Today, private supper clubs are helping make the world of fine dining a more welcoming and enjoyable, family experience. Long gone are the days of the traditional “dress up, book up, turn up, pay up. ” Taken its place is a new and popular style of dining. It’s exclusive but this intimate, gastronomic experience can be shared by new friends, usually around the same dining table.
It’s no surprise that new, private supper clubs are helping to revive the idea of eating out and enjoying a friendly, rather than forced experience.
We searched the world to locate the best private dining experiences available. Take a look and consider your next meal at one of the private supper clubs.
Casa Saltshaker is a very intimate affair: (photo above)
New York Chef Dan Perlman, who has been in the Argentinean capital for nearly 10 years, organizes these very special house parties. Dan hosts the dinner parties from his apartment (AKA Casa Saltshaker) from Friday to Sunday cooking dishes being dependent on his mood that day.
The Five Course meals take influence from the Mediterranen and are carefully matched with local vinos for a mere $70. Expect your taste buds to be tantalized by wonders such as Dans famous ceviche, served over a corn puree, fava beans, red onion, rocoto peppers cilantro, cherry tomatoes and crushed tortilla crumbs.
There is room for ten people, who all gather around Dan’s open kitchen table to watch his culinary skills and hear his stories. As this is a very intimate affair, Dan likes to chat with all of his guests beforehand to make sure they’re the right kind of person for this amazing experience.
Aronia de Takazawa, Tokyo:
Chef Yoshiaki Takazawa and his wife, Akiko, run this hidden restaurant in Tokyo’s Akasaka district. Yoshiaki is well known by the world food trade for his imaginative creations which include Foie gras crème brûlée with mango; smoked Ezo venison; curry ice cream to name a few.
Fresh seasonal ingredients and artistic flair make Aronia de Takazawa a must visit. The establishment serves a maximum of 10 diners per sitting and serves an 11 course meal, and with a 3-6 month waiting list of people prepared to pay $270, this is one of the hardest reservations in the county. Expect dining at it’s very best.
The emphasis is on fresh seasonal ingredients and the concept is based on the traditional domestic Japanese tea ceremony where the experience is shared with the family.
Angelika Apfelthaler’s dinners are now legendary in Vienna:
Chef Angelika Apfelthaler (and her friends) makes room for guests in her home each week to sample masterfully cooked international dishes such as hazelnut and chestnut soup followed by zucchini mint quiche with goats’ cheese, a pasta course with pumpkin gnocchi topped with truffle salt and a main of duck breast with risotto and saffron.
Despite the high quality of the food prepared this highly informal open kitchen has become legendary in the city and is a great place to meet new friends, business associates or fellow foodies to discuss your next gastronomic adventure.
The Dining Room only takes small tables (maximum 5-6 per table, but preferably not more than 4) and has definitely focused on being a “romantic” hotspot, they now also offer very stylish dinner boxes for a truly elegant take-out.
Craig Thornton’s Wolvesmouth Dinners, Los Angeles:
This well-known private supper club institution is the brain-child of Los Angeles chef Craig Thornton.
Regarded as one of the toughest reservations in Los Angeles the club is hosted at Craig’s loft apartment with an open kitchen and communal seating for twenty-four. If you are lucky enough to get a booking expect to mix with a plethora of unique personalities from UFC fighters, technology entrepreneurs, food bloggers and Hollywood royalty.
The word on the street is that the famous eatery will soon be heading above ground to keep up with demand. Expect to dine with some amazing characters at Wolvesmouth Dinners
Verjus (Previously The Hidden Kitchen), Paris:
This well-known supper club is frequented by Hollywood A-listers, business leaders and foodies who travel the globe for a seat at this food heaven run by Seattle transplants Braden (a chef) and Laura (a baker) who were worried about making friends after their move to Paris last year. Their solution, host dinner parties at their apartment – all the time!
Verjus has become known the world over by foodies. Braden and Laura use local produce from their local market, Marché d’Aligre, to create their renditions of great American dishes such as root vegetable pot pie with white truffle béchamel; kale-wrapped heirloom pork; butternut squash bread pudding.
12 guests, for a very reasonable $100, enjoy a 7- to 10-course meal with wine pairings. Each meal starts with an aperitif and ends with petit fours.
The Loft Project, London:
The well-known Loft Project is the creation of Nuno Mendes, the freethinking chef now working at Viajante in Brick Lane.
The worlds top chefs frequent this high-end supper club in London so make sure you book in advance. Prices vary depending on Nuno’s menu but be prepare to pay $160.
Gitone Fine Arts, Hong Kong:
Terance Lee, famed Chinese artist, has run this ceramics workshop and gallery since 1995. Gitrone transforms into a private dining experience specializing in dishes from Shanghai in the evenings.
Gitrone has become a tough booking to get with their eight appetizer and eight main course ‘Grand Dinner’ now renowned throughout the islands foodies with plates served such crab roe served in egg cups, abalone in tangerine and wine sauces and grouper with asparagus.
Booking in advance is essential for a minimum of four people paying $150 each.
Zuhause, Berlin:
Berlin is still relatively new to the private dining club scene, but the multi-course menu and wine list for a recent supper club at Zuhause did not disappoint.
Zuhause, which means “at home” in German is operated by husband and wife duo, Canadian Kristi Korotash and Irishman David O’Reilly.
“The Irish and German influences at this club, usually result in the guests joining the chef in a few glasses of wine, often into the “wee hours of the morning” states Kristi.
This super “hush” private supper club likes to keep things far more secret than the masses of “private” supper clubs popping up all over the world. Like the exclusivity? Hush requires their guests to complete questionnaires and provide photos of themselves before they can request an invite to the supper club in the capital’s fancy U Street neighborhood.
Expect organic and extravagant Indian vegetarian fare on offer here with an enjoyable spice tour from the chef.
FRANK, Dallas:
FRANK is an covert, private dinner party experience where Ben Starr (the ex-MasterChef Season 2 finalists) invite their guests into their world cuisine which is influenced by their extensive travels, the arts, music and life.
Guests enjoy multi-course meals with wine, beer and cocktails included within the usual donation of $100. All of Jennie and Bens creations are made with the freshest local ingredients. Seated round FRANK’s massive communal and reclaimed wood table, guests are treated to classically inspired recipes with no flashy tricks to confound or befuddle your palate as you take in the natural dinner party setting.
To experience FRANK, get on their email list at least two weeks in advance of each dinner party. Jennie and Ben’s serve classically inspired recipes at FRANK.
You are interested in learning more about fine dining, VIP experiences such as trying out one of the best private supper clubs, contact us today for reservations. Come back often and follow this luxury blog for the latest dining and luxury restaurant news.
Photo: Casa Saltshaker restaurant – Argentina
