Whether you are looking for an intimate family gathering or entertaining your whole office, we’ve compiled the best options around Beverly Hills for booking a private dining room this holiday season—and also gathered a few tips from top florists and event gurus around town.
While most of these locations are stylishly decorated already, the right floral arrangements are key, and the first step, to setting the right tone for your gathering. The Hidden Garden is the in-house florist for many Beverly Hills institutions from the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Maybourne Beverly Hills, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and restaurants such as Il Pastaio.
The Courier spoke with Amy Marella, founder and CEO of the Hidden Garden, who advised letting the floral designer utilize what is best in season at the time of the dinner party. “If you don’t have a set color scheme for the table asking, ‘What looks best from Mother Nature today?’ It allows us to design something that might be uniquely in bloom that week.”
Known for larger-scale events, weddings and bat mitzvahs for over 30 years, the Empty Vase on Doheny Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard is doing more smaller-scale events in private rooms. The family-owned business counts e. baldi Ristorante, Cecconi’s (which has a private space with a Damien Hirst painting) and Stella among its regular clients.
“We work with so many places on a regular basis that we know what would suit the space and work with the decor, color scheme and style of the room so it’s not a blank canvas,” Manager-Designer of the Empty Vase Avva Babaeean told the Courier.
A few things to consider from both florists are the shape and style of table, side tables, and how they will be used, such as a coursed-out meal, allowing for a more elaborate floral arrangement, or family style, which offers less room. In some cases, gifts for the guests are provided from a rosebud vase on each place setting to guest chocolates or napkin rings to take home.
According to fine linen stylist and owner of E. Braun & Co. on Robertson Boulevard, Liz Barbatelli, the ambiance you create is very important and integral to your success. “From the linens, the room decor and ambiance, the flowers, candles, dinnerware, cutlery and other necessary accouterment set the tone. Every detail should be planned and thought through in advance.”
Barbatelli, who works with many local restaurants and hotels, advised on a few things to look out for when planning a private soiree. First of all, “Avoid a restaurant in which you have never dined, and one that will not give you firm pricing. Also, make sure they have a special event coordinator that you can work with, and be sure they will let you bring in anything that you feel is missing or important for your event. You want a collaborative experience that creates an extraordinary event with an artful, inspired and thoughtful approach.”
The Venues
Photo courtesy of e. baldi ristorante
E. Baldi Ristorante
The Aperitivo Lounge on Brighton Way, which is the new addition to e. baldi Ristorante, features a stylish private dining room behind a curtain. This space can seat 49 people with different table configurations from smaller round tables to a long communal setting, or intimate parties of 10. For a corporate meeting, there is a flat-screen for presentations, but the main use so far has been for celebrations and celebrity parties. You will also have menu options from beloved chef Baldi for “Tuscan food with an accent of Emilia-Romagna,” and they offer a range of price points. privateroom@ebaldi.com
Photo by wonho frank lee
Steak 48
For a large variety of room options, Steak 48 offers a sophisticated setting, equipped with television screen capabilities. The Wine Room accommodates groups of up to 24 with sliding doors and views of the lounge. For more privacy, the Canon Room is closest in proximity to the front door and seats up to 30 guests with a variety of table configurations and dedicated volume controls for music to set the right tone for the evening.
For true gourmands who want a glimpse of the kitchen action, book the Chef’s Dining Room for a group of 34 or fewer. You will have the audio-visual capabilities, and can combine this space with the Cannon Room, for up to 65 guests. If you are planning a reception-style soiree, the Dominick Room setup includes a mix of high-top tables and booth seating for a maximum of 40 guests.
No matter which room you choose, prices start at just $95 per person for a “city menu” with appetizers, entrees, sides and sweets, and up to higher price points for a “chef tasting.” guestservicesbeverlyhills@steak48.com
Photo by wonho frank lee
Novikov
Mediterranean newcomer Novikov has a private dining room that seats 16 at a gorgeous oval table. The space is adorned with a chandelier, greenery, a large mirror and a modern abstract painting, creating a homey atmosphere. The enclosed, glass-walled space provides a view of the dining action, yet with some privacy. You can also book the side or front patio, which holds about 25 in each space. A set menu is required for prix fixe or family-style service. The food and beverage minimum is $2,500. To book, call 310-300-0090.
Photo courtesy of ocean prime
Ocean Prime
Seafood haven Ocean Prime offers a plethora of private dining options and price ranges. Half and full buyouts are available for the Wilshire Room (36 seated, 40 reception); Dayton Room (10 seated); Camden Room (14 seated); Apex Bar (80 seated, 100 reception) or the Terrace (44 seated, 75 reception).
