LAGuide
Where To Have Your Office Holiday Party
34 spots guaranteed to make you the hero of the office—or at least make everyone forget what you did at the last holiday party.
It’s the most magical time of year: Office holiday party season. That one special night where you get to spend time with people you don’t particularly enjoy, drink a lot of alcohol together, and see how it all comes out in the wash tomorrow. And if you’re tasked with making it all happen, your night is going to be even worse. Just know now—you probably won’t make everyone happy.
To give you the best possible chances for success, we’ve rounded up the 34 best spots in LA for holiday parties, broken up by what kind of company you probably work for. Seasons greetings.
PERFECT FOR A SMALL TECH START-UP
It’s not really a holiday party without at least the option of alcohol. And at Benny Boy Brewery, you have it within arms reach no matter where you’re hanging out. Equal parts brewery, cider house, and beer garden, this Lincoln Heights spot does it all. Plus, there’s a giant patio filled with wooden benches and tree stumps that feels like a grown-up overnight camp, nightly food pop-ups, and fire pits to huddle around while ignoring the coworker who tried to get you fired in July.
Capacity: Tables and fire pits can be reserved for 10-30 people. Full cider house and beer garden buyouts available for 50-150+.
Top Golf in El Segundo isn’t just a driving range for golf enthusiasts, this tri-level, open-air venue is also home to a full-service bar and restaurant. Along with some better-than-average sports bar grub, Top Golf serves a bunch of wine, beer, and fruity cocktails that you can enjoy at a high-top table while listening to your boss talk about their high school golf team achievements.
Capacity: Holiday party packages include food, drink, and up to three hours of golf. No capacity limits.
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Stepping inside Kodo, a Japanese izakaya in the Arts District, feels a little bit like entering a goth social club hosted in a zen garden. Jet-black walls frame a cement path that leads through a mini-maze to the restaurant’s concrete cube of a courtyard. Faint house music plays and the host stand resembles a tiny meteor that somehow landed on Earth. It’s what we assume all sushi bars will look like in the year 2150—and what your tech bro coworkers will obsess over in 2022.
Capacity: Private dining available for up to 20 people.
Nothing beats a big group Korean BBQ outing. And while Ktown has more options than it knows what to do within this category, go with Chosun Galbee for the holiday party. The large, modern space is great, the meat is quality, and unlike some of the other popular spots, you won’t have to wait outside for two hours until your table becomes available. Not to mention, there are several private dining rooms.
Capacity: Private dining room for groups of 12-45.
Ospi is an excellent Italian restaurant in Venice that comes from the same people behind one of our other favorite Italian restaurants on the Westside: Jame Enoteca. Expect a wide-ranging menu full of tremendous antipasti, pizza, pasta, and big plates of meat that you can focus on while your boss hands out homemade “Zoom Blooper of the Year” awards.
Capacity: For large-party inquiries, reach out here.
If your CEO likes to hold all his lunch meetings at the beach, he’ll be very pleased with a holiday party on the roof at Gjelina, where their private space is. Looking out over Abbot Kinney while eating some really good pizza will make you feel like you’re in an episode of one of those TV shows about rich people doing beautiful things, instead of holding out hope that those stock options you’ve got will someday bear fruit (spoiler: they won’t).
Capacity: Private room with deck for groups of 30+.
No matter how rowdy this Arts District sausage emporium can get on the weekends (and also at its Venice location), no one can deny this place works great for a big group party. Normally, you’d have to wait in line and order at the counter, but for groups big enough (12+), you’re able to snag a reservation and get a sectioned-off area of the restaurant. Sausage, beer, and hip-hop. Your coworkers will thank you.
Capacity: Groups of 12+ in a semi-private space.
Deep down you know the idea of sitting next to your coworkers for an entire dinner won’t end well. So, let’s go bowling instead. The Spare Room (inside the Roosevelt Hotel) is part bar, part restaurant, with a few bowling lanes thrown into the mix. If that sounds cheesy to you, know that this place’s Old Hollywood feel steers it clear from Dave & Buster’s territory.
Capacity: Full buyout fits 200 people. Regular reservations available for any size party.
PERFECT FOR A FASHION BRAND THAT STARTED ON INSTAGRAM
Considering you work for a company that specializes in something called “vegan sportswear”, planning a holiday party on top of a gym is never a bad idea. Mother Tongue’s sprawling rooftop is generically pretty, with desert chic touches your coworkers will love. The menu is full of solid, mostly healthy-ish dishes, and if you get bored, you can watch a bunch of sweaty people swim around in the adjacent pool.
Capacity: Private dining available for groups of 10 or larger.
