Christmas Party Venues in Parramatta

What to Know Before Booking Christmas Party Venues

Across the Parramatta CBD, office Christmas parties fall into three camps: a pub takeover, a restaurant feast or a full ballroom night. Commercial Hotel Parramatta covers the first with two function bars in a heritage corner pub on Hassall Street, and Outdoor Area @ Woolpack Hotel on George Street keeps things casual under umbrellas. Ruse Bar & Brasserie in Parramatta Square and Sahra by the River bring the feast, while Ballroom @ Parra Villa Function Lounge on Campbell Street handles the big dance-floor night.

Matching the venue to the team:

Executive team or a handful of managers: Ruse's private dining room beside the wine cellar is capped at 14, and the kitchen cooks steaks, lamb and seafood over charcoal and wood; for a whisky-and-cocktails night, Heritage Lounge on Church Street sets aside a private area with its own host.
A department that likes a pub: the Commercial's Lounge Bar has a fireplace, its own private bar and a heated balcony wrapping around it, taking anywhere from 15 guests to 200.
The all-staff cocktail party: the Commercial's larger bar, with a deck and an outlook across the whole pub, stretches to 500; alternatively, ALEX&Co. at 330 Church Street hands over its restaurant, bar and event areas together for 400 standing or 300 at tables.
A relaxed send-off after work: the Woolpack's outdoor area fits 70 seated or 112 standing, priced from $25 per person.
A banquet facing the water: Sahra's Private Room seats 60 looking over the Parramatta River, and the whole restaurant can be booked for as many as 300.

Offering a weeknight in late November or early December alongside a Friday widens the choice of rooms. For the whole company plus partners, the Parra Villa ballroom has 280 seats and packages from $55 per person.

Both function bars at the Commercial have an in-house music system with a DJ input, several TV screens and lift access.
Slides for the year in review run on the 78-inch LED screen in Sahra's Private Room, with a built-in PA for whoever has the microphone.
The Parra Villa ballroom has a stage at one end, a microphone and a projector, so awards can be handed out in front of everyone.
Teams kicking on after dinner at Ruse can catch the Friday-night DJ in the bar, spinning songs from the 80s and 90s.

Menus, money and who's paying

Canapés at the Commercial range from bruschetta and arancini to oysters and lamb skewers, with sliders, mini meals and a metre-long pizza board for bigger appetites.
Drinks at the Commercial can go on a bar tab capped to your budget or on a package, and a deposit of half the minimum spend secures the date.
Parra Villa caters in-house with Middle Eastern dishes and a long vegetarian menu, and parking there is free on site and on the street.
Ruse adds an 8% service charge for groups of six or more, and sends set menu and beverage package options once you enquire.

Venues for Christmas Parties: Your Questions Answered

Where can a Parramatta office hold a Christmas party for several hundred?

The bigger of the two function bars at Commercial Hotel Parramatta fits a stand-up crowd of 500. Book all of Sahra by the River and it seats anywhere from 30 guests up to 300. For a seated dinner with dancing, the Parra Villa ballroom has 280 seats. Taking over all of ALEX&Co. on Church Street seats up to 300, and the food can be served as canapés, a shared banquet, an alternate drop or plated courses.

Is there a cheap and cheerful option for end-of-year drinks on George Street?

Outdoor Area @ Woolpack Hotel starts from $25 per person, with the pub looking after food and entertainment. Its late licence runs to 4am most nights, and anyone staying over can book a room in the hotel.

Can the Commercial Hotel organise extras for our work party?

Yes. The team can arrange DJs, photo booths and balloons alongside the food and drinks. Work events are one of the things its larger bar is set up for, along with big cocktail parties and anniversaries.

Which Christmas venue in Parramatta is easiest to reach by public transport?

Ruse Bar & Brasserie sits directly below the Parramatta transport interchange at 12 Darcy Street, so trains, buses and the river ferry are a few minutes away. It is on one level and wheelchair accessible. Heritage Lounge is upstairs at 215-217 Church Street, a short walk from Parramatta station.