From holiday parties to more intimate, special moments like bridal showers and birthday celebrations, the team will accommodate special requests including floral arrangements, audio-visual support, specialty cakes and desserts. Guests can choose from an option of welcome cocktails, a Champagne toast or wine bar. Caviar service is also available, as well as food stations or sushi platters. Lunch menu options vary from $60 to $75 per person while dinner menu options range from $115 per person to $170. To book, call 310-859-4818.
Photo courtesy of crustacean
Crustacean
If you’d like to dine in a private wine cellar with five of your closest friends, head upstairs to Da Lat Rose at Crustacean, which also features an open kitchen, private bathroom, private bar, audio-visual system and a private entrance. This space can hold 60 guests seated and 150 plus for cocktails. The minimum for food and beverage is $8,000 with a room rental of $1,000-$1,500. Other options are downstairs in the Santa Monica Room (25 seated or 40 plus for cocktails) and offer accordion doors, a flat-screen TV and access to a private Koi bar ($3,500 minimum spend). For more information, email the private dining director at Hannah@houseofan.com.
Photo courtesy of the hideaway
The Hideaway
No matter how often you sat on the patio by the wood-burning fireplace or pushed the tequila button for a table-side shot, hidden pockets remain at The Hideaway. The Mexican-themed gem is backed by celebrity investors, including Ryan Phillipe and Evan Ross.
At The Hideaway, you can book the extended patio that seats 50 or up to 100 people standing. This area also has a dedicated private bar connected to it that fits 25 people and can be booked independently, and it has a private entrance.
Other options include the main bar, which can be booked for up to 50 people and features eight private booths and a tequila-tasting room. The side dining room closest to the bar can also be closed off for privacy with up to 30 seats.
Drinks are charged on consumption, and prix-fixe menus are offered at different price points, plus the room rental fee is waived if you fill it to capacity. To book, contact General Manager Bart Clemmer at bart@thehideawaybeverlyhills.com.
Wally’s
At Wally’s, you won’t be short of top wine options if you book a private party. Tucked away in the back of the restaurant, the main room for private events accommodates 22 guests for a sit-down gathering, which includes a prix-fixe family-style menu, or 35 people for a standing reception with tray-passed hors d’oeuvres. The food and beverage minimum ranges from $4,000 to $6,000 (depending on the day of week and season). You can also book the Barrel Room for 10 people, which is located in front of the rare wine vault and spirits room. The minimum buyout for this space is $3,000 to $5,000. To book, contact privatedining@wallywine.com.
The Cheese Store
If a wine and cheese party is more your style, The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills has a new patio that can hold 22, with 16 seats and four high-top tables that can accommodate another eight people standing. This space has a $5,000 minimum spend for a buyout. The entire shop can also be rented out for private events with a $9,000 minimum spend for both combined. To book, contact events@cheesestorebh.com.
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
For a splurge, try the in-suite culinary experience in the Presidential Suite at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills hotel’s bespoke culinary dining experience. It includes a private chef, personal mixologist, special musical performances and the global cuisine of your choice for an exclusive experience for up to 12 seated and 20 for a standing-style reception (starting at $4,000). This culinary amenity is ideal for those celebrating a romantic date night for two, a private dinner party with friends and family or even a corporate event. In-suite dining experiences can be arranged by contacting the property at insuitedining@waldorfastoria.com or 310-860-6617.
Photo courtesy of sbe
MXO
New to La Cienega Boulevard, right across the street from Nobu, MXO is an upscale open-flame steakhouse with a Mexican twist by James Beard Foundation award-winning chef Wes Avila, sbe and Marc Anthony. Brought to life by celebrity designer Jae Omar, the space includes several patios with fire pits and offers not one but two private dining rooms. The larger space has a fireplace, and mid-century modern style furnishings in earthy tones, and can hold 20 people with a minimum food and beverage spend of $2,500. The smaller private dining room is $1,500 minimum and can fit 10 people with a sliding glass door for privacy. To book, visit
http://www.mxosteakhouse.com.
Photo by stan lee
Funke
For a unique opportunity to experience old-world handmade pasta techniques in an intimate setting, book Evan Funke’s namesake eatery for a private bash. The dark green-hued private dining room fits up to 20 people on the mezzanine dining level with an oval table and windows down to all the action below. Expect a base rate for the room, plus per-person costs depending on the date, menus and party size. To book, contact events@funkela.com.
If you prefer an alfresco gathering overlooking Beverly Hills, the restaurant’s Bar Funke can hold 40 guests seated and 100 standing. Or, if you would rather party in Hollywood, Funke’s other acclaimed restaurant, Mother Wolf, has two private dining rooms. Remus is a more intimate room, decked out in rich woods, with a capacity of 10, and Romulus holds up to 22 guests. To book, visit www.motherwolfla.com/book.
The Mother Wolf building also offers an expansive space upstairs at Citizen News that can be modified to fit various group sizes or productions. Expect a $5,000 venue rental fee and a $30,000 minimum food and beverage spend. To book, contact events@rh-hollywood.com.
