Christmas Parties — Isle of Wight
Christmas parties, done properly.
Private dining rooms beneath the restaurant, a kitchen that cooks the same in December as it does in June, and a table that's yours for the whole evening. From £65 a head, Thursday to Sunday.
Enquire about December →December on the island
A Christmas dinner, not a Christmas party.
There is a particular kind of December meal that involves a paper hat, a queue at the bar and a set menu cooked for two hundred people at once. Somebody is always sat next to the wrong person. The turkey has been under a heat lamp since half past five.
This isn't that.
Our cellar rooms take one group at a time. The kitchen cooks your dinner the way it cooks every other dinner — to order, from the same suppliers, by the same people. The only concessions to December are the candles, the fact you'll probably stay longer than you meant to, and that nobody will move you on for a second sitting.
It costs a little more than a function room. It is not remotely the same thing.
Who it's for
Two ways to spend an evening.
Whether you're thanking a team or gathering a family, the room and the kitchen are the same. What changes is how we run the evening around you.
For teams & clients
The company dinner
Somewhere people can actually hear each other, with food good enough that they'll still be talking about it in January. Private, unhurried, and organised properly so you aren't managing it on the night.
- A private room, one group at a time — never shared
- Menu and drinks agreed in advance, invoiced to the company
- One person handling it from first enquiry to the last coffee
- Twenty-two minutes from Portsmouth Harbour on the FastCat
- Room for a few words at the end without shouting
- Dietary requirements handled without a fuss
For family & friends
The gathering
The December dinner where everyone actually turns up. Extended family, old friends, or a birthday with the misfortune to fall in the one month when nowhere decent has a table.
- A room entirely to yourselves — no shared tables, no neighbours
- Menus built around what your group actually eats
- Children welcome, and fed properly rather than from a separate list
- Bring your own playlist — both rooms have Sonos
- Balloons and table decorations welcome
- Stay until midnight if the conversation is going well
The rooms
Where you'll sit.
Two private dining rooms beneath the restaurant, each looking directly into the wine cellar, plus tables in the main dining room for smaller groups.
The 1982
A single bespoke table set in front of the wine cellar, with the central kitchen visible beyond. The more immersive of the two rooms, and the better choice for a group that wants to feel part of the evening rather than tucked away from it.
Named for one of the great vintages of the twentieth century — a year that produced extraordinary wine in Bordeaux, the Douro and across Italy.
The 1945
Our largest private room, with its own bar, double sliding doors and a panoramic view into the cellar. Built for evenings that need room to breathe — and the one to ask for if anyone is planning a speech.
Named for the Bordeaux vintage of the century. No post-war year enjoys the reputation 1945 does.
The restaurant
For smaller groups, a table in the main dining room with 180° of the Solent going dark through the windows. Not private, but considerably better than most private rooms elsewhere.
December fills from the outside in — the good tables on the good nights go first, and they go early.
If you're the one organising it
How to plan a Christmas party people enjoy.
Written from the other side of the pass, having watched several hundred of these go well and a handful go badly.
Book earlier than feels necessary
December contains roughly fifteen genuinely desirable evenings, and every company within reach wants the same three Fridays. Most private dining on the island is committed by the middle of October. If you're reading this in September you're early, which is the best possible position.
We take Christmas bookings across November and December, Thursday to Sunday. If your date is at all flexible, a November Thursday will get you more choice, a quieter room and a kitchen that isn't running at full tilt. It is, quietly, the better evening.
Decide what the evening is actually for
This sounds obvious and almost nobody does it. A dinner to thank a team that's had a hard year is a different evening from one designed to get people talking to colleagues they never see. The first wants a long table and time. The second wants a room where people can move.
Tell us which it is and we'll set the room accordingly. It costs nothing and it changes the night considerably.
Sort the drinks in advance, not on the night
The single most common thing that sours a company dinner is ambiguity about who's paying for what. Agree an arrangement beforehand — a set amount per head, wine on the table with a bar tab after, or everything on the company — and tell people plainly. Nobody enjoys wondering whether the second bottle is going to be awkward.
Ask about dietary requirements properly
Not "let us know if you have any allergies" in a group email four people will read. Ask each guest individually and give them a deadline. We can cook around almost anything with notice, and around very little without it.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menus are all available, and none of them are afterthoughts.
Think about how people get home
Especially coming from the mainland. Last sailings in December are earlier than you'd expect, and a group that has to leave at nine has had a different evening from one that doesn't. The next section covers it properly.
Then stop organising it
Once the menu is in and the room is set, your job is done. You should be able to arrive as a guest at your own party. If you find yourself managing anything on the night, we haven't done ours properly.
The order of things
A sensible timeline.
-
September – October
Enquire and hold a date. The only genuinely time-sensitive step. Everything else can wait; the date cannot.
-
Four to six weeks before
Agree the menu and drinks. We'll talk it through rather than send a PDF. Numbers can still move at this stage.
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Two to three weeks before
Collect choices and dietary requirements. Give your guests a deadline a week before ours, because someone always replies late.
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Five days before
Confirm final numbers and pre-order. This is our deadline — after it the kitchen orders for your group specifically. Name cards showing each guest's choices if you'd like them.
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On the night
Arrive and be a guest. Everything is set before you get here.
Coming from the mainland
Closer than you think.
Portsmouth to our door is under forty minutes including the walk. For a Hampshire company, an island Christmas party is less travel than crossing London — and it feels like an occasion rather than a Tuesday.