From the thatched tunnel entrance and the ethereal club music to every server repeatedly reminding you that it’s “Tulum-themed,” there’s a lot going on at Ka’Teen. If you’re looking to get dressed up with coworkers and have an over-the-top night in Hollywood, Ka’Teen is where to do it. The sprawling, mostly outdoor space is great for parties, there’s a $495 bottle of Dom Perignon on the menu, and as for the food, the Yucatan-style menu has plenty of bright spots.
Capacity: Private dining and full buyouts available.
This two-story restaurant located on—you guessed it—Melrose Place is bright and airy with mid-century modern flairs that’ll look great on your coworker’s social media. There’s also a giant rooftop patio with its own bar area, plush pink booths, fire features, and panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills.
Capacity: Partial and full rooftop buyouts available.
This Mexican rooftop restaurant in the Arts District has a massive patio with lush vegetation and panoramic views of Downtown. It kind of feels like a garden party for the rich and famous, and considering your company’s Tik Tok hit 1 million followers last week, that’s the energy you want. The tuna tostada and steak pa’taquear are both standouts, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything on the menu that won’t appease the varying tastes of online fashionistas.
Capacity: Large group reservations available here.
Rosaliné is a restaurant that works for pretty much any occasion, holiday parties included. The modern Peruvian spot serves shareable food in a light space that just feels good to sit in. If your company is small enough, book a space on the patio, which is basically a giant greenhouse.
Capacity: Outdoor patio seats up to 10. Private space for up to 30 seated or 40 standing. Restaurant buyouts available for 80 seated, 150 standing.
If you work at a company where coworkers start planning their holiday party outfits in September, you need that party to be at Gigi’s. The French bistro in Hollywood is a total scene - one where the looks and the entrances are just as important as the food on the table. That said, it’s a very solid menu. Plan for tartare, steak-frites, and several rounds of martinis.
Capacity: For large group inquiries, email info@gigis.la
With an airy, sun-lit patio and strong drinks, this massive Spanish/Mediterranean restaurant on Robertson Blvd. exudes sexiness - even when it’s December and kind of freezing out. But hey, you got to use those cute scarves you got in a mailer at some point, right? Concentrate mostly on the small plates (the chicken croquettes are a standout) and one of our favorite paellas in town.
Capacity: Reservations available for up to 12 people. For larger parties, inquire here.
Employees Only
We like this upscale cocktail bar for parties simply because its West Hollywood space can handle any size group of people. There’s a massive open-air patio with string lights and astroturf, as well as an indoor private dining area complete with its own bar, a fireplace, and even an elevated stage in case the social team wants to try their hand at stand-up.
Capacity: Outdoor patio seats up to 30 people, indoor private dining up to 45.
E.P. & L.P. is a scene. There’s a rooftop bar, a famous neon sign, and lots of young Hollywood types lounging by the fire pit. So it might just be perfect for a company whose requirement for a holiday party is a space that people will recognize once it’s up on social media. There are private rooms available, but your move is to buy out the whole rooftop bar.
Capacity: Rooftop available for up to 300 people. Restaurant buyout available for 130 seated or 200 standing.
PERFECT FOR A HIGH-POWERED TALENT AGENCY
Mother Wolf’s massive Hollywood dining room feels part Las Vegas, part Carbone, and part Roman banquet hall—all crammed inside the Madonna Inn. Sure, everything at this upscale Italian restaurant is decadent and over-the-top, but those are two descriptors that go over well during the holidays.
Capacity: Private events and buyouts available.
Mere blocks from the original Catch, Catch Steak is a meat-centric spinoff that follows the exact same template as its predecessor: build a tacky, semi-exclusive space with generic food that tastes good, and the rich will follow. With over 10,000 square feet and other over-the-top design elements that don’t really matter, it’s bound to be a popular choice for private events this year, so start making those phone calls now.
Capacity: Private dining available for parties of 9 and larger.
Remember The Pikey? That amazing British pub on Sunset where everyone from the mailroom used to party together in 2012? It’s now Horses, an impressive restaurant that serves dishes like cornish hen and clam tagliarini and one of the best vespers in the city. It’s like a grown-up version of The Pikey (much of the old aesthetic remains), which works out, because you’re a grown-up version of the person who used to party there 10 years ago.
Capacity: Kacper’s Room seats up to 26 people seated and 50-60 standing.
What Tesse lacks in exciting, interesting food, it makes up for with a massive, beautiful space on The Strip where industry people can just be themselves. And considering you needed two hands to count the number of destructive mood swings your boss had today, it’s best to keep everybody as happy and agreeable as possible. It is the holidays, after all.
Capacity: Up to 65 people, standing. Regular reservations available for any size party.
Musso & Frank Grill
For the first time ever, the legendary Hollywood steakhouse now has private dining rooms to rent. There’s a smaller room, which can hold up to eight people, as well as a grander dining area complete with hand-painted scenes of the Italian countryside. No matter where you end up sitting though, their famous sidecar martinis are your first order of business.
