Christmas Party Venues in Bayside

End-of-year work parties around the bay come down to two questions: how many of the team are coming, and does the night call for canapés or a sit-down meal? The venues here run from Brighton's Esplanade and Bay Street, along Beach Road through Hampton and Sandringham, inland to Station Street in Moorabbin and south to the Nepean Highway and Springvale Road.

Most are working pubs with function rooms of several sizes, which helps when headcount keeps shifting through November.

Where teams of different sizes tend to fit:

• A team of 15 to 90 – Wilbury & Sons in Moorabbin can be hired outright or have a section set aside, with canapé packages from $29 per person and a tab at bar prices.
• A department of up to 40 seated – the Empire Room @ Hotel Brighton has a 55-inch screen and wireless microphone for the thank-yous, and holds 150 if the format turns into drinks.
• Mid-sized offices – Hampton Hotel's Atrium takes about 120 standing under its retractable roof, and out on its Lawn the pub can put 40 at tables with awnings and heaters overhead.
• Outdoor-leaning crews – downstairs at Brighton Beach Hotel, a heated Beer Garden comes with a portion of the bar kept for your group, and Sandringham Hotel's Deck has heaters and clear blinds for up to 60.
• The whole company – Chelsea Heights Hotel's Bandroom holds 600 cocktail guests or 280 seated, the Sandringham football club's glass-walled room at Sandy by the Bay takes 180 at tables, and The Bridge Hotel Mordialloc's Starlight Room seats 150.

Weeknights can trim the budget: Brighton Beach Hotel charges less to hire its Bayview Room for Monday-to-Thursday bookings, and Sandringham Hotel's minimum spends in its Front Bar, Deck and Port Phillip Room apply from Friday to Sunday.