With a city like London at your fingertips, picking a party location is never going to be easy. BarChick’s been to enough, and here are the best venues to get your party freak on… and if you can’t find what you’re looking for below get in touch!
0-50 PEOPLE
RIDLEY ROAD MARKET BAR – 49 Ridley Road, Dalston, London, E8 2NP
Bar area
This place is pretty popular and for a good reason. You won’t be able to book out a private room or area but tell everyone to come a little earlier and you can grab a table or two and be the first ones throwing wild moves on the dance floor.
People: 0-20
Cost: Nothing for the venue, just buy lots of drinks.
THE WATER POET – 9-11 Folgate Street, London, E1 6BX
The Garden Dining Room
They have a large walled garden for the smokers, hog roasts on Saturdays. It’s perfect if you work in the city and gets pretty busy so if you’re a little short on friends, you can pretend you’ve got more.
People: 40-45 for drinks
Cost: £150 deposit that you get back when you arrive
The Barn
Your own bar and barmen in your own private barn just off the main terrace!
People: 50
Cost: £250 and £500 minimum spend.
THE OXO TOWER – Barge House Street, South Bank, London, SE1 9PH
Top Floor Bar
Killer views of the Thames and the London skyline, plus an interior that gives the impression you’re on a boat. Canapés can be ordered in advance or you can just drink and enjoy the view.
People: 25 guests (not totally private area)
Cost: £30 – £70 minimum spend per person.
Or hire out the bar for a cocktail party for max 65 people. Cost: £4,000 – £6,000
PARADISE – 19 Kilburn Lane, Kensal Green, London W10 4AE
Reading Room
This room has glass doors dividing you from the bar and the rest of the world. It’s private enough to not let any gatecrashers in and clear enough for everyone to see how much fun you’re having. Plus you can invite any hotties in to join you.
People: 20/25 people
Cost: £300 minimum spend
Private Dining Room
People: 50 Max
Cost: Minimum spend £1000 and your own private access to the (public) terrace.
Music Room
Although this room opens to the public from 8pm onwards (share the love), if you want to have your own private warm-up it’s all yours.
THE MAHOGANY BAR, WILTONS – 1 Graces Alley, London, E1 8JB
Whilst you can’t rent out the Mahogany Bar itself, there is the Green Room or smaller dining room available to hire. Drinks will have to be ordered from the bar or get organised and set up a table of pre-paid-for booze for everyone to help themselves to.
People: 30/50 max
Cost: No cost just get yourself a bar tab.
RUM COVE AT WAX JAMBU – 144-145 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1QY
If you’re up for a pirate party then this is your place. The Rum Cove has its own bartender and food if you want, or bring your own Caribbean snacks. Picky about your spirits? They’ll get any bottle you want behind the bar and play whatever music you bring. Party time!
People: 50/45 people in Rum Cove.
Cost: £200 deposit and £800 minimum spend.
THE SHOP NW10 – 75 Chamberlayne Rd, London, NW10 3ND
Everyone loves a good party at The Shop and they just love throwing them. There is the option of taking over the whole bar or you can just have the back half. They always play great music and everything in it’s for sale so you’ll no doubt be leaving with more presents than you thought.
People: They say 25 max (although we have definitely partied there with more)
Cost: Min bar spend depending on the day and how many people
50-100 PEOPLE
RED LION PUB – Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, London, N1 6SH
1st Floor/ 2nd Floor
This place is not as East London cool as you might fear with its location. There is the option of renting out the 1st or 2nd floor and both have access to the wicked roof top so you can get your Vitamin D fix. 1st floor has a DJ booth and bottled beer bar, anything more complicated and you’ll have to head down to the ground floor bar. The 2nd floor has its very own sound system and is one step closer to the roof terrace!
People: 60/70 people
Cost: No cost for hiring the room just a minimum bar spend.
BABY BATHHOUSE – 125 Stoke Newington Church Street, London, N16 0UH
Basement club
Downstairs at this skeletal wallpapered, gothic themed bar in Stoke Newington there is a basement – the perfect spot to throw your party. You can bring your own music and that includes vinyl or ipod, failing that you can hire out a BB DJ for the night. If you think everyone might get peckish they have the option of pizza and antipasti and the bar has everything apart from cocktails but be nice and they might arrange to make some for you.
