Santa Clara makes planning a private dinner or celebration painless. You’re close to Silicon Valley hotels, major venues like Levi’s Stadium and the Convention Center, and a mix of restaurants that actually have the space and setup to host groups without forcing a full buyout.
Whether you’re pulling together a corporate meal, family milestone, or a bigger reception, these picks cover a wide range of formats – from banquet halls built for ceremonies to taprooms and patios that work for more casual gatherings.
11 Best Restaurants in Santa Clara for Private Gatherings
Here are Santa Clara spots where the event logistics are easy, the food is worth gathering for, and the spaces are designed to handle any group size.
1. Barebottle Brewing Company
Location: 2520 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, CA
Barebottle’s Santa Clara taproom is located in Santa Clara Square Marketplace and works well for groups that want a relaxed, social setup. The space is bright and open with indoor seating plus a heated patio, and the tap list is a big draw with 20–30 rotating beers on tap alongside wine, kombucha, coffee, and sodas.
For a casual private event (birthday hangs, team happy hours, or post-conference meetups), the mix of lounge seating, high-tops, picnic tables, and games like pinball and pool keeps people moving and mingling.
Event bookings are flexible, with reservable zones that can scale up to large parties. And they allow outside food or catering if you want to bring in your own spread. There’s no food-and-beverage minimum, just a reservation fee, and decorations are allowed.
Parking is easy with free garage and lot parking right across the street, which is a win for any Santa Clara gathering.
2. Clara’s Junction
Location: 2221 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara, CA
Clara’s Junction is built for big energy events. The venue spans about 18,000 square feet and can handle up to 190 seated guests or 600 standing, so it’s ready for everything from company parties to game-day receptions.
Indoors, you get an industrial-modern layout with a pass-through bar and lots of room to configure tables, while the Backyard adds fire pits, heaters, lawn games, and enough space to keep a crowd comfortable without feeling packed in.
Food is New American with bar-friendly mains and shareables, plus weekend/game-day extras from their taco truck and BBQ setup.
It’s located near Tasman and the Clara District hotels, and guests can take the VTA light rail to Lick Mill Station and walk in.
3. Il Fornaio
Location: 2752 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, CA
Il Fornaio is a dependable option for private dinners that need a bit more polish. The standout space is the covered Piazza patio, which seats up to 55 guests or hosts about 85 standing. It can also be split into a semi-private section for around 28 seated guests.
The patio is climate-controlled with glass walls, automated shades, heaters, fans, dimmable lighting, and built-in screens. It works year-round for rehearsal dinners, client meals, and milestone celebrations.
Menus focus on classic Italian crowd-pleasers – house-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas, grilled meats, seafood specials, and fresh bread – with wine and cocktail pairings that suit a more fine-dining-leaning event.
The location is in Santa Clara Square with free off-street parking and nearby garage options, so arrivals stay smooth even for bigger groups.
4. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Location: 2762 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, CA
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is a polished pick for corporate dinners or milestone celebrations where the food and room setup need to feel dialed in.
The Santa Clara location offers multiple private spaces you can reserve depending on group size, including the Vineyard Room (up to 100 guests), Private Patio Room (about 50), Estate and Domaine Rooms (around 45 each), and the Chateau Room (about 24) for smaller dinners.
Each room supports A/V needs like Wi-Fi, large screens, and projector capability, so it works for presentations as easily as celebratory toasts.
The menu follows their steakhouse format, featuring USDA Prime cuts, seafood, and full wine-and-cocktail service, with event staff handling pacing and custom menus.
The restaurant sits in Santa Clara Square near major hotels, with easy arrivals via VTA light rail or buses that stop close to Augustine Drive. Guests driving can use the retail lots and street parking in the same complex.
5. Puesto
Location: 2752 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, CA
Puesto is perfect for private events that want bright, high-energy Mexican food and a lot of flexibility in layout.
The venue includes several bookable spaces with clear caps:
- The Lady Bird room seats 80 or holds 100 standing
- The Lounge fits 20 seated/standing
- The Plantas Patio hosts 30 seated/standing
- The Patio Grande handles 44 seated or 60 standing.
For bigger receptions, Puesto can expand into a larger multi-space event footprint, with capacity up to 500 standing for full buyouts.
Menus lean into gourmet tacos, shareable trays, and tray-passed bites, paired with signature margaritas, craft cervezas, and cocktail packages sized to your headcount.
It’s in Santa Clara Square with lots of adjacent parking, and guests can arrive by VTA light rail/bus, then do a short walk or rideshare from the Santa Clara transit corridor.
6. Birk’s
Location: 3955 Freedom Circle, Santa Clara, CA
Birk’s is a classic steakhouse option in a quiet office-park pocket near Highway 101, which makes logistics easy for weekday business gatherings or family dinners that need privacy.
