Booking a Work Christmas Party in Aberdeen

Organising the work Christmas do usually falls to whoever is slowest to say no. It is not a difficult job, but it goes wrong in predictable ways: the numbers move, the food takes too long, and nobody has agreed who is paying for what. Here is the order we would sort it in, based on the parties we host at The Atrium every December.

Get a rough number first, and expect it to move

You do not need a final headcount to start looking. You need a realistic range, because venues can tell you very quickly whether a date works for twenty but not for forty.

Our festive menu runs from 25 November, and from that date it is the menu for the season, at £35 for two courses or £40 for three, with a £10 per head deposit.

Pick the date before you pick the menu

December books up a long way ahead, and the Fridays go first. If your team has any flexibility, a midweek date is easier to get and the room is usually quieter.

The Atrium is on Chapel Street in the middle of Aberdeen, which matters more than people expect for a work night out, because there are hotels and taxis within walking distance and nobody is left stranded.

Pre-order the food

For a group of any size, agreeing the food beforehand is the single thing that makes the night run. We send the menu out ahead, everyone chooses in advance, and the whole table is served at once.

Collect dietary requirements at the same time as the menu choices. Allergies, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free are all catered for, and the kitchen plans around them when it knows the numbers.

Agree who is paying, early

This is the part that causes the arguments. We can do split bills, one invoice for the company, or a bar tab with a limit on it, whichever is easier for whoever is organising.

There is no hire fee and no minimum spend, and pricing is built around your team either per head or as one figure for the night.

Work out the timings backwards

Tell us when you need to be finished and we will build the service around that. People often have trains, babysitters or a second venue to get to.

The bar is licensed until 1am on Friday and Saturday, so there is room to carry on after the meal if the night runs that way.

Book it

Parties of ten or more cannot go through the online booking system. Use the enquiry form on the hire page or email us with your date, your rough numbers and when you need to be out.

December dates go quickly, so the sooner you send the enquiry the more choice you have.