The Best London Venues for Showstopper Events
For large scale high-end luxury events, finding a venue with the capacity and calibre to match is one of the most important considerations. Social Pantry is proud to be approved caterers for over 30 of the UK’s most exclusive and beautiful event venues. As well as offering flexible, bespoke catering within private and dry-hire venues. Our partner venues encompass some of the most impressive and iconic venues in London and around the UK. Think London landmarks, English Heritage sites, world renowned art galleries, museums, concert halls and architectural wonders. We’ve compiled some of our favourite venues for holding mega events that require a truly unsurpassable setting.
KOKO Camden

Formerly the legendary Camden Palace, KOKO is a 1,500-capacity club and state-of-the-art music venue. After closing for three years due to a devastating fire in 2020, the Grade II listed Victorian theatre is back and bigger than ever before. KOKO has recently undergone an impressive £70 million renovation and extension. The entire venue is available for private hire. KOKO is a stunning venue for gala dinners, award ceremonies, product launches, company anniversaries, fashion shows and conferences. It’s an enviable venue choice for private events including weddings and mega birthdays. DJ decks, DJ booth, dance floor, stage and access to a green room are unique assets that make this venue popular for events where music and entertainment play a central role.
Best for music lovers…
KOKO has played host to entertainment greats throughout the decades. Charlie Chaplin twirled his cane on the stage and Madonna made her UK debut here. Monty Python and the Rolling Stones recorded in the studios. In the 120 years since it opened, some of the world’s biggest artists have graced KOKO’s stage. Amy Winehouse, Kanye West, Childish Gambino, Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Janelle Monae and Coldplay have all played at KOKO in recent years. Prince played on numerous occasions through his career before appearing at KOKO for his last ever London show.
Somerset House

Somerset House plays host to the UK’s largest creative community. Everyone is invited to ‘Step Inside, Think Outside’ with a socially inclusive, creatively ambitious cultural programme. The spectacular historic venue on The Strand is a much-loved London landmark. 12 flexible blank-canvas indoor and outdoor spaces suitable for staging all manner of events. Grand receptions for up to 1,500 can be held in the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court. This stunning water feature provides jaw-dropping background for a showstopping wedding or high profile event. The Embankment Galleries and heritage Navy Board Rooms offer additional, more intimate spaces. Add sophisticated storytelling with bespoke catering that reflects the building’s remarkable history. Somerset house and Social Pantry are committed to delivering spectacular and sustainable events underscored by social responsibility and innovation.
Best for discovering upcoming talent…
The former Inland Revenue offices at Somerset House have been repurposed to provide a home to Somerset House Studios. Somerset House Studios is made up of a group of innovative artists turning ripples into waves throughout creative society with boldness and active engagement. There are up to 100 of these artists in residence at any one time. They create and experiment in a number of ways, including experimental club nights, discussions and shows. There is potential to incorporate these cutting-edge projects in your event. Talk to our team to discuss your options!
National Gallery

The National Gallery is a London landmark and world renowned art museum in Trafalgar Square. The galleries house over 2,300 paintings and provide a spectacular setting for dinners up to 300 guests or receptions up to 1,200. Exhibitions are encyclopaedic in scope. And private viewings are a unique add-on to enhance your event. The buildings are, in themselves, works of art.
The Central Hall features an elevated glass rooftop and striking marble staircase entrance that oozes opulence. Meanwhile the Mosaic Terrace is famous for its historic mosaic floor by Boris Anrep. It combines an ancient technique with contemporary personalities of 1930’s Britain. Figures such as Greta Gerbo and Virgina Woolf provide a springboard of inspiration for event themes and styling. Meanwhile the Portico Terrace with distinctive black and white floors offers unrivalled views of Trafalgar Square. In summer months, it is an idyllic spot for al fresco drinks and dining. The National Gallery presents an ultra-exclusive event venue. Whilst by supporting The National Gallery, you also supporting free art for everyone.
Best for art aficionados…
The National Gallery curates some of the most awe-inspiring paintings by the greatest painters of all time. Exhibits include works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Monet, Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso, Raphael, Seurat, Van Gogh, Caravaggio, Hans Holbein the Younger, Botticelli, Nicolas Poussin, and many other paint-brush legends. Among them, some of the most famous paintings are “Virgin of the Rocks”, “Portrait of a Man”, “The Hay Wain”, “Van Gogh’s Chair”, and many others. Social Pantry can subtly weave the aesthetics and thematics of key works of your choice into the styling of your event.
Two Temple Place

