd of people with an appetite for exclusivity and posting photos of their dry-aged steaks. This is where you go for a sceney LA dining experience where you might dine next to a reality TV star and spend a lot of money on generic but tasty food.

Capacity: Private dining available for groups of 9 or larger.

The excellent sake bar in Echo Park, Ototo, has a private room available to book for events and large groups. It’s not exactly private, although sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant—so if you’re looking to get rowdy or spill classified company secrets, keep that in mind.

Capacity: 10


The Mailroom is The Old Place’s private dining room. Located in the Santa Monica mountains, this building is loaded with history—it was once home to the original sorting table from the Cornell Post Office, is lit by an antique chandelier, and the walls are adorned with original art painted by the matriarch of the Runyon family, Barbara Runyon (!).

Capacity: 12

This legendary steakhouse off PCH has been a Santa Monica institution for the better half of the last seven decades - and now, you can reserve their outdoor patio, bar, or full-on restaurant for all your prime rib and yorkshire pudding needs.

Capacity: 13+

Medium-Sized Groups (19-30 People)

Felix is a notoriously tough reservation but a worthy hassle because the Venice restaurant is still one of the best Italian spots in town. For a memorable dinner full of freshly made pasta, Felix has its Nonna Room available for private events.

Capacity: 25 people. 

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

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This French-ish bistro in Pasadena is perfect for a handful of occasions, like date night, a (great) pre-theater meal, and a private event. There are various spaces to host a party, including a semi-private communal table, the bar area and its adjacent lounge, and both full and partial buyouts. 

Capacity: The “Big Oval” table seats 12 guests, the bar & lounge area seats 30, partial buyouts seat 20, and full buyouts seat 180. Minimum food and beverage rates apply depending on party size.

Saffy’s is the glamorous kebab house of our dreams. And if this place weren’t always so damn busy, we’d be regulars at the bar so we could sip rose-infused vespers and snack on lobster skewers. Saffy’s hosts its private events on its heated outdoor terrace and requires a five-course, prix-fixe menu and a minimum spend of $17,500 (!) for groups larger than 25 people.

Capacity: Terrace seats parties of 9 to 25 people with a five-course, prix-fixe menu ($105 per person). Full buyouts are available for 50+ people with a minimum spend.

Loreto in Frogtown is a Russian doll of event spaces. Besides a full buyout, you can book either the outdoor patio or the garden space for an al fresco Mexican seafood meal that feels like you're at a Cabo San Lucas resort. There's also the semi-private Oyster Room and the fully private Martini Room for smaller parties. 

Capacity: Oyster Room seats 20 people, Martini Room seats 25, and the patio and garden each seat 50. Full buyouts are also available. 

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

$$$$Perfect For:Date NightSmall Plates
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This buzzy northern Spanish restaurant in Santa Monica not only has one but two different mezzanine spaces to choose from. You and your guests can drink sangria and snack on pork ribs and grilled squid all night and overlook the downstairs dining space. 

Capacity: Dining room mezzanine seats 16 people, Bar mezzanine seats up to 26. 

Buy out this massive Italian restaurant in the Arts District, where you’ll find an all-gold bar, industrial dining room, and floor-to-ceiling murals that are both visually impressive and slightly confusing.

Capacity: Private room seats 25 people, outdoor patio seats up to 80. 

Employees Only is a fancy cocktail bar/restaurant from NYC, and drinking in this space feels like we’ve time-traveled to a luxury airport lounge in the 1970s. There’s a private dining room that’s reminiscent of an old-school speakeasy, and the option for a full buyout is also available.

Capacity: Private room seats 26, full buyout seats 60. 

The prime location of the upscale vegan restaurant on Melrose makes it a great option for large groups. There are two separate private spaces to choose from, including a closed-off dining room and a larger wine room. Full buyouts are also available. 

Capacity: 20 people for the private dining room, 40 for the wine room, and 120 for a full buyout.

If you’re looking for something that screams “elegance” (without actually raising your voice), an upscale French restaurant, Pasjoli in Santa Monica has an outdoor back patio with a multi-course dinner served family-style.

Capacity: 20


The beautiful, bucolic Pasadena restaurant and cheesery has a picture-esque private dining room upstairs. It’s an intimate space ideal for parties, small weddings, out-of-office meetings, or whenever you want to sneak away and eat puppy chow to your heart’s content.

Capacity: 22


There are a few rentable rooms at Dama, but the East Terrace is their quietest and most private area, perfect for an intimate dinner party or wedding reception. They recommend reserving the lounge area prior for an easy transition from cocktails to your seated dinner.

Capacity: 20


You can rent out the tasting room at Wife and the Somm, a new-ish wine bar in Glassell Park run by—you guessed it—a husband and wife duo. It’s a long, wooden table that can comfortably seat up to 18 guests.

