Christmas Party at a London Nightclub: How to Book a Table for Your Group

December is the busiest month of the year in London's clubs. Every office, team and group of friends wants the same Thursdays and Fridays, and the groups that end up in a good room with a table waiting are the ones that sorted it early. Whether you're organising the work Christmas party or a night out with friends, this is how booking a nightclub table for a group works, and which of the clubs we book suits which kind of party.

Table or private hire?

For most groups, from six people to a few dozen, a VIP table (or a few tables next to each other) is the simplest format. You get reserved seating, a host, bottle service and priority entry, and the rest of the club gives you the atmosphere for free. Private hire of a whole room or venue makes sense for much bigger company parties. Some of our clubs do it: Gallery offers full and partial hire and Christmas parties, with its Cubanista bar available on its own, and Selene hires out its rooms, including a private VIP Bowling Alley. If you're weighing the two, tell us your numbers and we'll ask the venue what's possible for your date.

How to book a table for a group

• Pick one organiser. One person as our contact keeps the booking, the numbers and any changes in one WhatsApp thread.
• Fix the date and a rough headcount first. The club and the table follow from those two things.
• Tell us the mix of the group. Some doors prefer mixed groups, and some tables are priced for a set number of guests with a cap on men (Paloma's standard table is up to ten with no more than five men). Knowing your mix lets us pick a club where everyone gets in.
• Agree the budget conversation early. Tables run on a minimum spend that goes on your drinks; we send you the exact options for your night so you can split it per head before anyone commits.
• Ask about large groups. For bigger parties we'll ask the venue whether it can seat you across neighbouring tables.
• Confirm arrival time. A club can release a table if the group is very late, and a group that turns up together gets through the door fastest.

Which club for which Christmas party

Maddox is the classic work-party answer: an Italian restaurant, a two-room club and a terrace at one Mayfair address, so the team eats and goes downstairs without anyone getting lost on the way. Cirque Le Soir turns a midweek party into an event, with performers, fire eaters and acrobats between the sets. Scotch of St James, the 1965 club where Hendrix played his first London show, suits a smaller group that wants somewhere with a story. And if the brief is simply 'nobody goes home early', Selene runs to 4am.

Commercial, R&B, House & Tech House · Thu–SatSee Maddox Club & book →

Timing: when to book and which nights

• Book as early as you can. December Fridays and Saturdays go first, followed by the Thursdays, which are the traditional office-party night.
• The last Friday before Christmas, often called Mad Friday, is widely described as one of the busiest nights of the year. If that's your date, treat it as a special night and book well ahead.
• Midweek is your friend. A Monday or Wednesday at Cirque Le Soir, or a Wednesday at XOYO, is far easier to secure for a group than a weekend.
• Opening on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day varies by club and is usually confirmed late, so ask us rather than assume.
• Doing New Year's Eve too? That's a separate booking with its own rules; see our New Year's Eve guide.

Dress code: festive, not fancy dress

Club dress codes don't take December off. Save the Christmas jumper and the novelty headband for the office: at the doors we book in Mayfair, St James's, Soho, Fitzrovia and Kensington it's smart and stylish, with no sportswear, trainers, shorts or ripped clothing. Sequins, velvet and a sharp jacket all fit the season. XOYO in Shoreditch is the relaxed exception. Make sure everyone brings valid physical photo ID: a photo on a phone isn't accepted, and one colleague without ID can hold up the whole group at the door.

Getting everyone home

The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights on several lines, including the Central and Victoria; on other nights the last Tubes run around midnight, so plan cabs or ride-hailing in advance for a Thursday party. December nights are busy for black cabs too, so it's worth agreeing a plan before the night starts rather than at closing time.

Book your Christmas table

Send us the date, the headcount, the mix of the group and whether it's a work or friends' party, and we'll come back on WhatsApp with the clubs that fit, availability and the exact details for each. We don't publish table prices because they change by club, night and table, especially in December.