December may still be a couple of months away, but if you’re tasked with sorting the work Christmas party in Londonnow’s the time to get those plans going. From alcohol-fuelled immersive experiences to fancy meals, let’s leave the sales targets behind. After all, there’s only one thing every employee is looking forward to in December, and it ain’t the end-of-year All Hands meeting.
1–3. Feast on a fancy meal
There’s no better way to show your team you’ve had a good year than a slap-up meal. No soggy sarnies here, please: only the best for your company’s employees. There is no end to the options for a work Christmas party meal in London, but below our some of our faves:
🍴 The LaundryBrixton, is one of my favourites for a roast; they also offer two Parisian-themed private dining rooms, which you can book for your work Christmas party. Groups of 10+ will be able to enjoy a special two-course set menu this winter, complete with complimentary pigs in blankets, a main, and a dessert.
🍴 Cooking EastLiverpool Street, opened just this summer (August 2024), and offers a private dining room for up to 20 people, where your team can indulge in a sharing-style feasting menu that showcases the restaurant’s modern take on Sri Lankan home-cooking.
🍴The Murdér ExpressBethnal Green, is a captivating two-hour theatrical dining event set in a 1920s-style train carriage. As you savour a three-course meal prepared by top chefs, you and your team will become immersed in a murder mystery filled with drama and intrigue. The combination of live actors, exquisite cuisine, and stunning set design promises a fun evening out.
4–5. Hit the bars – but with a difference
Really and truly escape the mundane reality of your day job by attending an immersive cocktail experience. You and your colleagues may be transported to a whole different time, or even planet, with some of London’s cocktail experiences.
🍸 Despite being based in Hoxton, London will be far from your mind if you have your work Christmas party at Avora. The experience takes place in a whole different world; your team will enter the planet of Avora through a ‘laboratory portal’ (in matching jumpsuits, no less), and follow an intriguing storyline that’ll see you drinking cocktails, encountering native ‘Avorians’ and, ultimately, being faced with a moral conundrum.
🍸 Have a wild time with your colleagues (HR approved, obvs) at Wild West-themed Moonshine Saloon in Aldgate. There’ll be no complaints to the company about lack of drinks, as here you’re asked to smuggle in your own illicit moonshine (i.e. BYOB). The bartenders will then transform your booze into four personalised Old West cocktails. Throughout the experience you can roll the dice – quite literally – as you play a selection of games, chat with the local cowboys and cowgirls (actors), and perhaps even opt to embody specific characters. Things may get a little hairy… but will the sheriff foil the operation?
6–7. Sing your heart out at karaoke
Below are two Secret London team outing-approved karaoke venues in London (i.e. we sang our hearts out here).
🎤 Discover the excitement of BAM Karaokethe largest karaoke venue in Europe, this Christmas. This luxurious venue in Victoria features 22 uniquely themed private rooms, each equipped with iPads for song selection, and food orders. BAM offers over 40,000 songs to choose from!
🎤 Hotel Mama Shelter Shoreditch offers a unique and playful stay, with its karaoke rooms, French restaurant, and courtyard garden bar. Guests can enjoy singing in two dedicated karaoke rooms, which accommodate up to 15 people each.
Experience a vibrant art masterclass at Neon Brushwhere you’ll join your colleagues in painting under neon lights while enjoying drinks and music. This unique workshop invites you to experiment with colours in a black-lit, neo-futuristic setting. Whether you’re a complete amateur or a seasoned artist, you’re sure to create something beautiful. The closest available dates to Christmas are December 19–22, at Glazier’s Hall, near London Bridge.
9–10. Head on an immersive group adventure
Tis the season for group participation. We love mini golf, gaming bars, and general competitive games at Secret London; however, London is also full of many more unique options, which make for a great work Christmas party or get-together.
👯 Step back to 1605 at the Gunpowder Plot Experiencea unique adventure that combines virtual reality, live actors, and authentic sets to bring history to life in the Tower Hill Vaults. You and your team will find yourself part of a daring conspiracy, interacting with mysterious characters, and even encountering Tom Felton as Guy Fawkes. Also, there are cocktails. Score.
👯 Ever wondered how it would feel to survive a Martian invasion? Well, you can face one with your colleagues at Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience this Christmas. This action-packed adventure on Leadenhall Street brings together talented character actors, heart-stopping special effects, and mesmerising virtual reality of a Martian invasion, all set to Jeff Wayne’s iconic score.
11–12. Keep things light with a fun afternoon
If drinks or evening activities seem a bit too overfamiliar for your liking, have a wholesome afternoon with your team instead.
❤️ Embrace your inner child and make a group booking for Bubble Planet in Wembley. For such bookings, the team at the venue will create a bespoke package for private or semi-private events, including cake, catering and merch. Add on top of that the huge ball pits, the nostalgic joy of blowing bubbles, and the VR experience, and you’ve got yourselves a truly fun afternoon.
❤️ Knightsbridge’s Paradox Museum offers exclusive full-venue hire for corporate bookings, meaning you can take the whole office into a world of optical illusions for a few hours. Tower over your manager in the room with the ‘little and large’ illusion, or perhaps send the HR team into a spin in the Zero Gravity room. The museum can also provide food and drink options upon request.