Capacity: 18


This fantastic French restaurant has three different private dining spaces: a wine room that fits 18, a mezzanine area for 30, and communal kitchen tables with space for up to 34. Any of these is a great choice for a fun, special meal, especially if someone in your party will appreciate the 103-page wine list.

Capacity: 18-34

No matter when you go, you’ll have to plan in advance for a table at Cassia. So take advantage of actually remembering to organize something for your birthday and reserve one of its several dining spaces. The beautiful private room and outdoor communal table seat 20 people each, meanwhile the indoor wine room comfortably seats 30.

Capacity: 20-30


For lack of a better word, the front patio garden at Eveleigh is magical. Filled with citrus trees, cushioned benches, and a fountain, it’s a great place for an engagement party, or announcing that you’re quitting your job and permanently moving to Muir Woods. You can also ball out and book out the entire back patio to seat 90 people. 

Capacity: 25-90


If there’s a serious wine person in your group, they’ll appreciate Wally’s. This wine store in Beverly Hills doubles as a restaurant with a menu of pizzas, pastas, and lots of cheese. There’s a private wine room where, in addition to feeding you, they’ll serve you wine pairings and something called caviar flights.

Capacity: 25


It’s been open since 2012, but Bestia remains one of LA’s toughest reservations—so if you’re looking to have a private dinner here, better book in advance. The good news? This iconic Italian spot’s semi-private patio can fit a pretty sizeable party, all of whom will presumably marvel at your ability to get a table here.

Capacity: 25

Big Groups (31-50 People)

Dining at Funke can feel like you’re eating at LA’s Willy Wonka factory of pasta. It’s an impressive set-up, with multiple floors and a rooftop overlooking Beverly Hills. There’s three options for private events, including a private dining room, buying out the entire mezzanine level, or reserving Bar Funke on the roof. 

Capacity: Private room seats 20 people, mezzanine level seats up to 70, and Bar Funke seats 75. 

The Little Door is a romantic French spot in Weho where you half-expect a singing candelabra to greet you when you walk in. There’s also a lot of private spaces for your next event. The piano room seats 20, and acts as the perfect venue if you drink a bottle of wine and suddenly want to sing “Be Our Guest.” The rustic Blue Room seats up to 35 people and the two outdoor gardens seat to 24 and 60, respectively. 

Capacity: 20, 24, 35, 60


Sushi Note combines the world’s two greatest things—wine and sushi—to create a gorgeous experience unlike anything else in the city. The Sherman Oaks restaurant offers a full buyout and a curated dinner by the head chef.

Capacity: 30


This big-deal Arts District restaurant’s private room is everything we wish our apartment was—in full view of the wine cellar, high ceilinged, decorated with fantastical murals, and filled with beef short rib wrapped in shiso leaves.

Capacity: 36


There are a few options at this colorful Mexican restaurant in Silver Lake—a patio deck accompanied by the sounds of a cascading waterfall (according to their website), a room with a blazing fireplace, and a lounge filled with live music and red leather booths.

Capacity: 50


photo credit: Dylan + Jeni

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Charcoal Sunset

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If you’re looking for a private event space on the Sunset Strip, Charcoal Sunset is a great pick. This is the second (and larger) location of the Venice steakhouse we’re big fans of, and it offers both indoor and outdoor options for private dinners.

Capacity: Chef’s table overlooking kitchen seats 10 people, covered outdoor patio seats 64. 

For the first time ever, the classic Hollywood restaurant, Musso & Frank Grill, now has private dining rooms to rent. There’s a smaller room, which can hold up to eight people, as well as a grander dining area complete with hand-painted scenes of the Italian countryside.

Capacity: 42


Over in Beverly Grove, Angelini Osteria has a private gallery room—the perfect place to live out all of your fancy, white-gloved fantasies (hello, veal shank agnolotti with white truffles).

Capacity: 50


Strand House has some very good views of Manhattan Beach, so while they do have a private wine cellar, you’re going to want to be out on the balcony. The food is just fine, but when you’re drinking a margarita and feeling sea mist on your face, it really doesn’t matter.

Capacity: 26 on the private balcony, 10 in the private wine cellar.


We’d make up almost any excuse to go to Bavel—date night, job promotion, Steve Buscemi’s half-birthday (which is June 13th, by the way), but if you can round up 26 hungry people, you don’t even have to invent one. Reserve their heated, semi-private patio off the main dining room and plan on getting the hummus, malawach, and several lamb neck shawarmas.

Capacity: 26


Duke’s is a touristy spot in Malibu with an incredible ocean view and great fresh fish. And the sunset views from the private dining room are some of the best in LA.

