Greater London · England
Tapas Catering for St James's events
We cook Spanish tapas and canapé catering, on its own or alongside a paella in St James's and nearby, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options.
- Birthday drinks
- Office parties and launches
- Cocktail parties
Tapas catering near St James's
What tapas catering costs
The same guest numbers can mean different prices, because of:
- Guest numbers
- The paellas you choose
- The length of service
- Crockery and cutlery, or disposables
Seafood and premium ingredients cost more than chicken or vegetable paellas, so your choice of paellas affects the total. We will suggest options to suit your budget.
What we need to know
The more we know about your event, the better we can plan. Try to include:
- A picture of where we’d cook
- Roughly how many adults and children
- Whether you want canapés, tapas or desserts
- The date and time of the event
To get a price, use our quote form. Tell us about your event in St James's, and we’ll put together a menu and price.
How our tapas catering works in St James's
Many classic tapas are naturally vegetarian, such as tortilla, bravas and padrón peppers, and some can be gluten-free. We are frequently asked to cater sharing tapas starters and welcome-drink canapés, with Serrano ham, tortilla española and Manchego with membrillo.
Canapé tapas suit smaller London spaces in St James's. All the cooking equipment comes with us, and we clear our cooking area away afterwards.
- Area
- St James's (W1F, W1D, W1J)
- Area hub
- Greater London
- Diets
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal
- Add-ons
- Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff
- Price
- Contact us for a quote
- Updated
- 23 October 2026
Towns and villages near St James's
Also in St James's
Before you choose a spot
No two venues are the same, so we will ask about yours when you contact us. In general, we need:
- Room on tables for sharing dishes
- Space to finish hot dishes
- Space for a serving table or station
As a London location, St James's is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, and parking takes planning: tell us about parking bays, permits or a driveway.
If in doubt, send us a picture of the spot and we will advise before booking.
Popular choices
- Padrón peppers
- Patatas bravas
- Olives & bread
- Serrano ham
- Chorizo in red wine
- Gambas al ajillo
- Albóndigas
- Manchego & membrillo
- Croquetas
- Tortilla española
For planners, venues and organisers
For larger events, we plan the number of pans and serving points around your timings, so everyone eats promptly. Let us know how long the food break is.
Organising a club, school or community event in St James's? Paella is quick to serve to a crowd and suits most diets. Tell us about the event and we will suggest a menu.
Is live paella right for your event?
Sandwich buffets are forgettable. Tapas feel special. Tapas, desserts, sangria, staff and crockery are optional extras, so you can choose exactly what you need.
Why book with us
- Hot food served quickly from the pan
- Waiting staff and crockery on request
- Everything cooked fresh at your event
- Add tapas, canapés and Spanish desserts
Take a look at Our pricing And The cost guide.
About the dishes
Manchego & membrillo
Manchego with sweet quince.
Patatas bravas
Always popular and normally vegetarian.
Common questions in St James's
We are having a ceremony at St James’s Church: can you cater afterwards?
Yes, at a garden, marquee or venue nearby with a suitable spot to cook. Churches rarely have space for live cooking, so the meal is typically elsewhere. Send us the reception address.
Which station should guests use for St James's?
London Charing Cross station, in St James's itself.
Is halal food available?
Yes, we do. Halal paella is cooked with halal chicken and no pork or alcohol, in its own pan.
Do you provide serving staff?
Staff make canapés work, and we can provide them.
Should we have more than one paella?
Generally two or three, so every guest has a choice. We’ll recommend a mix based on diets.
Do you do starters?
Yes, it’s the classic pairing. Tapas first, paella to follow.
Are your tapas vegetarian-friendly?
Plenty are vegetarian, like tortilla and padrón peppers. Each dish is labelled.
Can the paella be cooked in a hall?
Indoors only where ventilation and the venue allow it. Most events have us cooking outside or in a doorway or courtyard.
Drinks receptions around St James's
St James's is about 1 mile south-east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. For an event in St James's, we cater in back gardens, halls with outdoor space, barns, marquees and offices in and around St James's. St James's is one of 764 places in Greater London where we cook.
If you are looking at a historic venue around St James's, check its catering rules early, as many limit cooking. Canapé tapas suit the drinks after a ceremony at a church like St James’s Church.
We cater events across the W1F, W1D and W1J postcode area. Whether your event is on Duck Lane, Bruton Lane and Bridle Lane or a nearby road, we can cook there. Main roads around St James's include the A4 and A400, so getting the burners and pans to your event is simple. Neighbouring places where we cater events include Chinatown (1 mile north), Charing Cross (1 mile east), Soho (1 mile north), West End (1 mile north-east) and Burlington Estate (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover 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).
A little further out are St James Workhouse (within half a mile north-west) and Montfichet's Tower (1.4 miles east). Green spaces nearby include St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.
- Schools near St James's include LITE Regal International School (0.5 miles west) and Harris Westminster Sixth Form (0.6 miles south)
- Pubs nearby include Tom Cribb pub (less than half a mile north-east)
- Other local spots include London Library (less than half a mile south-west) and Westminster St James (less than half a mile west)
Step by step
Watching it cook is half the fun. We start with the sofrito, add the stock and saffron, then spread the rice across the pan and leave it alone to cook while your guests chat. Sunset in St James's is around 9:20pm in June, which suits an outdoor reception.
- You tell us the date, venue, numbers and how you’d like the tapas served.
- You get a suggested selection and a price.
- We arrive, set up and finish hot dishes on site.
- Canapés go round with the drinks, or table tapas go out to share.
- We pack down when service ends.
Before we arrive
- Tell us when you want to eat
- Give us your final numbers and diets
- Have a gazebo or cover ready if rain is likely
Ask for a quote
Each quote is tailored to your event. Tell us your date and guest numbers, and we’ll confirm whether we are available that day.
Read more
Why choose tapas catering in St James's?
They’re the classic starter before paella.
Live paella works for big and small events alike. Typical bookings include:
- Tapas with a paella main course
- Birthday drinks
- Drinks parties and receptions
- Work receptions
Nearby historic houses include Marlborough House (less than half a mile south-west) and Burlington House (less than half a mile west). For a drinks reception at a historic venue, canapé tapas can work where live cooking is not allowed.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether crockery, cutlery and napkins are included
- When final numbers are due
- The deposit and payment dates
- How each diet is kept separate
Should I cook it myself?
If you do cook yourself, test the pan and burner together beforehand, have hot stock ready, and leave the rice alone once it’s in. And keep children and pets well away from the burner.
Hiring a pan and burner is one option, but you’ll still need to source ingredients, prep and cook for hours. We take care of all of it.
- 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