Greater London · England
Tapas & canapé catering in Highgate, Greater London
Treat your guests to live paella at your event in Highgate. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, and serve it straight from the pan.
- Evening grazing
- Work receptions
- Tapas with a paella main course
Planning an event in Highgate?
A closer look at the menu
Gambas al ajillo
Prawns sizzled in garlic and olive oil with a little chilli.
Manchego & membrillo
A simple, classic pairing.
Tapas catering in Highgate, cooked live
We finish hot tapas on site, so they arrive hot. Whether it’s receptions and drinks parties and drinks reception canapés, we can cook tortilla española, gambas al ajillo and Serrano ham.
Tapas work well for receptions and parties in Highgate, in a home, a venue or an office. Tell us about access and parking. Everything is cooked from scratch at your event, never made in advance and reheated.
- Where
- Highgate (N6, N19, NW5)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Special diets
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal
- Also available
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Last updated
- 23 October 2026
Where we can cook in Highgate
We will agree the cooking spot with you before the day. A good spot ticks these boxes:
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
- The venue’s agreement to outside caterers
- Space for a serving table or station
Highgate is in London, within the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking can be tight: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If you are unsure, send a picture of the space and we’ll say what we think before you book.
Menu ideas
- Serrano ham
- Manchego & membrillo
- Tortilla española
- Padrón peppers
- Olives & bread
- Chorizo in red wine
- Croquetas
- Patatas bravas
- Albóndigas
- Gambas al ajillo
Dietary needs and planning tips
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal guests. To get it right:
- Keep seafood and meat dishes clearly separate
- Widen the selection for a tapas-only menu
- Ensure dishes are labelled
- Let us know if tapas are a starter or the main event
Dishes are labelled for diets and allergens.
Spanish desserts to finish.
The process
From set-up to serving, we look after the food, so you can enjoy your event. Any tapas or canapés are served first as the rice is cooking. At midsummer, it is light in Highgate until about 9:20pm, perfect for canapés outdoors. By late September it is dark around 7:05pm, and in December by about 3:55pm.
- We check your date.
- You pick the style.
- We set up on arrival.
- Hot and cold tapas are served.
- Afterwards, we clear up.
Before we arrive
- Arrange a covered spot for wet weather
- Get the venue’s permission for cooking
- Have a level space ready for the pans
Getting a price
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote: venue, timings, courses and extras. To send your details, send us your details through our quote form.
Read more
Why choose tapas catering in Highgate?
One spread covers many tastes and diets.
We can help if you’re planning any of the following:
- Work receptions
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Birthday drinks
- Table tapas as a starter
Historic houses near Highgate include Witanhurst (under half a mile south-west) and Athlone House (0.6 miles west). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking isn’t allowed.
Questions to ask before you book
- How bad weather is handled
- Travel and parking costs
- The venue requirements
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
Organising for someone else?
For big numbers, we plan pans and serving points to keep queues short, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
If you run the same event each year, tell us your dates early, so we can hold the date.
Planning a tapas spread in Highgate
Highgate is about 2 miles north-east of Hampstead, in Greater London. Across the N6 area, we’ll come to your venue or garden. Highgate is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook.
Historic buildings near Highgate frequently have strict catering rules, so ask early if that’s your venue. A picnic in Whittington Park? Check the park’s rules first; a garden or hired venue is often easier for catering.
Anywhere in N6, N19 and NW5, we can bring tapas catering to you, from busy streets to quiet lanes. Local streets include Wood Lane, Grange Road and Talbot Road; an event at home on any of them works well with live paella. Close by, we cover events in Upper Holloway (1 mile south-east), Dartmouth Park (1 mile south), Lissenden Gardens (1 mile south), Crouch End (1 mile north-east) and Tufnell Park (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include London (5 miles south-east), City of Westminster (4 miles south), Marylebone (4 miles south), Kensington (6 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles south) and Shoreditch (4 miles south-east).
Other landmarks nearby include The Mall Wood Green (2.2 miles north-east) and Kenwood House (1 mile west). Not far away are Darland's Lake and Parkland Walk.
- Schools near Highgate include St Aloysius RC College (within half a mile south-east) and Asanté Academy of Chinese Medicine (0.5 miles north)
- Pubs nearby include The Angel Inn (under half a mile south-west)
- Local facilities include Hornsey (1.2 miles north-east)
Questions from Highgate
We’re having a ceremony at Highgate United Reformed Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Live cooking typically happens at the reception venue, not the church. Tell us where the reception will be.
What’s the nearest station to Highgate for guests?
The closest is Upper Holloway station, roughly 0.9 miles away.
Do you supply canapé staff?
Staff make canapés work, and we can provide them.
Do you cook tapas on site?
Hot tapas are finished on site so they’re served at their best.
Do you have a kids’ option?
Children are welcome. Let us know numbers and ages, and we will plan for them.
How do you work out quantities?
We plan quantities around your timings and courses. Give us the details for a suggestion.
What if the weather’s bad?
We cook under cover, like a gazebo or open-sided marquee. We plan for rain with you in advance.
Should we have more than one paella?
Two or three covers most guests. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
Places near Highgate
More for events in Highgate
How we price tapas catering
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- The paellas you choose
- The length of service
- Travel, parking and access
- Whether you need crockery
Compared with a plated meal, live paella is often good value, as there is no kitchen to hire and fewer staff to pay. We’ll send you a quote.
What to tell us
Here’s what makes a quick, accurate quote possible:
- A picture of the cooking space, if it is a garden or field
- Anything your venue supplies
- Expected numbers
- The venue or postcode
Every event is quoted individually, so you only pay for what you need. For a quote, fill in our quote form.
Should I cook it myself?
DIY catering keeps costs down, but the host spends the party cooking. With live paella catering, you get the theatre without the work.
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, keep the stock hot, and leave the rice alone once it is in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
- 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