Capacity: Up to 50 people, seated. Regular reservations available for any size party.
When it comes to making deals about the next superhero franchise over dinner, there’s nowhere better to do so than Craft. But despite the number of suits you’ll find on any given night, the bright space feels more cool than corporate. The food is simple (think steak with green beans or a salmon filet with salad), but it’s solid across the board, and at this point, everyone in your office probably has a favorite thing on menu.
Capacity: Restaurant buyout for 140 people seated or 200 standing. Private dining rooms also available.
Katsuya Hollywood
The Katsuya empire has admittedly transformed itself into more of a see-and-be-seen operation than a see-and-be-seen-eating-sushi one, but you work at CAA and that’s just what the doctor ordered. Here’s the good news though: quality sushi still exists here.
Capacity: Total buyout for up to 400 people. Private dining available for groups of 12 or more.
Famous for being the hardest reservation to get in the world (or something like that), Rao’s Hollywood location is thankfully much easier to get into than its New York spot. Located on a side street south of Santa Monica Blvd., Rao’s is old-school New York Italian food with a warm interior that makes you feel like you’re in Manhattan. But it’s that back patio where holiday party glory truly begins.
Capacity: Full patio buyout available for up to 60 people. Regular reservations available for any size party.
This absolutely stunning co-work-millennial-glamazon-swap-meet space in Hollywood is here for any type or size holiday party your agency requires. With a ground-floor auditorium and two separate outside patios (one being on the roof), the hardest part is actually choosing which space you want. The food comes from the full, on-site restaurant and it’s actually pretty good.
Capacity: Studio A fits 600 people standing, 300 seated. Mezzanine bar and semi-private dining room fits 50 standing, 12 seated . Garden Terrace fits 400 standing, 250 seated. Paley Penthouse fits 100 standing, 18 seated indoors, 40 seated outdoors. Paley buyout for 300 standing 300, 200 seated.
LA Guide
Where To Book Dinner For Your Terrible Boss
PERFECT FOR A VERY CORPORATE FINANCE OR LAW FIRM
The Conrad Los Angeles hotel complex in Downtown has seemingly 500 different dining concepts in it, but the one you want for your holiday party is San Laurel. Located on the 10th-floor mezzanine, the sprawling indoor/outdoor space offers plenty of seating, a solid menu from superchef/humanitarian José Andrés, and great views of the Walt Disney Music Hall for when Mike from accounting starts talking about numbers again.
Capacity: Private dining and full buyouts available.
You’re never going to please every single person on the board of directors, so just cut your losses and book a room at Lawry’s. The classic Beverly Hills steakhouse is total crowd pleaser, complete with spinning salads, potato martinis, and gleaming golden carts of meat.
Capacity: Private dining rooms available for up to 80 people.
Located on the ground floor of The Roosevelt, The Barish has major Old Hollywood energy—despite only opening in 2020. The massive space has Art Deco chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, leather banquettes, and a large marble bar begging the junior agents to saddle up to and play credit card roulette on the next round of drinks.
Capacity: The Writer’s Room seats up to 20 people.
If you work in the financial district and need to find a holiday party location, just look up. At the top of the US Bank Tower Downtown is 71Above, LA’s shrine to corporate power moves and the ideal setting for a bunch of people whose idea of letting loose is business casual. That said, 71Above is serving excellent food, and the 360-degree views of LA are like nothing else in the city.
Capacity: Private dining rooms for 14 or 30 people, larger dining room for 75, full restaurant buyout available.
Redbird is stunning, huge, and not the kind of place you’re going to once a week - all reasons why it’s one of the best spots for a holiday party Downtown. The menu involves lots of plates to share, so maybe make sure you’re sitting next to a friend so you can hoard dishes together.
Capacity: 30 people seated in the main dining room. 90 seated in the lounge. 150 seated on the outdoor patio. 225 standing for a full buyout. Private dining rooms can fit between 16 to 110 seated, 30 to 150 standing.
We love the patio at A.O.C., but we might love their upstairs wine room even more. It feels like an old-school gentlemen’s club, but one where you drink lots of wine instead of scotch. Because we all know wine is the only way you’re going to get through tonight.
Capacity: 40 people in the wine room. 160 seated, 200 standing for a full buyout.
PERFECT FOR YOU, WHO WORKS FOR YOURSELF FROM HOME WITH ALL YOUR PETS
To be clear, Giovanni’s is not a restaurant, it’s a tiramisu delivery service and perhaps the most seasonally-appropriate dessert in Los Angeles. The man behind the operation is Giovanni Bolla, a 72-year-old Italian chef who, if you're lucky, might be the one delivering it right to your doorstep. Order through his website—that’s not a suggestion, it’s a command.