Getting here
We're a five-minute walk from Ryde Esplanade, where the fast foot-passenger services land. For a group, foot passage is cheaper and quicker than bringing cars — and it means nobody has to stay sober to drive.
| From | Service | Crossing | Lands at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southsea | Hovertravel hovercraft | ~10 min | Ryde Esplanade |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Wightlink FastCat | ~22 min | Ryde Pier Head |
| Southampton | Red Funnel Red Jet | ~28 min | West Cowes |
| Portsmouth | Wightlink car ferry | ~45 min | Fishbourne |
Portsmouth Harbour connects directly with the mainline rail network, and Ryde Pier Head is a station on the island line. A group travelling from London can reach us without anyone touching a car.
Getting home
This is the part worth checking early. Last sailings in December are earlier than in summer and vary by route and by day. If your evening needs to run past ten, tell us when you enquire and we'll help you work out which crossing to build the night around — or which island hotels have rooms.
For groups who'd rather not watch the clock, staying over turns a dinner into a proper night out. There are several good places within walking distance and we're happy to point you at the ones we'd use ourselves.
Parking
We don't have guest parking, but there are two large public car parks within a couple of minutes' walk, one directly opposite the restaurant.
Before you enquire
The practical bits.
Everything you'd otherwise have to email to ask.
The menu
Our Christmas menu is being written now and will be published here shortly. If you're enquiring before then, we'll talk it through with you directly — and you'll see it before you commit to anything.
Cost
From £65 per guest, based on three courses with drinks. The final figure depends on the menu, the wine and the size of the group. We quote clearly and in full before you commit to anything.
Dates
Available through November and December, Thursday to Sunday, lunch and dinner. December Fridays and Saturdays go first — November dates stay open longest and are quietly the better value.
Deposit & pre-order
A £10 non-refundable deposit per guest confirms your reservation. A pre-order is required at least five days before your event. We can provide name cards showing each guest's menu selection if requested within the same timeframe.
Drinks
Wine from the cellar list, a drinks allowance per head, or a bar tab — whichever suits how you want to run the evening. Agreed in advance so nobody is doing sums on the night.
Access
The cellar rooms sit below the restaurant and are reached by stairs, so they are not accessible to wheelchair users. Please mention any mobility needs when you enquire and we'll arrange the right table in the main dining room instead.
Good to know
Frequently asked.
How far in advance should we book a Christmas party?+
For a private room, September or October. Most of the island's private dining is committed by mid-October and the best evenings go first. We take bookings across November and December, Thursday to Sunday — and November dates stay open longest, which makes them the sensible choice if you're organising late or want more say over the date.
What does a Christmas party cost?+
From £65 per guest, based on three courses with drinks. The final figure depends on the menu, the wine and the size of the group — we'll quote in full before you commit. A £10 non-refundable deposit per guest confirms the booking.
Which dates are available?+
November and December, Thursday to Sunday, for both lunch and dinner. December Fridays and Saturdays are the first to go. If your date is flexible, a November Thursday will get you more choice and a quieter room.
How many people can you seat for a Christmas party?+
Our private rooms take 8 to 16 and 12 to 22 guests. Smaller groups are seated in the main dining room. For anything above 22, get in touch and we'll talk through what's possible.
Is there a set Christmas menu?+
Our Christmas menu is being written now and will be published on this page shortly. If you're enquiring before it's up, we'll talk it through with you directly — and nobody is asked to commit to anything before seeing it.
When do we need to confirm menu choices?+
A pre-order is required at least five days before your event, so the kitchen can order specifically for your group. If you'd like name cards showing each guest's selection at their place, ask within the same timeframe and we'll prepare them.
Can you cater for dietary requirements?+
Yes, and properly. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menus are all available, and we can work around most allergies given notice. Notice is the key word — tell us at pre-order rather than on the night and everyone gets something they'd have chosen anyway.
Do you take company bookings and invoice?+
Yes. Corporate bookings can be invoiced in advance with the menu and drinks agreed beforehand, so there's nothing to settle on the night.
We're coming from Portsmouth or Southampton — is that realistic?+
Very. The hovercraft from Southsea takes ten minutes and lands five minutes' walk from us; the FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour takes twenty-two. For a mainland company it's less travel than most cross-city journeys, and it turns a dinner into an evening out. Check the last sailing before planning timings — December services finish earlier than summer ones.
Can we hire the whole restaurant?+
[ ROB — confirm ] For larger groups, get in touch and we'll talk through the options.
Can we bring decorations?+
Balloons and table decorations are welcome, provided they're taken away afterwards. We provide glass oil lamps on every table. Confetti, glitter, party poppers and indoor fireworks aren't allowed — the first two in particular are impossible to get out of a cellar floor.
Can we play our own music?+
Yes. Both cellar rooms have Sonos, so bring a playlist.
How late can we stay?+
Dinner bookings in the cellar run to midnight, with departure by half past. Lunch bookings run to 5pm.
Can we split the bill?+
Bills can be split up to two ways, unless payment has been arranged in advance. For company dinners we'd generally suggest invoicing beforehand — it's cleaner for everyone.
What happens if our numbers change?+
Numbers can move freely until the pre-order deadline. After that the kitchen has ordered specifically for your group, so we'd ask you to cover the confirmed figure. Tell us as early as you can and we'll always try to be reasonable.
Enquire
Tell us about your December.
A few details and we'll come back within 24 hours with available dates, a suggested menu and a clear price. Every reply comes from the team — there's nothing automated about it.