Christmas Party Venues in Melbourne's Northern Suburbs

What to Know Before Booking Christmas Party Venues

A work breakup in the northern suburbs usually means a local pub with a room that can be closed off for the team. Heidelberg, Bundoora and Essendon each have one: The E.Bar @ The Old England Hotel on Lower Heidelberg Road, The Sports Bar @ Bundoora Hotel on Plenty Road and the Cross Keys Hotel facing Strathmore station.

All of them come with a private bar, so a tab with a limit is simple to set and track. Fitting the room to the workplace:

A whole staff standing up: Heidelberg's e.Bar and its covered, heated terrace go to one group at a time, and the cocktail menu starts from $26 per person
A fixed cost agreed in advance: Bundoora's cocktail packages run five hours with platters, a bar tab, staff and a security guard included
Everyone seated for a meal: the Bundoora Hotel serves two-course set menus from $45 per person, alternately served, for at least 30
Thank-yous and a slideshow: the Keys Room at the Cross Keys has a built-in stage, a projector and two private balconies for 20 to 150
A long lunch for a smaller team: the Terrace downstairs at the Cross Keys, a fireside nook of the bistro, takes 30 to 60 seated with no minimum spend

Friday to Sunday dates at the Cross Keys carry a food and drinks minimum, from $2,000 minimum spend for the Cross Room on a Friday, so ask what an earlier weeknight in December would involve.

The Old England hotel's e.Bar has three large flat-screen TVs for a year-in-review slideshow, an in-house music system for the office playlist, and pool tables.
For a leadership dinner before the main party, the same pub has an upstairs gallery for 30 to 40 seated and a rooftop terrace for 80 to 110.
Bundoora's party room keeps its two pool tables available or covered over for floor space, with full AV and a private outdoor smoking area for 70 to 150.
Bundoora also lets you build a package from platters such as yum cha, antipasto and petit fours, then either run a tab or let colleagues buy their own rounds.

Essendon's two rooms upstairs

The Cross Room keeps the whole space private for groups of 20 to 120, with a built-in DJ booth, room to dance and a balcony looking toward the skyline.
The Keys Room also seats conferences of 40 to 80, so a team can hold its end-of-year meeting and roll straight into the party.
The kitchen sends out platters priced per platter – arancini, gyoza, sushi, sliders – and a grazing table for 50 can be ordered.
The hotel sits across from Strathmore station, with parking behind it off Woodland Street, and evening functions run from 7pm to 1am.

Venues for Christmas Parties: Your Questions Answered

Which northern pub fits a team of more than 150?

The e.Bar at the Old England takes up to 180 for cocktails, and the stone-walled lounge next door can be added for a bigger crowd. The Keys Room at the Cross Keys and the Bundoora Sports Bar both top out at 150.

Can colleagues buy their own drinks once the tab is spent?

Yes. At the Cross Keys, anything beyond the tab you set is bought by guests at the bar, and Bundoora lets you run a tab or have guests pay as they go. Old England functions run on a bar tab, with a minimum paid ahead.

Is there room for a presentation before the drinks start?

The Keys Room has a projector and seats 40 to 80 conference style. The Old England has large TVs for slides, and the Bundoora Sports Bar comes with full AV.

What do the pubs need to lock in a December date?

The Old England takes a deposit to confirm, wants final numbers 72 hours out and asks for food, the minimum bar tab and any room hire seven days ahead. Bundoora secures the date with a deposit and its booking form.

Christmas Party Venues in Northern Suburbs

See Your Christmas Party Venue Options in Northern Suburbs