The restaurant offers dedicated private dining rooms, including spaces that accommodate around 20 guests and up to 35 guests, plus a semi-private option that can scale larger depending on layout. Event formats range from plated dinners to cocktail receptions, and the staff is used to handling corporate groups smoothly.
Food centers on hardwood-grilled steaks, smoked prime rib, seafood, and seasonal sides, with a full bar and wine list that works well for pairings.
There’s ample free parking behind the restaurant and in adjacent lots, so arrivals stay simple. VTA buses serving the Mission College/Freedom Circle area are the main public transit option, with short rideshare connections from Caltrain stations.
7. Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie
Location: 3905 Rivermark Plaza, Santa Clara, CA
Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie is a practical choice for groups looking for a relaxed meal with a designated event area. They have multiple spaces you could book including the:
- All-season Terrace Dining Room (the Patio) – a private covered patio that fits about 65 seated guests or 90 standing
- Globe Room – accommodates 30 seated guests or 40 standing.
- Grand Main Dining Room – accommodates 72 seated guests or 60 standing
- The Rise Bar – accommodates 32 seated guests or 45 standing for more casual events
These options give you plenty to choose from for your event, whether it’s for a birthday, team dinner, or casual reception.
Menus revolve around wood-fired pizzas, rotisserie meats (including their prime rib and chicken), plus comfort-food sides and cocktails.
Rivermark Plaza offers plenty of complimentary parking across the shopping center, which is ideal for groups arriving in multiple cars. VTA buses serve the Rivermark area for guests coming without vehicles, though most parties find driving the easiest route.
8. Hansung BBQ
Location: 2644 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA
Hansung BBQ is a strong choice when your group wants an interactive meal that doubles as the event. Tables are built around mesquite-charcoal grills, and staff help manage the heat and pacing so the food keeps moving without your guests having to play chef.
The menu leans into BBQ classics, Certified Angus beef, pork, chicken, and seafood, with plenty of banchan and lettuce refills to keep the table stocked. That setup works especially well for birthdays or team dinners where you want a shared, hands-on meal rather than a fixed-course format.
For logistics, Hansung sits right on El Camino Real, so it’s easy to reach from anywhere in Silicon Valley. VTA bus lines that run along El Camino (such as the 22 and Rapid 522) stop nearby, and most guests drive because parking is available on-site and in adjacent lots.
9. Sumiya Yakitori
Location: 2634 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA
Sumiya Yakitori is well-suited for smaller private gatherings that want a dedicated dinner in a lively but not massive setting. The kitchen specializes in binchotan-grilled yakitori skewers, so your group can order a wide variety of meats, vegetables, and seafood and build the meal around sharing.
Alongside skewers, the menu includes izakaya staples like rice bowls, noodles, and small plates, making it easy to scale orders for different appetites without locking into a banquet format.
Transit access is straightforward by VTA bus along Homestead Road. The restaurant sits in a strip mall with a free lot right outside, so parking is typically easy, even for a multi-car group.
10. Pocha K
Location: 2340 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA
Pocha K is built for celebrations that want late-night energy and shareable Korean pub food. Inside, you’ll find a full soju-and-cocktail bar, K-pop on the speakers, and table setups that handle groups without needing a private room.
The food is made for ordering across the table: soy-garlic chicken, kimchi pork fried rice, tonkatsu, corn cheese, and “pocha fries” are all designed to land in the middle and disappear fast. If your gathering is more party than board meeting, this spot gives you a clear runway for that.
Because Pocha K is also on El Camino Real, your guests can take VTA buses that run the corridor, then walk a block or two. Driving is common, and there’s parking nearby, though it can feel tight during peak hours. It’s worth encouraging carpools or rideshares for bigger groups.
11. Mio Vicino
Location: 1290 Benton Street, Santa Clara, CA
Mio Vicino is one of those old-town Santa Clara staples that stays dependable for private dinners. The big practical hook is their private dining room that seats up to 35 guests, so you can host a rehearsal dinner, family celebration, or client lunch without buying out the whole restaurant.
Outside that room, the main dining area is still group-friendly, with a menu that spans antipasti, handmade pastas, and pizzas that are easy to share across a long table.
Getting there is simple. Benton Street is close to Santa Clara University and downtown routes, so buses through the central Santa Clara St area make transit workable, and many guests will drive because street parking and a nearby lot are available.
Conclusion
Santa Clara makes private-event planning easy. You have great options, from banquet halls and big indoor-outdoor venues to restaurants with clear private-room capacities and shareable menus.
You’ve got everything from full-service banquet halls for big milestones to breweries, patios, and restaurants that spell out their private-room capacities and group setups upfront. That means you can choose a spot that fits your headcount and style and keep the logistics smooth for guests coming from around Silicon Valley.
Ready to book the perfect venue for your next event? Jump into Perfect Venue Marketplace to compare these Santa Clara venues fast (capacities, private vs semi-private spaces, and event formats) then send an inquiry to your top choice in a couple of clicks.
