The Criterion Restaurant boasts an enviable location in the heart of Piccadilly Circus, and offers elegant, sophisticated and luxurious surroundings for corporate events and private functions. Dating back to 1874 and offering a wealth of character features, this Grade II Listed building also features the globally famous Criterion Long Bar – which is widely recognised as one of the best examples of original neo-Byzantine architecture in the city, and the visual setting for the meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in Arthur Conan’s treasured Holmes series.
The semi-private Terrace area has played host to a wide range of celebrity-studded parties, high-end fashion photo shoots and as a filming location for various television programmes and movies.
The dining room has seen the cast of Downton Abbey enjoying afternoon tea, and has also been used as a location for films such as The Dark Knight, London Boulevard and Rush.
The Head Chef, Artan Hasa, has created a wonderful contemporary European menu made of fresh, sustainable and organic ingredients. As you can imagine, it’s not exactly inexpensive – with a bowl of seafood linguine coming in at£19.50, and a 180g beef fillet costing £34. It is, however, completely and utterly worth it – everything we’ve eaten here has been indescribably tasty, not to mention very, very filling!
If steak is your favourite but you don’t want to break the bank, we recommend trying one of the sharing platters (around £38 for two people) that allows you to sample various hot and cold meats from the menu, along with a fabulous range of salads, dips and sides. The venue even makes its own bread, butter and ice cream – so you’ll always get a unique and freshly prepared dish, presented with flair by excellent service staff.
The restaurant is licensed for wedding ceremonies. If you’d like to sample the party atmosphere of the venue before arranging a free site visit, you can watch live music here every Friday, Saturday and Wednesday night from 7.30pm.
The venue can be hire privately for events, with 200 seated for dinner or 400 standing guests. Bespoke menus can be created for both finger food and sit-down meals, and The Criterion is an old hand at adapting its spaces to suit the needs of filmmakers and photographers.
Call Best Venues London to learn more about hosting your next event at The Criterion Restaurant, or to discover other venues in London that would suit your requirements. Remember, our service is 100% free of charge!