Capacity: 33


Osteria Mozza has fantastic pasta and burrata, and your friends are tired of hearing you talk about them. Instead of annoying them, get them to come to dinner in the private room here. It has a lot of dark leather and wood, and is lined with wine bottles so it has the effect of being a wine room in a castle.

Capacity: 36


Unlike the original spot on Highland, where waiting for a seat is a rite of passage and eating French onion soup while someone hovers over your shoulder somehow makes it taste even better, there’s actually space at the Sherman Oaks outpost (they take reservations, too). That space even includes a private dining room, with a max capacity of 40. The French onion soup is still incredible, too.

Capacity: Private dining room seats up to 40 people, family-style prefixed menu required. Full buyout is also available.


When you’ve got a big group and everyone cares a lot about wine, go to AOC. The private dining room upstairs feels like the private cellar at a country club you’d actually want to be a member of, and the California-French food is consistently excellent.

Capacity: 40


Eating in a private dining room at Sur (a Vanderpump™ enterprise) means you have to eat at Sur, which is slightly unfortunate. But the newly hired manager at your company is insisting you need to have your holiday party “Somewhere Lisa will see me,” so you don’t have much choice in the matter. This place is always packed, and the cocktails will get you drunk enough that you’re OK with being here. The “VIP” room seats up to 14, the Moroccan-themed “Pinky Room” seats up to 28, and the “enchanted” Hidden Garden seats 65. 

Capacity: 14, 28, 65

Really Big Groups (50+ People)

Hosting an event on this Arts District rooftop is a very easy way to impress someone. The sweeping views of Downtown are incredible, the cocktails are delicious, and the Mexican food is some of the best in town. 

Capacity: Indoor bar seats up to 80 people, back bar seats around 50-60, and a full buyout seats 250.

When it comes to private dining, there are a few options at Birdie G’s, a fantastic comfort food spot in Santa Monica. They have a small porch buyout, which comes covered and heated (capacity: 12 people), a full buyout (150 people), and “Al’s Workshop”: a private room tucked away in the back of the restaurant.

Capacity: 150

Located on the rooftop of The Hoxton, Cabra is an airy Peruvian spot with sweeping views of DTLA, lots of shareable dishes, and delicious pisco sours under a convenient retractable roof.

Capacity: 80

Tesse offers a beautiful dining space off the Sunset Strip and pretty whatever French food, making it a solid option if you want to cram a lot of people into a cool venue. 

Capacity: 58

A meal at this glorious Oaxacan temple in Koreatown always feels like a special treat, especially when you convince your boss to rent one of their extremely vibrant private rooms and buy everyone mezcal shots.

Capacity: 85


There are four private rooms at Saddle Peak Lodge, a massive meat-lovers paradise in the Santa Monica hills. Each has its own thing going on, ranging between large stone fireplaces, French doors, serene gardens, and a library full of taxidermy deer heads and hard-to-find books.

Capacity: 150


Walking into The Tam O’Shanter, you’ll wonder if you’re somewhere on the grounds of Hogwarts. But this Scottish lodge in Atwater isn’t a Harry Potter-themed restaurant - it’s from the same people as Lawry’s, so expect a lot of fantastic prime rib. Both the private rooms have fireplaces and the feeling that there should be cauldrons on every table.

Capacity: 80

Gwen is a place where you can rent out a meat-centric restaurant. They have a few different tasting menu options, and servers that won’t let your water go below half-full.

Capacity: 90


The private patio at Rosaliné is a glassed-in space in the middle of the restaurant that feels like your own personal greenhouse. This modern Peruvian spot has lots of (very shareable) fresh seafood and it works well for a smaller group—as long as you don’t mind everyone else in the place watching your every move.

Capacity: 100


Perch is a place that makes us wonder why DTLA doesn’t have more rooftops. There are a couple different options for private dining here, from a smaller patio to a much larger bar. Wherever you end up, you’ll be eating solid French food with some excellent views.

Capacity: 28 on the patio, 75 at the private bar


This 100-year-old Japanese restaurant above Hollywood has perfectly fine food and some of the best views in town. The top floor seats 60 and has A/V hookups for your boring company slideshow, but you can ignore that and look at the pretty views of the Observatory and Downtown LA.

Capacity: 125


This lively rooftop spot in downtown Santa Monica has great views of the beach and not-so-great clientele (unless you’re really into influencers), so if you’d like more of the former and none of the latter, book a private dinner here. The balcony can fit parties of up to 16 people seated, and if money is no object, there’s a private indoor/outdoor room with a full bar, too.

Capacity:  16 on the ocean view balcony, 30 cactus garden room, 44 in the private room.


