The London supper clubs redefining the capital's social dining scene

There is no denying that London is a dining cornucopia. The city is a food lovers’ dream, where fantastic dining options represent a wide variety of global cuisines – across the spectrum from street food to haute cuisine.

Outside of this kaleidoscope of restaurants, food markets and other eateries, London’s supper club scene continues to grow, with a greater diversity of choices than ever before. These events dish up an alternative experience where guests sample innovative food within the warm communal buzz of a more intimate, sociable setting. And while eager foodies have attended supper clubs in London for years, things have evolved over the last few years, ranging from casual, small-scale living room dinners to more formal soirées. Today’s thriving supper club landscape retains elements of this variety, with hosts ranging from superb home cooks to Michelin-star restaurant chefs.

At supper clubs, we’re much closer to these chefs than at a traditional restaurant, and have an opportunity to learn more about how their journeys and life experiences translate into their repertoire of dishes. By learning about the inspirations and influences behind the dishes, we walk away with more than a satisfied stomach, also taking away knowledge about different cultures and hospitality traditions, or about the history, production or significance of particular ingredients. Hosts show more of the personality, passion and flair that they have poured into their dishes, to provide a meaningful balance between homeliness and sophistication. Taking advantage of the flexibility of operating outside of the traditional restaurant, chefs showcase their full creative dexterity and bring their individual identity to their menus.

Above all, food is a tool for social connection. As these events are open to anyone who appreciates impassioned cooking, the unique experience of being able to indulge in a meal with loved ones, while also being able to meet new people is a great way to form relationships in a bustling city.

Here is our pick of the best supper clubs in London, delivering special gustatory experiences with a personalised touch.

The Bridge Club

This seasonal affair from chef and Caravan group head baker Jack Pointing (and team) is inspired by an ambition to reignite a love for British cooking by elevating nostalgic classics with skill, often incorporating elements of other European cuisines such as traditional French concepts. As part of these hearty feasts, you’ll find dishes such as lamb leg roast served with paloise sauce, velvety chicken and duck liver parfait, steaming bronzed chicken roasted en croûte de sel, duck egg tart with nutmeg and tonka bean, or epic mounds of chocolate mousse swimming in cherry sauce and dotted with chopped pistachios.

Price: ££; around £60 per head
Website: thebridgeclub.co.uk
Stay posted on upcoming events: @the.bridgeclub

Shanghai Supper

Lillian Luk’s dinners are known for authentic traditional Shanghainese cuisine. There’s a dinner party feel with an emphasis on collective experience – recipes handed down across generations are served family-style, emphasising the joy in discovering and sharing food with others. The menus also feature dianxin – the lighter snack-style dishes that line the streets of Shanghai. Dishes are informed by what's in season as well as inspiration from Lillian’s travels to Shanghai, but typical delicacies offered include gloriously succulent sheng jian bao (pork buns), jiggling heaps of aromatic crab and green bean noodles, drunken chicken and green bean cakes sweetened with the floral notes of osmanthus.

Price: £££; around £75pp
Website: shanghaisupper.co.uk
Stay posted on upcoming events: @shanghaisupper

Khao Suppers

Punam Vaja is on a mission to share the food she grew up with, an amalgam of recipes passed down from her mother’s Mumbai upbringing and her father’s early childhood in East Africa. Her convivial dinners pay homage to traditional hospitality customs. Guests might be welcomed with a soul-caressing cup of fresh and fragrant chai, for example. It's a deeply personal selection of courses, with every dish being accompanied by a heartwarming anecdote. The vegetarian menu spotlights seasonal ingredients with explosive bursts of flavour, such as turnip with mustard seeds, fresh turmeric and fenugreek oil, or a deeply comforting yellow lentil dal broth served with rice and spiky pickles.

Price: ££; around £40-£50 per head
Website: khaosuppers.com
Stay posted on upcoming events: @khao_suppers

Asanka (by Phy’s Kitchen)

Named after the traditional Ghanaian earthenware grinding bowl, Phyllis Ny’s multi-course suppers refresh Ghanaian and West African dishes with modern and creative twists and styles of presentation. Phyllis brings memories, laughter and informative detail to the table as well as her carefully planned courses. The varying menus of beautifully styled dishes still retain the unique dimensions to West African flavours, such as scallops velveted in a thick ebbeh (Gambian root vegetable and seafood stew) sauce, crusted with garri (granulated cassava) and decorated lovingly with a garden of micro herbs.

Price: ££; around £65 pp
Website: physkitchen.co.uk
Stay posted on upcoming events: @physkitchen

Ayọ Collective

Aptly named after the Yorùbá word for ‘joy’, dynamic chef duo Victor Okunowo (Masterchef: The Professionals 2020 semi-finalist) and seasoned chef Angelo Gonzalez, deliver adventurous combinations, such as palm wine battered prawns, or moi moi (steamed bean cake) with quail egg and pickled shimeji mushroom. Award-winning sommelier Henna Zinzuwadia is behind the wine pairing, which highlights a new generation of exciting and inclusive labels from across the globe. For a real surprise, try one of their theatrical multi-course omakase-style events, where dishes are prepared tableside. Whichever event you choose, the dishes presented will be bold and vibrant tributes to the collective’s cultural roots.

Price: £££; around £130 with wine pairing
Website: ayocollective.co.uk
Stay posted on upcoming events: @ayo.collective

Savottām

Named by his Grandmother to denote ‘the best of the best’, with his newest venture chef Sachin Mistry marries his Michelin-star restaurant experience with culinary traditions from his heritage to present a passionately curated eight-course tasting menu of modern Indian cuisine. Henna Zinzuwadia also lends her wine expertise, providing a pairing to complement each of the courses deftly prepared by Sachin and chef Ben Bisazza, typically in an open kitchen directly in front of a small number of guests. Sachin’s innovations range from cured fish served in pani puri consommé, to a duck confit leg samosa, to spiced bhatura served with lamb fat butter. He brings a tongue-in-cheek humour to the names of his dishes, injecting playfulness into this upscale expedition.

Price: £££; around £100, wine pairings available for an extra fee
Website: chefsachinmistry.co.uk
Stay posted on upcoming events: @chefsachinmistry

Novice Kitchen

Niyi Olopade, known for his spirited condiments stocked at Selfridges and other specialty stores, brings the colour and adventure from his various travel experiences to his supper club and kitchen takeover menus, which celebrate the street food flavours of different global cuisines. Aiming to “spark cultural enlightenment”, Niyi’s dishes incorporate familiar favourites as well as inventive fusions. Expect unfussy yet artful combinations of spice, sweetness and umami, such as green and red nahm jim grilled pork, fresh prawns bathed in a tangy lemongrass sauce, or fleshy chicken wings tossed in a piquant and treacly ‘Balinese jam’.

Price: £; around £35-£40 per head
Website: thenovicekitchen.com
Stay posted on upcoming events: @novicekitchen

The supper clubs listed have been independently selected based on editorial research including investigating recommendations from a trusted network of food and hospitality specialists. All events listed have been attended by our editors.