All Rise for Christmas
Wednesday 5 April 2017
We have been busy bees researching the latest trends and predictions in catering and venue styles for the 2017 London Christmas party season. Check out our findings...
Ten years ago (on the eve of the Crash) if you had dropped into a staff Christmas Party in London, the chances are that you would have found the guests arranged around a round table chatting politely to people they had not met from departments they had never visited.
Whilst there are still very good reasons for this formal seating at parties (to better accommodate speeches or end of year awards for example), many companies are now opting for more informal and fluid catering options, which, in turn, gives event buyers greater choice of venues.
By serving up a stream of canapés, bowls (or even street food stalls), guests are given more food choice and more importantly choice as to who they which to spend the majority of their evening with!
Rosalind Hodgson, MD of free venue finder, Venue Search London comments, “Being freed from sitting on a banqueting chair for a couple of house also allows organisers to introduce interactive entertainment and immersive experiences to make their parties more engaging and memorable”.
Our Top Five London Christmas venues for informal parties and celebrations
With venues in Farringdon and Old Street, Bounce is all about partying and ping-pong! These cool bars offer both exclusive Christmas Party bookings or private dining areas for smaller Groups. A range of fun game formats can be enjoyed at your private games tables before you retire to the bar for some great food, cocktails and dancing, all combining to serve up something a little different for your next Christmas party in London.
Situated next door to Camden’s thriving Market, Shaka Zulu is London’s best known and largest African restaurant with a capacity of 750 for exclusive parties. Set over two floors, this spectacularly themed and designed restaurant with giant statues and carved wooden murals and club offers amazing food, drinks, live music, and dancing. The Mezzanine level includes a champagne bar and cocktail lounge overlooking the stunning restaurant, with private dining areas available for smaller groups.
Ten Pin Bowling is as American as Apple Pie and crossed the Atlantic decades ago as a popular social sport suitable for all ages and abilities. With three great Central London venues and their new Stratford lanes, you can combine bowling with dining in a range of beautifully themed private dining rooms suitable for smaller groups. No Christmas party would be complete without great food, delicious cocktails and a great DJ to round-off the challenge of avoiding the dreaded gutters which await any stray bowls!
Circus is a combination of cabaret restaurant and cocktail bar nestled in the heart of London’s lively Covent Garden. Their Pan-Asian menu is interrupted by some jaw dropping and entertaining cabaret acts, following which your guests can dance the night away (on the tables if you prefer!). Circus can be booked for exclusive parties or why not book a few tables as an alternative to the more traditional Shared Party Night venues
Hot on the heels of ping-pong this new venue in Shoreditch (where else!) brings something unique to the London sports bar scene, social darts! Flight Club has brought darts into the modern era with a range of game formats for all standards of player, all scored on a touch screen. Combine this with a long and colourful cocktail menu, a delicious choice of sharing plates and a great DJ and you have a unique social experience perfect for celebrating Christmas.
Will my Christmas party cost less if we don’t go for a seated dinner?
The answer to this is probably! Assuming the same drinks package at the same venue, most operators will charge around £6 to £8 per head less for a bowl food menu. However, the key to getting the best London Christmas party at the best price is to find a venue that is the right size for your company. To do this you need to shop around and create the best shortlist for party, or why now start your free venue search and leave it to the Venue Search London experts.
If this is all a bit confusing or you are snowed under (Ho Ho!) with other work, why not drop into The London Christmas Party Show to get some inspiration of start your free London Christmas venue search now.