How to Book a Private Room in Aberdeen City Centre

Most people only book a private room once or twice a year, so it is easy to leave the awkward questions until late. The ones that matter are about numbers, money and timings, and they are all easier to settle before you commit to a date. Here is how private hire works at The Atrium on Chapel Street, and what is worth asking any venue in Aberdeen before you say yes.

Start with the number of people

The Atrium seats 141 in total, split across five bookable sections: the Grey Room seats 28, the Atrium 45, the Green Room 30, and the two private rooms take 24 and 14. We are a restaurant, so every one of those is a seated number. If a venue quotes you a capacity that sounds high for the room you are standing in, ask whether it includes people standing.

Tell us a rough number when you first get in touch. It does not have to be final, and it is the single thing that decides which room suits you.

Ask about the hire fee and the minimum spend

There is no hire fee at The Atrium and no minimum spend, and there is no minimum party size either. Plenty of venues charge one or more of the three, and they are the costs most likely to catch you out, because they often appear after you have settled on a date.

Ask the question early and ask it plainly: is there a charge for the room, is there an amount we have to spend, and is there a smallest number you will take.

Get the price in a shape that suits you

We do not sell set packages. Pricing is built around your party, either as a price per head or as one figure for the night, depending on which is easier for whoever is organising it. Tell us what you have in mind and what you would like to spend, and we will put something together around it.

One thing worth knowing: once a package is agreed, that is what you pay, whether everyone makes it on the day or not. That is normal across the trade, and it is why a realistic number helps more than an optimistic one.

Sort the food before the day

Food can come from the normal menu, or the kitchen can put together something bespoke. For a larger group, agreeing a set menu beforehand makes the night run better, because nobody is reading a menu when they should be talking, and the food arrives together.

Allergies, dietary requirements, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free are all catered for. Give us the numbers when you confirm the menu and the kitchen will plan around them.

Check how long you have the room

Table time is the detail people forget. As a rough guide, a party of twenty usually wants around two and a half hours, and thirty or more closer to three. If you want longer, ask, and we will work it out with you.

On a Friday or Saturday the bar is licensed until 1am, so there is somewhere to carry on once the meal has finished.

Ask what you can bring, and when you can set up

You are welcome to bring your own decorations and put them up yourselves. Setup times depend on the day and what else is booked, so we agree those with you when you book.

Bring a cake if you have one. We will keep it cold and bring it out with candles when you give us the nod.

On music and AV, there is a sound system you can use. There is no microphone and no screen, which is worth knowing if someone is planning a speech to a big room or a slideshow.

How to actually book

If there are ten or more of you, the online booking system cannot take it. Use the enquiry form on the hire page or email us, with your date, the kind of event and roughly how many people.

We will come back and tell you honestly whether the date and the numbers work, and what we would suggest for a group your size. Once you are happy we agree the menu, the timings and anything you are bringing in, and put it in writing.

Give us as much notice as you can, particularly for December.

If you are working on something, send us the date and a rough number and we will take it from there.