Christmas Party Venues in The Rocks

What to Know Before Booking Christmas Party Venues

Work end-of-year parties in The Rocks tend to go one of two ways. Whole companies head to Circular Quay West, where The Oriana, Melba's Rooftop @ Cruise Bar & Restaurant and the Como Room @ Bar Lulu can take hundreds. A single team or a leadership group can sit down at Quartier Restaurant @ Sebel Quay West Suites, a hotel bistro on Gloucester Street.

All four are close to Circular Quay, which matters when staff are leaving from offices across the city and heading home by train or ferry at the end of the night.

Fitting the venue to the team:

The all-staff night: The Oriana scales from a beer-garden section for 60 to the ground floor and pub together for 1,000, with every level reached by lift.
A department that wants to dance: the Como Room has a microphone, DJ connection, dance floor and presentation facilities, for 220 standing.
After-work drinks on a rooftop: Melba's Rooftop splits into Centre Bar and Quayside sections for 24 each, the Balcony for 54 and the Marquee for 56.
Forty around the table: Quartier has air con, a sound system and TV and presentation facilities for a short year-in-review.
A team with mixed dietary needs: at the Como Room, halal menus are available along with plenty of vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Melba's Rooftop assigns a dedicated coordinator to every event, and Quartier's hotel events team handles the logistics around the meal, which takes pressure off whoever drew the short straw of organising it.

The Oriana: From $50 per person, for canapé packages with a 20-guest minimum; grazing stations can be added for 30 or more.
Quartier Restaurant @ Sebel Quay West Suites: From $79 per person, with drink packages or a bar tab.
Melba's Rooftop @ Cruise Bar & Restaurant: From $90 per person for shared grazing and platters, each paired with a beverage package.
Como Room @ Bar Lulu: From $200 per person, the fit when dancing is part of the plan.

Notes for the person organising it

Thank-you speeches: the Como Room has a microphone and presentation facilities, and exclusive bookings at Melba's include a PA, microphone and DJ deck.
Drinks: The Oriana offers drinks packages or a bar tab, and hire fees may apply to some of its spaces.
Access for everyone: the Como Room is step-free with accessible toilets, The Oriana is served by a lift throughout, and Melba's Rooftop lists wheelchair access.
Dates: ask each venue which late November and December weeknights are open, since not every team can make a Friday.

Venues for Christmas Parties: Your Questions Answered

What suits a Christmas party for a large company in The Rocks?

The Oriana and Melba's Rooftop. The Oriana's ground floor and pub together take 1,000, and across Cruise Bar & Restaurant's three levels more than 1,100 people can be hosted. Melba's Rooftop alone holds 400 standing.

Can one team have a private Christmas dinner in The Rocks?

Yes. Quartier Restaurant @ Sebel Quay West Suites offers a private space for 40 seated or 50 standing, a few minutes' walk from Circular Quay. The Oriana's restaurant also has a 30-seat tower corner for smaller dinners.

Where can the office dance at its Christmas party?

Head to the Como Room @ Bar Lulu, which has a PA, DJ connection and visuals projected on its sandstone walls. The Oriana lists a dance floor too, and the Bridge View Deck there comes ready for music and simple AV.

Do any venues offer a section rather than the whole space?

Melba's Rooftop is split into semi-private sections from 24 to 56 guests, and The Oriana's restaurant can be booked as a section or exclusively for 150. Its beer garden sections take 60 to 80.