Dinner party: London restaurants with live entertainment

It’s 10pm in Jeru and the bongos have just started. A DJ dressed all in black slinks to the decks whilst a steady stream of revellers pours in from the restaurant upstairs. In the corner, an unperturbed couple continues to chew their lamb culets.

Welcome to the latest trend to sweep London’s restaurant scene: ‘high energy dining’, or, for those who don’t wince at a portmanteau, ‘clubstaurants’. At the tamer end, this involves diners tapping their cutlery along to a jazz band; at the wilder, it’s caviar, pyrotechnics, and Berlin DJs until the early hours (even on a Tuesday). Below, we detail six such restaurants where you can go from dinner to dancing under one atmospheric roof.

Inca, Mayfair

If you want to take ‘dinner and a show’ to the next level, get yourself to Inca – a lively South American restaurant hidden beneath Oxford Circus. Live performances are an integral part of evenings here, so expect the sound system to kick into life from 8pm as flocks of carnival-clad performers sing and salsa around the stage. Don’t let this distract you from the food, though; the just-launched chef’s tasting menu is just as artistic (the ceviche is particularly good – fresh, zingy, and served abreast a cloud of dry ice).

The Tent (at the End of the Universe), Fitzrovia

This hidden restaurant feels more like a festival tent than a dining room. Once you find it, you’ll discover an incense-filled cavern filled with scarlet canvases, starry installations, and a Berlin-quality sound system. The menu – by chef John Javier – is a colourful, creative take on Middle Eastern cuisine. Begin with a glistening bowl of fuchsia borani and homemade za’atar bread before digging into a whole lobster, deshelled and dusted with rose petals. Don’t miss the cocktail list named after London nightclubs – or the secret nightclub in the basement.

Penelope’s, Covent Garden

It’s not out of the ordinary to dance on the table at Penelope’s; in fact, at its weekly Isramani parties, it’s actively encouraged. The latest addition to Hotel AMANO Covent Garden, the restaurant serves Israeli-Spanish fusion food – think paella topped with octopus and baklava cheesecake – with a side of entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays. Keep an eye out for its Saturday festivities which ‘turn the dinner party on its head’.

"mu", Dalston

You’ll have to head to Dalston’s Kingsland Road to find this lively new Japanese spot. Don’t be put off by the graffitied door; inside is a haven of dark wood, hanging lamps, and natural wines. Nightly entertainment encompasses all tastes, from tinkling piano to jazz from some of London’s leading musicians (the livelier stuff is on Friday and Saturday evenings). Your fuel for the evening comes courtesy of a robatayaki grill and features the likes of pork tonkatsu, monkfish tempura, and smoked salmon teriyaki.

Jeru, Mayfair

Jeru quite literally arrived on Mayfair’s restaurant scene in a puff of smoke: its fiery open kitchen commands the entire width of the upstairs dining room. As well as serving creative Middle Eastern dishes – try the halloumi doughnuts and charcoal-roasted aubergine – it also offers a fantastic roster of entertainment on Thursday and Friday evenings. DJs, live musicians, and the occasional bongo player entertain diners from its sunken Layla Bar, where you can also make the most of a Middle Eastern-inspired cocktail list.

Lío London, Soho

The long-awaited Lío London arrived in February 2023, transforming the former Café de Paris into an immersive cabaret experience featuring the original 1924 double staircase, a moveable DJ, and a stage decorated with 18 hand-painted doors. The menu is suitably decadent – and dramatic, being split into sections such as ‘kisses of pleasure’ (starters) and ‘tears of joy’ (that’s dessert).

Quintessentially can help you to plan the perfect evening out. Get in touch with your lifestyle manager or find out more about membership to get the party started.