Private dining

St John’s has long been known for its excellent standards of cuisine, from formal banquets and glamorous drinks receptions through to intimate dinner parties and al fresco buffets.

A wide selection of menus and wines are available to suit every occasion, and as all our events are bespoke we can easily accommodate special requests, particularly around dietary requirements and allergens.

Guests can choose from a suite of dining rooms and event spaces, including:

The Hall

A magnificent 16th-century building with a hammer beam roof and fine old linen-fold panelling, ideal for large sit-down functions. It can seat 250 in comfort and up to a maximum of 300 for receptions and buffets.

The Wordsworth Room

An impressively furnished room where the poet William Wordsworth lived (in less lavish style than that seen today) while an undergraduate at the College in the 1780s. The room is ideally suited to functions of between 20 to 50 seated, or up to 60 for buffets or drinks receptions.

The Parsons Room

A tastefully decorated parlour-style room, named after alumnus Charles Parsons, the engineer who designed the modern steam turbine. Its intimate setting lends itself to smaller dinner parties, seating up to 16 people or accommodating a maximum of 28 for buffets or receptions.

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The Old Music Room

An atmospheric wood-panelled room in the oldest part of the College. This richly carpeted room overlooking St John’s Street is the ideal venue for drinks receptions and light finger buffets for up to 60 guests.