SAMA Bankside hosts private parties, company events and meetings for 30 to 300 guests, with a choice of four hireable areas on two floors. It is an independent bar and restaurant at 3 Robinson Road, in the railway arches beside Blackfriars Bridge in Southwark, London SE1.
Seminars and company events
Weekday mornings can be booked for meetings, presentations and away days. The venue lists free fibre-optic Wi-Fi, projectors, TVs, microphones and a professional sound system among its event facilities. The site mentions an opening time of 8 am for private hire and events on weekdays, and a 9 am start for pre-booked meetings from Tuesday to Friday, so confirm the exact start with the events team.
Booths, a private meeting and dining room, the lower floor or the whole venue can be hired, depending on the size of the group. After-work drinks, product launches, awards nights and summer parties are all listed as typical uses. The events team handles the floor plan, menus, music and timings.
Weddings and receptions
The venue does not sell weddings. It does host engagement parties and other celebrations such as birthdays, leaving parties and reunions, with a DJ in the evening and party games such as beer pong and giant Jenga.
Rooms and capacities
The Upper Arch and the Inside Garden Arch are semi-private areas for up to 50 guests each. The Lower Arch is more secluded and holds up to 70. The complete Lower Floor can be hired privately for up to 150 guests. Exclusive hire of the whole venue accommodates up to 300 guests.
The venue is closed to the public on Sundays and Mondays but stays available for private hire on those days.
Catering
The kitchen prepares canapés, sharing platters, bowl food, sourdough pizzas and private dining menus on site. A bespoke drinks package can be built, from a welcome glass of prosecco to cocktails and beer. The site also offers office catering platters that are delivered to a workplace, which is useful when a meeting is held elsewhere.
The venue states that it charges no room hire fee. Events work on a minimum spend on food and drink, which depends on the space, the day and the number of guests.
Getting there
SAMA Bankside is at 3 Robinson Road, London SE1 8BU, at the junction of Southwark Street and Blackfriars Road, on the south side of the Thames. Blackfriars, Southwark, London Bridge and Waterloo stations are all a short walk away, so guests coming from different parts of the city can meet easily. A 3D tour of the space is available on the website for planners who want to check the layout before a visit.
