Greater London · England
Tapas Catering for Chinatown events
Planning tapas catering in Chinatown? We bring the pans, burners and fresh ingredients and cook in front of your guests.
- Evening grazing
- Drinks reception canapés
- Engagement parties
Book tapas catering in Chinatown
Your questions about tapas catering in Chinatown
Can you cater a reception after a service at St Anne's Church?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking usually happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
What about parking in Chinatown?
It can be, so tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway. We will plan unloading around it.
Are the tapas served hot?
We finish hot dishes on site; cold ones go out as guests arrive.
What if the weather’s bad?
A covered, ventilated spot keeps us cooking in the rain. We will talk it through before the day.
Do you cook it at the event?
Yes. We arrive with everything we need and cook it there and then, serving it hot from the pan.
Can you cater for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, and they’re popular with everyone. Each is cooked separately, with its own stock and utensils.
How much does tapas catering cost in Chinatown?
The price depends on numbers, menu, courses, staff and travel. Tell us about your event and we’ll send a quote.
How soon do we need to book?
As early as you can, especially for summer weekends. Even if it’s short notice, it is worth asking.
Tapas catering in Chinatown, cooked live
Tapas pair naturally with a live paella, served while the paella cooks, but they’re great on their own. We cook albóndigas, patatas bravas and Manchego with membrillo, and we’re often booked for sharing boards for evening guests and tapas and paella menus.
For a London drinks party in Chinatown, canapé tapas are easy to serve in a small space. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated, and served as soon as it’s ready.
- Location
- Chinatown (W1F, W1D, W1T)
- Region
- Greater London
- Dietary options
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Quote
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
DIY paella versus live catering
Plenty of people try cooking paella for their own party. The usual problems are a pan too big for the burner, too much rice and stirring once the rice is in. If you’d rather be with your guests, we will do the cooking.
Weighing up DIY against a caterer? Consider your numbers, your guests’ diets and your own time. Ask us for a quote and compare.
Planning the cooking area
Live paella is cooked over gas burners in large pans, so we need a suitable spot. Here’s what we look for:
- Venue approval for outside catering
- Space for a serving table or station
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
Chinatown is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: let us know about permits, bays or off-street parking.
Not sure about your space? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you honestly.
What we offer
- Albóndigas
- Patatas bravas
- Gambas al ajillo
- Serrano ham
- Manchego & membrillo
- Croquetas
- Tortilla española
- Olives & bread
- Chorizo in red wine
- Padrón peppers
Dietary needs and planning tips
A little planning makes sure everyone can eat. Try these:
- Add sangria or cava
- Ask guests about diets and allergies
- Plan more dishes if tapas are the meal
- Canapés need staff to serve
Canapés go round with the drinks as guests arrive.
Follow tapas with a live paella.
Nearby places to Chinatown
Also in Chinatown
How we price tapas catering
Every event is priced individually, based on a few main things:
- The length of service
- Whether you need crockery
- Parking and unloading
- How many guests are eating
The cost per head normally falls as numbers rise, since the set-up is much the same either way. Give us your numbers and we will quote.
Getting an accurate quote
Good planning starts with a few facts. Please include:
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The address or venue name
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Approximate guest numbers, including children
We quote for each event separately, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
The process
We cook over gas burners in wide, shallow pans. We need a level, ventilated spot, and we agree where that is before the day. At midsummer, it’s light in Chinatown until about 9:20pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it’s dark around 7:05pm, and in December by about 3:55pm.
- Send us the date, venue and numbers.
- We suggest a selection and a quote.
- We set up and finish hot tapas on site.
- Canapés go round or tapas go to the tables.
- We pack down when service ends.
Getting ready for the day
- Leave space around the cooking area
- Choose a level spot for the cooking area
- Check the venue allows live cooking
Get a quote
A detailed enquiry gets a more accurate quote: the venue, the timings, the courses you’d like and any extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Is live paella right for your event?
Tapas can be a starter, a reception or the whole meal, so they fit most plans. Comparing caterers? Look at what each quote includes: staff, crockery, bread and salads, travel and VAT. We itemise ours.
What you get with us
- Sangria, plus bar staff for your own drinks
- Events in Chinatown and across Greater London
- Food that becomes part of the entertainment
- Live cooking, not reheated food
See How we price And Our guide to catering costs.
Drinks receptions around Chinatown
Chinatown is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. We cater events at homes, gardens and venues in Chinatown and nearby villages. Chinatown is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook.
Guests travelling by rail: Tottenham Court Road station is in Chinatown itself. After a ceremony at a church such as St Anne's Church, canapé tapas with the drinks keep guests happy during photos.
Anywhere in W1F, W1D and W1T, we can cook for your guests, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Streets in the area include Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bruton Lane, and we can cook for an event on any of them. Main roads around Chinatown include the A4 and A301, which makes travel to your event easy. If your venue is just outside Chinatown, we also cover Soho (1 mile north), St James's (1 mile south), West End (1 mile north-east), Seven Dials (1 mile north-east) and St Giles (1 mile north-east). We also cook in nearby towns such as Kensington (3 miles west), Shoreditch (3 miles north-east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hoxton (3 miles north-east), Whitechapel (3 miles east) and Hampstead (4 miles north-west).
Well-known places in the area include St James Workhouse (less than half a mile north-west) and Leverian collection (under half a mile south-east). Open spaces near Chinatown include Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
- Local schools include LITE Regal International School (0.6 miles west) and Harris Westminster Sixth Form (0.8 miles south)
- Local pubs include Waxy O'Connor's pub (within half a mile south-west)
- Local facilities include London Library (within half a mile south-west) and Westminster St James (within half a mile south-west)
Who books tapas catering in Chinatown?
Easy to eat with a glass in hand.
These are some of the occasions we cater:
- Anniversary parties
- Canapés with welcome drinks
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Engagement celebrations
Nearby historic houses include Benjamin Franklin House (less than half a mile south-east) and Burlington House (within half a mile south-west). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking is not allowed.
What your quote should include
- The wet-weather plan
- Who provides the crockery
- Whether travel is included
- Staff numbers and hours
Planners, venues and businesses
Booking for a company? Tell us what your finance team needs, and we’ll explain how it works. We’re happy to liaise with facilities on access and timings.
Events in public spaces, like parks, typically need permission. We can send whatever the landowner or council needs from us.
- Cooked live in giant pans at your event
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options
- Paella, tapas, canapés and desserts
- Sangria, bar staff, crockery and waiting staff