Booking a table for colleagues or clients and worried about no-shows and bills? Here’s how to plan a work dinner: pick the date and headcount, choose a set menu, confirm dietary needs, then check the deposit and cancellation terms.
This guide is one part of the wider topic of restaurant event planning.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Lina Stores deposit, large table of 9 – 15 guests | £100, deducted from the final bill |
| Lina Stores final guest numbers, groups of 16 and above | Confirmed at least 7 working days before the event |
| Lina Stores table return, groups of 16 and above | May be requested after 3 hours |
| Ask Italian card details for a group booking | Groups of 8 or more |
| Ask Italian card pre-authorisation | £5 per guest |
These figures come from the booking terms of Lina Stores and the Ask Italian FAQ, used here as neutral examples. Terms can change and differ between restaurants, so check the source before you rely on them.
Start with the headcount and the booking type
A dinner for colleagues or clients is a group booking, and restaurants treat group sizes differently. Lina Stores, for example, requires parties of 9 and above to eat from its group set menus (7 guests and above at its Greek Street restaurant), according to its booking terms.
Ask Italian says its website takes bookings for party sizes of up to 50, and that some of its restaurants offer private rooms, private areas or group dining spaces, as its FAQ explains. If you want a space to yourselves, the private dining room hire guide explains what to look for.
Before you contact any restaurant, settle the basics:
- The date and the time guests should arrive
- A firm headcount, plus a realistic range if invitations are still out
- A budget per head, including drinks
- Who will pay, and how
- A list of guests with dietary needs
What deposits and pre-orders should you expect?
Most restaurants ask for money or card details upfront once a group gets large, and the threshold varies. At Lina Stores, a deposit of £100 secures a large table booking of 9 – 15 guests and is deducted from the final bill, per its terms. For groups of 16 and above, it asks for a 50% deposit of the full set menu per person.
Ask Italian asks groups of 8 or more to provide card details, and the card is pre-authorised for £5 per guest, according to its FAQ. It says no payment is taken unless the group fails to turn up or fails to cancel before the 24-hour cancellation period.
Café Rouge’s terms list a deposit of £5 per person for bookings of 13 or more people, except for Christmas menus. The same page says a required pre-order must be made no later than 72 hours before the booking.
Choose a menu that works for the whole table
A set menu keeps service smooth and makes the bill predictable, which suits a client dinner. Lina Stores requires a full pre-order for the total number of guests in the party, as its terms state.
Pre-ordering also protects your choices. Café Rouge says that without a pre-order it cannot guarantee availability of your preferred menu dishes on the date you dine, according to its terms.
To collect orders without chasing people for days, try this:
- Ask the restaurant for the menu options and prices in writing.
- Send guests the choices with a clear reply-by date.
- Check that each dietary need has a suitable dish.
- Send the restaurant one consolidated list before its pre-order deadline.
Dietary needs and allergies
Ask about allergies when you send the invitation, not on the night. Lina Stores asks you to tell it about any allergies, dietary requirements or special requests in your group, and says it will do its best to accommodate them, per its terms.
Kitchens cannot always promise a risk-free meal. Ask Italian says its allergen menu covers the 14 allergens specified by the Food Information Regulations, and that it cannot guarantee dishes are 100% allergen free, as its FAQ states. It asks guests to speak to the restaurant manager about food allergies before ordering.
Timing, numbers and cancellations
Large groups are often given a time limit on the table. Lina Stores says it may ask for a table back after 2h30 minutes for groups of 9 – 16 guests and after 3 hours for groups of 16 and above, per its terms. Plan speeches and any presentations before the main course rather than after it.
Cancellation rules can be strict for big events. Lina Stores sets out these terms for groups of 16 and above:
- Cancel 14 days or more before: full refund of the deposit
- Cancel less than 14 days before: 50% refund of the prepayment
- Cancel less than 7 days before: no refund of the deposit
- Final guest numbers: confirmed at least 7 working days before the event
Falling numbers can still cost you. Lina Stores says that if guest numbers reduce within the cancellation window, it charges the full set menu price for each guest originally booked, and Café Rouge says it cannot part-refund a deposit if the party shrinks, as shown in its terms.
Lina Stores also says guests may reschedule an event once only, and the request must be made at least 7 days before the original date. For a festive date, the christmas party restaurant planning page covers how seasonal bookings differ.
Agree how the bill will be paid
Decide who pays before anyone sits down. Lina Stores asks for a 50% deposit of the minimum spend on private dining bookings, with the remaining 50% due 7 days before the event, per its terms.
If the cost will be split, check card limits in advance. Lina Stores says it accepts a maximum of 8 different card payments per booking to settle a bill. A single company card, or one person paying and claiming back, avoids the problem.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I confirm numbers?
Show answer
It depends on the restaurant. Lina Stores asks for final numbers at least 7 working days before groups of 16 and above, and Café Rouge asks for required pre-orders no later than 72 hours before. Ask for the deadline when you book.
Do I need to pay a deposit for a work dinner?
Show answer
Often, once the group is large enough. Lina Stores asks for £100 for 9 – 15 guests, Ask Italian pre-authorises £5 per guest for groups of 8 or more, and Café Rouge lists £5 per person for 13 or more, except for Christmas menus.
What happens if fewer people turn up?
Show answer
You may still pay for the original numbers. Lina Stores charges the full set menu price for each guest originally booked when numbers drop within the cancellation window, and Café Rouge does not part-refund deposits when a party shrinks.
Can I book a private room for a client dinner?
Show answer
Some restaurants offer one. Ask Italian says some of its restaurants have private rooms, private areas or group dining spaces that can be booked all year round, so ask the venue what is available for your date.
