Full Venue Hire at BIG EASY – Covent Garden

Live music, a nine-metre wall of fire, and 10,000 square feet of converted 1887 powerhouse — Big Easy Covent Garden commits to American BBQ and seafood with an intensity that gives events a clear identity before a single guest arrives. This is a venue where atmosphere isn’t hoped for, it’s engineered: bands play nightly, the display kitchen puts on a show, and the theatrical building provides a backdrop that photographs and videos capture effortlessly. Full venue hire accommodates 500 standing or 250 seated across two floors plus the intimate Shelter Bar on the lower level. The scale is significant for a Covent Garden restaurant — the original steel beams from the building’s days powering electricity to the market create double-height ceilings and industrial proportions that feel celebratory rather than functional.

The Building and Its Character at Big Easy

The 1887 powerhouse conversion retains genuine industrial heritage — massive steel beams, exposed structure, and the kind of ceiling height that gives large events room to breathe. The nine-metre display kitchen (the venue’s self-styled ‘wall of fire’) runs along one side, with chefs working in full view. A nine-metre bar anchors the drinks offering on the main floor, while the Shelter Bar downstairs provides an intimate, lower-key space for smaller gatherings or breakout areas during larger events.

Events and Private Hire at Big Easy Covent Garden

The venue offers floor-by-floor hire as well as full exclusive use. Semi-private areas accommodate groups of around 45 who want their own space within the main restaurant’s atmosphere. Drinks receptions work across both upper and lower decks. The live music — blues, rock and roll, and soul acts performing nightly — can be programmed for private events through the venue’s events team. For corporate entertaining, the ready-made atmosphere removes the risk of flat energy that quieter restaurants carry. Team celebrations, client dinners, and birthday parties benefit from a venue that’s already delivering a night out — your event rides the existing energy rather than needing to generate it from scratch.

Food and Practicalities

In-house catering covers the full Big Easy menu — American BBQ (brisket, ribs, pulled pork), East Coast lobster and seafood, and a bar menu running from craft beers and frozen cocktails to signature drinks. Bottomless brunch packages are available at weekends. The food is substantial and distinctive — guests remember eating here specifically, which isn’t true of most corporate dining options. Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and Charing Cross stations are all within five minutes’ walk. The Maiden Lane address sits between the Piazza and the Strand, well positioned for West End access from virtually anywhere in central London.