Gjelina is one of Venice’s iconic restaurants, but not many people know about the private event space. And because the only Venice apartment you can afford has a concrete square advertised as a “courtyard,” this is a much better place for a pizza-filled engagement party that would fit right into an issue of Kinfolk.

Capacity: 50


Want to feel like a celebrity? Book a private dinner at Nobu, the iconic Malibu spot where celebs take in breathtaking ocean views while dining sashimi tacos, and paparazzi flock outside in the hopes that someone famous was overserved at dinner. They have two private event spaces that can seat 24 and 50 guests, respectively, though they must be booked three months in advance. Oh, also, this probably goes without saying, but they’re expensive—the food and beverage minimums start at $3,000.

Capacity: 24, 50


Lawry’s, the old-school steakhouse in Beverly Hills, has a couple of different-sized private dining rooms. Both include fireplaces, fantastic prime rib, and tableside spinning salad performances.

Capacity: 24, 36, 60


Michael’s is an expensive option (you’re looking at around $150 per person, including alcohol), but when your law firm just won a big settlement, the senior partners are going to want an equally big blowout.

Capacity: 20 to 350 for a full buyout


Redbird is great for private dining for a few reasons. It’s in an old cathedral, so it’s huge and beautiful. Everything on the menu is meant to be shared. And, whether you have a big company dinner, or a really, really, big company dinner, they have all different sized rooms (going up to 140 people) on four different floors.

Capacity:  18, 26. 36, 44, 75, 108, 140


When you’re in a private room at Spago, you won’t be able to watch Jack Nicholson drink gin at the bar. But you will get to eat smoked salmon pizza and wienerschnitzel, and there’s an off-chance Jack will wander back here anyway. This Beverly Hills spot is one of the most popular places in town for private dinners, so make sure you book pretty far in advance.

Capacity: 15, 25, 88, 150


Fia’s only been open for a few months, but thanks to its calming, tree-filled patio and very good coastal Italian menu, it’s fast becoming one of our favorite outdoor spots in Santa Monica. The private dining situation is equally good, with a variety of spaces available - from a chef’s table to lounge and patio options, even a full restaurant rental.

Capacity: 500

F*ck It, Entire Restaurant Buy-Outs

Dinners at Mother Wolf famously run very late into the night, which is a testament to this Hollywood restaurant's lively atmosphere. You can rent out the massive dining space that looks like a crossover between Carbone, the Madonna Inn, and a hotel lobby in Las Vegas. 

Capacity: Private events and full buyouts available.

San Laurel is one of the multiple dining concepts inside DTLA's The Conrad, but this 10th-floor mezzanine offers various perks: a menu by celebrity chef José Andres, lots of seating in its indoor-outdoor dining room, and up-close views of the Disney Concert Hall. 

Capacity: Private events and full buyouts available.

You might know EP & LP as the West Hollywood rooftop with very long lines out the door on any given night. But besides decent cocktails and out-of-towners taking selfies, this bar also serves food and can be completely bought out for a breezy outdoor event. 

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.

This upscale DTLA restaurant at the top of the US Bank Tower has 360º views of LA that you won't get anywhere else in the city, plus some excellent food to go along with it. 71Above is a great option for corporate events or any excuse to dress in business casual. 

Capacity: Private dining rooms for 14 or 30 people, larger dining room for 75, full restaurant buyout available.

Los Feliz coffee shop by day, mega-restaurant at night - a buy-out at All Time is just about as LA as it gets.

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.


Whether you prefer Greekman’s or their original Jewish counterpart Freedman’s, you can rent out this entire Silver Lake restaurant for any parties, soirees, or other words for party (we’re too lazy to break out the thesaurus).

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.


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If you’re not able to snag a reservation at this fantastic French bistro in Beverly Wood, why not just rent it out?

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.


photo credit: Jessie Clapp

$$$$Perfect For:Big Groups

Whether you’re planning a supper club, book club, or just a night spent eating club sandwiches, contact the special events team at Post & Beam in Baldwin Hills.

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.


This classic West Hollywood spot serves the kind of glamor you thought only existed in your head and Debbie Reynolds compilation videos - and is available for large parties, private dinners, and events.

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.


Over in the Arts District. this massive spot has various indoor and outdoor spaces to rent, plus a rotating, seasonal menu. The last time we were here, we’re pretty sure we saw a book club of 70+ year-olds eating grilled blueberries and goat liver mousse to their heart’s content. That could be you?

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.

You can rent out Rustic Canyon’s sidewalk (up to 12 people) or the whole damn restaurant. The sunny Santa Monica space can hold up to 120 people, where you’ll be served a seasonal rotation of beers and wines, plus a four-course meal.

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.


Make this excellent Oaxacan restaurant yours for the night, and you’ll be treated to mole samplers, queso fundido, and an unmatched mezcal collection.

Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.

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