Who said Christmas parties have to be, well, Christmassy? If you're organising this year's festive do for your colleagues, friends or family, and you're looking for something out of the ordinary, what about taking your guests to Venice for the night?
Polpo is an authentic Venetian restaurant in Soho, just seconds from the buzz of Carnaby Street and the brilliant transport links around that area. This, the flagship branch, opened in 2009, and was joined several years later by another restaurant in Chelsea. The Beak Street eatery is now a stalwart of Soho, and has been serving sell-out cicheti plates for over a decade.
Polpo Soho welcomes festive group bookings and while the team can arrange a larger table for you in the main restaurant, the venue also has an exclusive-use private dining room on the lower-ground floor. Here, in the Campari Room, you'll have the place to yourself with enough space for 24 people positioned around one, central table.
Polpo Soho has always been a restaurant built on the joy on communal dining and celebration, so it makes an ideal space to celebrate Christmas. Start off with a classic aperitivo - a - an Aperol Spritz or Peach Bellini - then fill the table with an array of Polpo's delicious sharing dishes: stuffed, fried olives; chicken liver and sage crostino; truffle and potato crochette; sumptuous pasta dishes; pork, fennel and chilli meatballs; freshly baked pizzettes; and lots more besides.
Finally, ensure your gang leaves room for dessert, because the Polpo tiramisu is one of the best in the capital. With buzzy atmosphere, a brilliant in-house team and some of the best celebratory food in London, Christmas parties at Polpo are guaranteed to live long in the memory.