h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Has anyone ideas for venues/activities for an office Christmas party in London?

It'll have to involve a sit-down meal at some point. I also want it to be socially inclusive and fun. Other than that, anything goes.

Over to you...

Icy

Can't name any particular places, but I've found a few things over the years...

Don't make it loud. (Yes, I know the h2g2 meet ended up being loud) People like to chat with each other, so find somewhere they can.

Don't force people. Not everyone enjoys the same things, so forcing people to do something they don't enjoy will just put them into a bad mood before it starts.

Don't make it all night. Some people (like me) like an early night, so if there's a definite split ( such as meal, then off to a nearby pub ) people get an opportunity to head home.

Don't make it expensive. Not everyone is willing to pay £100 for a meal, and more for drinks.

Whatever you do do though, it will almost certainly be busy, crowded and noisy. Have fun!

If I wanted it busy, crowded and noisy I'd hold it on the Central Line

I did go to a Christmas party once where they held it in the office itself. It seemed like a really cheesy, cheap thing to do, but they'd cleared out the entire meeting room of unneeded junk, set up the big table for everyone to dine at, got in some nice wall hangings and standard lamps to make it more comfortable, then decorated it with branches with white sparkling lights in going around the walls. So it actually felt kinda nice in there.
Then, they'd ordered in lots of take away food from the local Chinese, Indian and Pizza takeaways, so that people got to eat what they wanted.
They'd even set up a small bar at one end where the bosses poured everyone's drinks for the night.

So, while it sounded very cheap to start with, it turned out okay.

There's a Karaoke place in Victoria, a Chinese E-A-M-A-Y-L place that does Croaky that I know work colleagues have used a number of times. I could get details. I understand that is pretty inexpensive.

I held our last Interweb Meet at The Shakespeare's Head. Yes, it's a Wearisome, but the food was reasonable, bar prices good, and they weren't in a hurry to throw us out. Plus fixed price and menu. And yes, we did push all the tables together so we were a group!



Although we called it an end-of-year get-together as few of us are into the C-word!!!

MMF

My former place of London work used to take us out to a mid rangey sort of restaurant each year (ie we didn't pay). Meals are quite a good idea, I think, because if you don't particularly like your colleagues/ bosses, you can still go, knowing you are at least getting a nice meal, and that it won't necessarily be too long (unless you want it to be - see Pastey's comment) even if you end up seated next to the boss or that annoying man from accounts, and that you won't be forced to be too jolly and have to take part in organised Fun. Plus, the food will soak up the alcohol, so hopefully you won't do anything too career destroying.

Anyway, my work had not a huge number of people, say up to 50. Here are some observations based on that.

People will complain if the food isn't very good. It doesn't matter if it is free, this is supposed to be a treat. Of course, if it isn't free, it might be a good idea to canvas a few people for ideas of where to go. Always eat at the place yourself first (if you aren't choosing somewhere you or people in the office know well), and make an assessment of whether or not they are likely to be able to get all the starters out at the same time, all the mains and all the pudding. It might make for a memorable evening, but is unpleasantly tense at the time, especially when people are actually hungry.

It's nice if attention is paid to where people actually live. We often went nearish where we worked, on the grounds that even if it was a weekend, we were all used to getting home from there. Trying to make your way right across London at any time but especially when the tube has stopped running is either a lengthy process, expensive, or both.

You need a Christmas dinner type option. And a non-Christmas dinner type option. People very much fall into either, 'I want my Christmas dinner to be Christmas dinnery' or 'I really really do NOT'. It doesn't have to be roast turkey with all the trimmings, but there should be at least a strong nod to the season.

Our boss always said 'bring money for booze' and then ordered generous amounts of wine to the tables anyway. Which was quite nice.

That said, my most entertaining Christmas do was at Wimbledon Dog Track. They have a restaurant type affair next to the track so you can eat and bet at the same time. Of course, you would have to know all your colleagues Views on both betting and sports involving animals. Plus, it was jolly cold. Still, it combined the meal/ clear beginning and end aspect with providing something you could make small talk about if the conversation had completely died, which was good.

I had a team social at Wimbledon Dog Track many years ago, and that was fun. We didn't have a sit-down meal or anything, but the atmosphere was great. I may look into that one, thanks

Oh and secretly I have always been wildly jealous of the person on h2g2 (although I have forgotten who it was) who got taken to the Natural History Museum after hours for their do. Lots of really interesting venues are starting to do that sort of thing now. If the budget allows, that might be fun.

Ooh, I wonder if the British Museum does that - we're not so far from there.

< smlpost > If you do end up going, make sure that everybody brings extra jumpers.

I bet they do, Icy. Damn. Can I come?

I've had a quick glance at the website. They don't seem to do a 'package' as such - we'd need to book conference facilities & catering, which could make it expensive.

I'm warming to the dogs: £38pp for a sit-down meal sounds good value: http://www.lovethedogs.co.uk/wimbledon/trackside-christmas-parties.aspx

... that's if it's still there at Christmas: Looks like they're about to tear it down to build more poncey flats.

They keep saying that. It keeps enduring.

Hey! If you have a spare 5 grand, there's always this: http://www.soaneentertaining.co.uk/dinners/

Plus, this is probably the best museum in London: http://www.nam.ac.uk/about-us/venue-hire

They were offering corporate events catering in the War Horse exhibit (lots of elegant horse sculptures), although I don't know when that ends. Possibly a tad controversial though.

So now I want to know where you went?

We went here: http://www.dukeofdevonshirebalham.com/ Wonderful looking venue. Lovely city pub, all souped up. Etched glass everywhere, amazing variety of really striking lamopshades, spacious, interestingly leveled. Great people too. I rather like who I work with. Meh food, although it looked nice.

I actually missed it! The rest of them went booked a pub near Tower Hill, but I forget the name. It wasn't very well organised, apparently.

I did get a nice lunch here, though: http://www.sarastro-restaurant.com/

The inside is quite striking - take the google maps tour of it.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Sarastro,+Drury+Lane,+London&hl=en&ll=51.51378,-0.119813&spn=0.000003,0.00217&sll=51.44609,-0.146599&sspn=0.050177,0.138874&oq=sarastro&hq=Sarastro,+Drury+Lane,+London&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=51.51378,-0.119813&panoid=4U-oRQCNsC6u7r8gp02sLA&cbp=12,210.73,,0,-1.56

Beware of taking children, though - the toilets have x-rated frescoes.

I do not go to any work Christmas functions as the vast majority insist on going into London - which to me ( living just outside the M25) is really expensive to get into on rail, expensive to buy drinks, cant drink anyway because you have to drive at the other end to get home plus having to leave when it is all starting to get fun....Love Christmas but detest the "Work" Christmas bit!