People: 90 people
Cost: Weekend – Fri/Sat £500 minimum spend with £100 booking deposit. Weekday – £300 minimum spend with £100 deposit, open till 11pm
ALL STAR LANES – Bayswater/ Holborn/ Brick Lane
Private room
Everyone loves a bowling session and all three venues have a private room for your very own party. Each venue has 2 bowling lanes, a cocktail bar, a plasma screen for Wii and your own bar staff. They can arrange a bowling tournament and the winners will get prizes – competitive friends will love it! Plus, if you’re into fancy dress it’s a great place for a 50′s theme.
People: Depending on which venue 30 – 130 people
Cost: Price may vary- get in touch!
SEVEN AT BRIXTON – Unit 7, Market Row, London, SW9 8LB
Upstairs room
The private upstairs room is where you’ll be. They serve killer cocktails for a fiver each and delicious pinxtos for the hungry. With charming staff it’s one of BarChick’s favourite hangouts in Brixton Market and exactly where we’d wanna party.
People: Max 90
Cost: No hire charge but a deposit will be taken.
THE BOOK CLUB – 100-106 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4XS
Basement
Downstairs space has a bar serving cocktails, a dance floor for the movers and shakers and sofas for the weary. The music is always good here and the atmosphere is fun. Head upstairs for ping pong and food, although with friends and cocktails you’ve got everything you need downstairs.
People: 80 people maximum
Cost: £100 with a £500 minimum spend
100-200 PEOPLE
606 – 90 Lots Road, London, SW10 0QD
This place has it all: dining, dancing and drinking! With over 800 musicians on their books, take your pick for live music for the night. The club is classic and cosy – there is a stage for the performers and they can clear away the tables and chairs if you wanna get dancing.
People: 175 maximum
Cost: For daytime hire the price varies depending on no. of people. Exclusive evening hire (Sun- Thurs): No charges for the room but minimum spend on food and drink £2550 (ex VAT)
AVIARY – 16 Little Portland Street, London, W1W 8BW
The theatrical décor is only an introduction to the weird and wonderful fantasy world going on downstairs. There are tweeting birds and a forest like atmosphere. The owner owns a fancy dress shop so get in touch for your outfits and there is a late license til 5pm so you can run wild. Burlesque and fire eaters are available to book – not much would look out of place in this imaginative bar.
People: 100 people
Cost: £2,500
DABBOUS – 39 Whitfield Street, London, W1T 2SF
Basement bar
Rent out the rock n roll style basement bar for banging cocktails. There is a Michelin star chef upstairs meaning the canapé menu would be one to take a look at too.
People: Max 150
Cost: Minimum spend and price depends on the day of the week.
THE LUCKY PIG – 5 Clipstone Street, London, W1W 6BB
Whole venue
Exclusive hire of this Chinese opium den like space, with a late license of 3am and amazing cocktails it would be the perfect space for a decadent, debouched night of fun.
People: Max 150
Cost: Private hire £375 – 750 minimum spend for daytime hire (depending on day), £1125 – £6000 minimum spend for evening hire (depending on day)
MESTIZO – 103 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 3EL
Downstairs
A Mexican themed party is the only way to go here. With over 200 tequilas and sombreros galore, rent out downstairs and you’ll get your own bar, taco shack, a full a la carte menu and depending on how much you want to spend there’s a doorman and DJ for hire.
People: Max 120
Cost: £1000 – £2000 depending on day of the week.
200+ PEOPLE
If you want to blow some serious cash and invite all your Facebook friends then check out the below venues:
BOAT PARTY! THE GOLDEN SUNRISE
With a whole range of shapes and sizes of boat to throw your party on, we took a special shine to the “Golden Sunrise”. It has two floors, fully stocked beautiful oak bar, dance floor and there is even the option of having a BBQ!
People: Up to 200 (unseated)
Cost: From £1,728
KENSINGTON ROOF GARDENS – 99 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
This place is beautiful – parties, weddings, barmtitzvah’s you name it, they’ll throw it, and well. It’s not going to be cheap, but a place that special is gonna cost ya.
People: Max 500
Cost: Hire of venue £5000 and min spend on food and drink £20,000
ONE MAYFAIR – 13A North Audley Street, London, W1K 6ZA
It’s a converted church and is the kind of venue that you could pretty much hold any kind of party you wanted. There is the option of “Dry hire” allowing you to pick selected suppliers and manage the event yourself or go all out and leave the “One Events” team to handle everything. Guaranteed your guests will gasp on arrival.
People: Max 600 people
Cost: £12,000
if you don’t want to have the whole place to yourself but still wanna party and shmooze with the high rollers then it’s time to go clubbing. Capital A List will get you a table!
