December Dining in London: it’s time to secure your table

Courtesy of Core by Clare Smyth

Prime December restaurant slots are already disappearing fast: office drinks, client lunches, family dinners, New Year's Eve.

If you're planning to entertain clients and colleagues over the festive season, now is the time to secure your table.

As frequent bookers of the best, hard to access tables, Consider it Done's team of EAs know a thing or two about locking in a reservation. Here we're sharing our expertise so you can look forward to some wonderful dining experiences this season.

And if you need venue inspiration, you'll find a link below to receive a list of personal all time London favourites, put together by our very own Dining Concierge, Kimmie.

Securing a table at the hardest to book venues

01 | Be organised.
Check how far in advance restaurants open bookings for your ideal date, and make a note to call or check online precisely when they release tables. For places like The Ledbury or Lyle's, this means being online at 10am exactly, four weeks ahead. Set a phone reminder.

02 | Consider off peak slots.
Early sittings (6pm) or late (9pm+) and Tuesdays to Thursdays dramatically increase your chances. Lunchtimes are often easier than dinner, particularly midweek. And a Tuesday lunch at Sketch is the same kitchen, the same room, far less competition.

03 | Explore walk in options.
Many London restaurants (Quality Chop House, Barrafina, Kiln) hold tables back for walk-ins. Keep a backup plan ready. Or ask if you can have a drink at the bar while you wait for a table to turn. Drop in on the day itself to check for cancellations. December is unpredictable; people's plans shift constantly. You might be lucky.

04 | Gather a group.
Group reservations sometimes have separate allocations or different booking systems. At walk-in only venues, arriving with six people can prompt a conversation about holding a table that wouldn't happen for two.

05 | Try the sister venue or the chef's other project.
Can't get into Sabor? Try Barrafina. No space at Brat? Smoke & Salt often has better availability. Same sensibility, different postcode.

When booking in advance

01 | Call if online shows nothing.
Booking systems don't always reflect real-time availability, especially for larger parties or specific time requests. Ring directly (but avoid peak service times: not between 12-2pm or 6-9pm). A real conversation can unlock options the website won't show you.

02 | Have a credit card ready.

Deposit policies are now standard, particularly in December. Expect £10-50 per person for high demand venues. Don't let this catch you off guard mid-booking.

03 | Check the cancellation policy and note the deadline.
Some venues require 48 hours, others a week. Miss it and you'll lose the deposit. Put it in your calendar the moment you book.

04 | Communicate dietary needs upfront.
Don't leave allergies or requirements to the day. Kitchens appreciate notice, and it means a better experience for your guest rather than a scrambled conversation with a busy waiter. If someone in your party is coeliac or has serious allergies, mention this when booking and reconfirm on arrival.

05 | Be ready to reconfirm closer to the date.

Many restaurants will ask you to reconfirm 24-48 hours before. Respond promptly. Ignoring the email can mean losing your table.

06 | Know their grace period.
Most restaurants hold tables for 15 minutes after the alloted time Some high end venues will hold longer. If you're going to be late, call ahead. Arriving 30 minutes behind schedule without warning can mean your table's been released to someone else.

07 | Check the dress code.

Yes, even in 2025, some venues still care. You don't want to impress your client only to find they've turned up in trainers when there’s a jacket policy.

When Consider it Done steps in

Our EAs can often secure tables when the venue shows full online. We hold provisional bookings while your plans firm up, juggle changes as other commitments shift, and handle the detail work (dietary requirements, reconfirmations, transport timing) so you don't have to track seven different reservations across a diary that's already overloaded.

If December dining is on your agenda but the coordination isn't, we'll simply take it off your list.