Private dining in Vancouver for 10 to 40 guests: rooms, buy-outs and how to arrange it

The guest list for your mother's 60th has reached twenty-two names, and the restaurant she loves seats most of its tables in twos and fours. A group that size is usually arranged with the restaurant ahead of time, down to which part of the room you'll have and what the kitchen will cook. An anniversary dinner for both families, or a team's year-end night out, works the same way.

We asked Anh and Chi, a restaurant on Main Street that hosts groups, how they arrange it. For a dinner at home, we asked Delgado & Co, a private chef and catering company, how theirs work and for a private room, we looked at Notch8's.

What the headcount changes

Roughly in order of size, a restaurant can seat a group at a long table in the main room, in a semi-private area or a private room held for the evening, through a partial buy-out of one part of the space, or with a full buy-out of the whole place. Each restaurant sets its own thresholds between them.

Jordan Russell, Anh and Chi's general manager, told us their group dining menus cover parties of 8 to 18, and that the veranda, heated year-round, holds up to 32 in a semi-private area the group keeps all evening. For bigger parties, the restaurant offers a buy-out with the same menu options, depending on the group size.

Notch8, a hotel restaurant, has a private dining room with a total seated capacity of 40, which its page calls "an extension of Notch8 Restaurant & Bar." The room also hosts a themed afternoon tea from Thursday to Sunday, and the page says its décor is at the time of writing an immersive Emily Carr theme. For group menus, it asks hosts to get in touch; the inquiry form wants the date, start and end times, type of event and number of people.

Set menus and family-style tables

Past a certain headcount, a restaurant may ask the whole table to order from a set menu: one Vancouver steakhouse requires a group set menu for every party of 10 or more, and other restaurants draw that line elsewhere.

A set menu can still arrive family-style, on shared platters passed down the middle of the table. That's how Anh and Chi serves its customizable set menus, and Jordan says the kitchen can work around dietary restrictions and requests.

With a mixed table, ask how the vegan or gluten-free dishes are served: on a platter of their own, or plated for the guests who need them.

How much notice to give

For a partial buy-out, Anh and Chi needs three weeks' notice, Jordan told us, though the restaurant can typically accommodate large groups with less.

The steakhouse's restaurant group asks for final menu and drink choices two weeks before a holiday event; when you confirm, ask your restaurant for its own date.

What to tell the restaurant first, and what to ask

We asked Anh and Chi what a host should tell them first: the date, the guest count, a budget? Their answer was dietary or mobility restrictions. If someone in your group uses a wheelchair or can't manage stairs, say so in that first message.

Mention speeches, a slideshow or decorations early, too: Anh and Chi can accommodate AV equipment and table decorations if needed.

Before you pay a deposit, ask about the terms. These examples come from two Vancouver restaurants' own pages; plenty of places work differently:

• Is there a room fee, a minimum spend on food and drink, or both? The steakhouse sets a minimum "in lieu of room charge," while Notch8's page asks for a minimum spend plus a separate room rental for evenings from 7 p.m. to close, with a higher minimum on Friday and Saturday.
• How much is the deposit? The steakhouse asks for 50% of the minimum spend.
• When is the final headcount due, and what happens to the bill if fewer guests come than you guaranteed?

Drinks for the table, and the wine you bring

Asked what surprises hosts, Anh and Chi's team pointed to their customizable drink menus, with a welcome cocktail or wine for the table as options. If you'd like the drinks settled before the night, ask your restaurant whether it does the same.

Bringing your own bottle is a separate question. BC's Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch says you can't bring your own liquor into a licensed establishment, with exceptions "such as restaurants that offer a 'bring your own wine' option." "Not all restaurants permit this," the branch adds, "so be sure to check in advance, and ask about the corkage fee." For a group, also ask whether the fee is per bottle and whether there's a limit.

If you're taking over the whole restaurant, the Province's guidance for a private event at a business that already holds a liquor licence is to "check with the owner or manager about whether a Special Event Permit is needed," so ask when you arrange the buy-out.

And if you're looking further ahead, Anh and Chi's team has one night it always looks forward to: "Our New Year's Eve parties are always one to remember."

Dinner at home, with a private chef

If you'd rather host at home, the dinner can come to you. Malia McMullen, Delgado & Co's director of operations, told us it starts with a consultation call about the logistics and details. "We find a menu together (we customize every event)," she said, and the same call covers rentals, décor and timing. Then comes a formal quote, and the team stays in touch until the night. On the day, they usually arrive two to three hours ahead, and in Malia's words, "The host doesn't have to lift a finger."

Delgado & Co does tasting menus for groups as large as 300-plus, Malia said, and the size changes the style. A dinner for 12 usually leans toward fine dining, with more intricate plating; as the group grows, the focus shifts toward logistics. "Plating is still beautiful but it will be more efficient."

From your kitchen, Delgado & Co's website asks for "ample counter space, a working oven, a functioning stove with burners, and fridge space." Clear a stretch of counter near the stove and a shelf in the fridge before the team walks in.

Tell the team first about allergies and dietary restrictions for any of your guests, Malia said. They ask, and they prepare for surprises, because "something always comes up," but a last-minute request is tricky for a caterer: "we prepare everything in advance and don't have the luxury of having endless stock like at a restaurant."

Photos by Le Salama, Patty Zavala, Herry Sutanto, cottonbro studio and Cedric Fauntleroy on Pexels and Unsplash.