A couple of the City of London’s grand and normally private livery halls hold public livery lunches typically once a month, and dates for the rest of the year and next year have been released. The Livery Halls are not that easy to get inside unless you manage to get on an occasional tour or attend an event, so their monthly lunches are quite popular.
Be aware that a dress code of business attire applies to visitors.
Butchers Hall (c) Butchers Company
Butchers’ Hall
The Worshipful Company of Butchers has existed since at least 975AD, and their current hall is their fourth, which also dates from the 1960s, and was recently refurbished. Make sure you use the cloakroom when you arrive, as it takes you past a window to look into the larder.
Note – the prices will go up next year, but if you book by the end of this year, your lunch will be at the current £66 charge. The lunches take place on Wednesdays, with the bar opening at 12:30pm and lunch at 1pm and confirmed for the following dates.
The remaining dates for 2023:
- 15th November
2024
- 21st February
- 20th March
- 10th April
- 15th May
- 19th June
- 17th July
Booking details are here
Watermen’s Hall
Built in 1780 by William Blackburn, Watermen’s Hall remains the only original Georgian hall within the City of London. Although it looks and behaves like a Livery company, for historical reasons, the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames is not a formal City livery company. So it’s not a Worshipful company.
That makes it unique in the City.
Their (not) livery lunches take place on the following Fridays and cost £80 per person with matching wines.
The remaining dates for 2023:
- 10th November
- 8th December
2024
- 12th January
- 8th February
- 8th March
- 12th April
- 10th May
- 14th June
- 12th July
- 13th September
- 11th October
- 8th November
- 13th December
Reservations can be made via e-mail cookandbutler@btconnect.com or call 020 7620 1818.
Details here.
Ironmongers’ Hall
I add this for completeness, as it’s only open to Freemen and Liverymen of a City livery company, but their Monday Lunch club runs most weeks and details are here.
Leave a Reply