Entertaining Clients in London: How to Get It Right

Taking a client out in London can be surprisingly difficult.

The best client outings usually aren’t the ones where you try hardest to impress someone. They’re comfortable, well organised and give you enough time to actually talk.

Start With the Client, Not the Restaurant

Before booking anything, think about who you’re meeting.

A potential client you’ve met once probably needs a different setting from somebody you’ve worked with for five years.

Some people like a formal dinner. Others would rather grab lunch somewhere good and get back to work. Then there are clients who seem to do half their business over drinks.

You can usually just tell. No reason to book the priciest place in London if your client would’ve had a better time somewhere chilled out.

Pick Somewhere Convenient

London traffic will wreck even a decent plan if you’re not careful. If someone’s already crossed the city for a meeting, don’t make them trek another hour just cause you found a place you like. Central London’s usually the safe bet — Mayfair, Soho, Covent Garden, the City, all got loads of restaurants and bars you can walk to from offices, hotels, transport, whatever. You’re creating an experience at the end of the day. You want the evening to feel easy.

A Good Restaurant Still Matters

You don’t need the most expensive table.

You do need somewhere where the food is reliable and the room isn’t so loud that everyone has to lean across the table and shout.

That’s probably the first thing I’d check.

Look at the menu beforehand too.

Not because you need to plan everybody’s meal, but because dietary requirements can make things awkward if you’ve picked somewhere with almost nothing they can eat.

A little bit of preparation saves you from that.

Central London Nightspots Are a Go-To for Executives

Central London nightspots are always a go-to for executives, especially in finance and tech, as well as celebrities, partly because many of them are known for having a more elegant atmosphere.

There’s also the convenience.

After dinner, you don’t necessarily have to get into another car and disappear across London. You can walk somewhere nearby, have another drink and carry on talking.

That’s often where the more relaxed conversation happens anyway.

The work part of the evening is usually done by then.

People start talking about holidays, football, restaurants, whatever comes up. You learn more about someone when they’re not sitting opposite you with a laptop open.

Obviously, choose somewhere appropriate for the relationship.

Not every client wants a late night.

Don’t Make Everything About Business

This is probably the biggest mistake.

You don’t need to spend three hours talking about the contract.

If the relationship is already established, the evening should have some normal conversation in it.

Ask about their trip.

Talk about something happening in London.

Find out what they actually like doing outside work.

Then get back to business when it makes sense.

I’ve always found that forced business conversation becomes obvious very quickly.

Timing Makes a Difference

A good lunch around midday gives you an hour or two together without asking somebody to give up their entire evening.

Dinner works when the relationship is further along, or when there’s a reason to make more of an occasion out of it.

I’d also avoid booking too early.

People have meetings running late. Trains get delayed. London does what London does.

Don’t Forget the Small Details

Check the booking. Know how to get there, where it is, how long it takes to get there, and so on.

If you’re paying, make that clear without making a performance out of it.

And don’t keep checking your phone.

Give Them Something to Remember

This doesn’t mean buying a gift.

Sometimes it’s just choosing somewhere they haven’t been before.

Maybe the restaurant has an interesting history. Maybe there’s a great view nearby. Maybe you walk somewhere afterwards instead of immediately calling a car.

The small details tend to stick.

Years later, people rarely remember exactly what was discussed over the starter.

They might remember that strange little restaurant you took them to, or the walk through Central London afterwards.

That’s enough.

Book somewhere good.

Don’t make the journey unnecessarily complicated.

Pay attention.

And if dinner turns into a couple of hours talking about everything except work, I’d probably take that as a good sign.

Business relationships need a bit of that sometimes.