Ideally situated close to both central London and the City, the Museum’s reception rooms, domestic in scale, are particularly suitable for small or medium-sized dinners and receptions. Guests enjoy exclusive access to all areas of the Museum and, from the moment they step through the door, are transported back in time to the Regency era. A senior member of the curatorial staff, backed up by members of the museum’s warding team, is on hand throughout the evening to ensure your guests’ enjoyment.

Dinners

Pre-dinner drinks are served in the elegant double Drawing Room on the first floor, restored to its original Patent Yellow colour with yellow silk curtains and authentic carpet. An optional pre-dinner guided tour of the ground floor rooms can be given by the Curator on duty.

Dinner is served in the 19th century candlelit setting of the ground floor Library-Dining Room where diners are surrounded by mirrors reflecting the Pompeian red decoration, the Greek vases and other works of art. This is perhaps the most remarkable and atmospheric Regency interior anywhere, where Sir John himself entertained Turner, Coleridge and the Duke of Sussex – the glitterati of the day.
Dining in this spectacular setting truly is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

Maximum of 30 people: 7.00pm until 11.30pm

Receptions

These take place in the Library-Dining Room. Guests may wander through the ground floor rooms of the Museum and visit the famous Picture Room with its two sets of paintings by William Hogarth and the Dome area. Clients may also choose to have the First Floor double Drawing Room, and the Basement Crypt, open. Here, guests may view the remarkable Sarcophagus of Seti I, as did Soane’s guests in 1824 when he held a party to celebrate its acquisition. This was described by Benjamin Robert Haydon:

‘…it was the finest fun imaginable to see the people come into the Library after wandering about below, amidst tombs and capitals, and shafts, and noseless heads, with a sort of expression of delighted relief at finding themselves among the living, and with coffee and cake. Fancy delicate ladies of fashion dipping their pretty heads into an old mouldy, fusty hierogliphicked coffin, blessing their stars at its age, wondering whom it contained …’

Maximum of 80 people: 6.30pm to 9.30pm

The hire charge of £5,000 per event is exclusive of Vat and includes all staffing and security costs.