Christmas Party Venues in Fitzroy North

What to Know Before Booking Christmas Party Venues

Fitzroy North does its work Christmas parties in pub beer gardens, with one garden on Queens Parade and another on Nicholson Street. Beer Garden @ The Terminus Hotel is big enough for a whole office, with 200 cocktail-style when booked exclusively, and Beer Garden @ The Empress Hotel suits a smaller team or a single department.

Both kitchens run food packages for groups of 20 or more, and the Empress lists Christmas functions among the parties it hosts.

Matching the garden to the team:

Under 80 colleagues on a tight budget – a roped-off Empress section asks no minimum spend, hire fee or deposit, with pub bites from $20 per person.
The whole company together – the Terminus garden booked exclusively takes 200 standing, and the booking comes with a private bar.
A seated end-of-year dinner – the large Terminus beer garden seats 80, or the full garden 120, with shared two or three course banquets for 20 or more.
Speeches from the managing director – these need a private Empress booking, which hands the team the whole courtyard, up to 120 guests.
An unreliable December evening – heaters and a roof that retracts mean the Empress garden copes with the weather.

Minimum spends vary between the two. Every Terminus function booking carries one, and a private Empress booking has one that depends on the day and time of year.

Terminus drinks packages fix the bar cost per head for two, three or four hours, at standard or deluxe level.
Terminus canapé packages start from $30 per person, and spirits and cocktails on arrival can be added for a more festive welcome.
At the Empress, a bar tab can be set up with the team, and catering is optional on section bookings for a simple knock-off drinks.
Big groups can order pizzas from the Empress's regular menu in advance, alongside its finger food packages.

Looking after a mixed workplace

The Empress marks vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, so dietary requirements are easy to spot when ordering for the office.
Every Terminus drinks package includes soft drinks, juice, light and non-alcoholic beer for colleagues who are driving or not drinking.
At the Terminus, the garden is wheelchair accessible, with banquette seating and timber tables for those who would rather sit and high bar leaners for those who mingle.
Staff heading home by public transport have the number 86 tram stopping on Queens Parade at the Terminus door.

Venues for Christmas Parties: Your Questions Answered

Can our Christmas party be a long lunch in Fitzroy North?

Both pubs open around the middle of the day – the Empress from midday every day and the Terminus from 11.30am, seven days. The Empress garden suits sit-down lunches as well as dinners.

Which garden suits a team that wants to mingle rather than sit?

At the Terminus, the garden takes 200 cocktail-style when booked exclusively, with high bar leaners among the seating. The Empress suits stand-up drinks too, in a section for 20 to 80 or privately for up to 120.

Does either Fitzroy North pub give the party its own bar?

An exclusive booking of the Terminus garden comes with a private bar. Bar tabs, cash bars and drinks on consumption are also on offer there, and the Empress can set up a bar tab.

What food suits a stand-up office party here?

Empress packages cover pub bites such as chicken wings, sausage rolls, sliders and mini parmas. At the Terminus there are canapés plus grazing tables, a pizza pack and paella alongside its Josper-grilled barbecue.