Two Temple Place is one of London’s hidden architectural gems. A stunning Neo gothic mansion combing the grandeur of a London mansion with the intimacy of a private home to provide an opulent yet welcoming setting in which to host all manner of events. Weddings, private parties, gala dinners, charity events and fashion shows are just some of the uses for this rich historic venue. Thoughtfully connecting spaces allow you to curate a unique and dynamic experience for your guests moving throughout the Grade II listed building. Make Two Temple Place your opulent yet intimate home for the evening, and host a dinner fit for Lord Astor in a unique and unforgettable central London setting. Later into the evening, after-dinner dancing can be accommodated in the Lower Gallery, and with the option of a late licence until 4am available on request, your guests really can dance the night away.
Best for philanthropy…
Two Temple Place is owned and run by a charitable trust, The Bulldog Trust. The Trust provides financial and advisory assistance to early-stage charities and social impact projects through provision of unrestricted development grants and pro-bono professional expertise. Proceeds from exclusive hire of Two Temple Place go towards keeping the doors open and accessible to the public and funding The Bulldog Trust’s grant-making activities. By choosing Two Temple Place and Social Pantry, you can support our respective social sustainability projects and lend philanthropic credentials to your event.
Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace is a magnificent country house in Woodstock boasting impressive Baroque architecture, landscaped parkland and formal gardens. It is the seat of the Duke of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non-episcopal building to hold the title of a palace. Therefore oozing grandeur and magnificence, it makes for an inspiring venue for events. Weddings, private dinners, corporate conferences and company celebrations are just some of its uses.
The Great Hall provides a spectacular banqueting venue. It can also be used in conjunction with The Saloon – the Palace’s state dining room for a drink’s reception beforehand. Furthermore, the Long Library is a grand gala dinner venue for receptions of 500 guests, or 300 seated. Meanwhile The Orangery offers a truly elegant room with high ceilings and great-arched windows that fill the room with natural light. In summer, 2,000 acres of gardens, 90 of which are Formal Gardens, set the scene for idyllic summer garden parties. Guests can also opt to dine in specially created Marquee Pods overlooking the Italian garden for more intimate events.
Best for film enthusiasts…
Blenheim Palace has provided a dramatic and iconic backdrop for major films and TV dramas. These include Spectre 007, Harry Potter, Black Beauty, Cinderella and The BFG movie. Blenheim Palace is where they filmed James Bond escaping from the Spectre meeting. Moreover, standing on the bank of The Lake in a historic landscape below Blenheim Palace is a Cedar of Lebanon known as The Harry Potter Tree for its role in the 2007 film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The Harry Potter Tree Blenheim scene is where we see a flashback of Severus Snape at Hogwarts sitting by this tree beside the Black Lake. It is easily one of the most iconic and recognisable trees due to its hollow nature and the gaping hole that is seen on the front. Guests are free to explore the grounds and therefore absorb the magic and wonder of this sensational venue.
Guildhall London

Guildhall is a Grade 1 listed landmark situated in the heart of the City of London. It takes guests on a journey of over 800 years with its awe-inspiring history and architecture as the world’s leading international and financial business centre, and the city’s only surviving secular medieval building. Within the walls of this national treasure lie nine unique and impressive spaces. All of which are now used as function rooms. Guildhall has provided a grand setting for majestic banquets in honour of visiting Heads of State and other dignitaries, royal occasions and receptions for major historical occasions. It is also available for private hire and corporate events and hospitality.
The Great Hall is the largest and most impressive room, with capacity for receptions of up to 900 guests or 700 theatre-style. It has hosted the annual Lord Mayor’s Banquet since 1502. Meanwhile for something out of the ordinary, the City’s Roman Amphitheatre is popular for evening receptions and private dinners. It has been painstakingly reserved to ensure an immersive experience for guests.
Best for ancient history…
Dating from AD 70, Guildhall’s Roman Ampitheratre is and arguably the oldest events venue in London. At 100 metres long, 85 metres wide and large enough to seat an audience of 7000, it was originally a venue for wild animal fights, public executions and gladiatorial combats. Its remains were only discovered in 1988 when rebuilding of the Art Gallery began after the original was destroyed in the Blitz. Today, you can host your event in the exquisitely restored ruins that lie hidden beneath Guildhall.
National Portrait Gallery

National Portrait Gallery has undergone major redevelopment to reopen in restored splendour June 2023. A new public forecourt and generous entrance hall allow space for arrival and gathering appropriate to the stature of the Gallery. Drawing on the building’s rich history of mosaic, the surface of the forecourt will be a contemporary interpretation of Ewan Christian’s mosaic floors. Guests can marvel in 360 degree wonder at the artwork beneath their feet, as well as on the walls and woven into the cutting-edge architecture. The 1000 capacity venue has spaces from the contemporary to the classical, to suit any event. Charity galas, award ceremonies, mega weddings and corporate anniversaries are just some of the popular uses.
Start the day with a Private View of the latest exhibitions. Entertain amidst the historic splendour of a Grade I listed building. Dine in the company of British icons from Shakespeare to Stormzy with imaginative bespoke catering to match. Alternatively, engage your team or clients in a life drawing workshop accompanied by thoughtful food and drink by Social Pantry. Think unique experiences that blurs the lines between food and art.
Best for international connections…
The National Portrait Gallery may be a British institution. However it has a unique connection with the USA. Hence it is distinctly popular with businesses, individuals and causes linked to the US. The National Portrait Gallery owns the only complete collection of presidential portraits outside of the White House. Today, it commissions these portraits and the unveilings present a major event for the museum. This unique and ongoing history makes National Portrait Gallery a standout choice for events with American ties.
To find out more about any of these venues and discuss your event requirements, please get in touch. Our team would be delighted to discuss venue options to help you secure your perfect location.