The Christmas party venues team IMAGE are booking this year
Christmas date nights, festival family traditions, annual get-togethers with the whole gang, as December nears we’re frantically making reservations for all of our favourite old reliables, and newly opened eateries. Here’s where the IMAGE staffers are booking for their Christmas parties…
Sophie Power, Chief Operations Officer
For our team IMAGE Christmas party we are all heading to the incredible Amy Austin where we will have full run of the vibrant yet dinky restaurant (it is the perfect size for a team of 25!). The small plates are to die for here and the drinks (hello wine on tap!) are second to none.
For my annual Christmas girls dinner with our old ex London gang we are going to try out Floritz, the new Japanese restaurant at what used to be The Cliff Townhouse. The restaurant promises ‘global influences, big flavours and a fresh bold energy’, which sounds like the right combo needed for the ultimate girls night out.
And it wouldn’t be Christmas without a girls night out at 777, with the best spicy margs in Dublin, a delicious menu of tacos to share and a too-loud-for-some (don’t look at me, I’m only in my mid 30s) playlist — I can already feel the hangover, and I am here for it!
Lizzie Gore-Grimes, Editor-in-Chief
I love The Dunmore in Rathmines for a fun festive get together with friends, it’s really relaxed with a great atmosphere and excellent food (especially if you love fish; the crab claws are to die for). With comfy sofa-style seating in the front, a bar in the middle and restaurant down the back, you can sit and eat and then move to the bar up the front to settle in. A great spot.
I also love Flortitz for an atmospheric night out with the girls, the room is Art Deco decadent, with white tuxedoed waiters serving killer cocktails and nothing too heavy on the Japanese inspired menu. But I also look forward to soaking up all the traditional festive feels with afternoon tea with my mum in The Westbury Hotel every year.
Dominique McMullan, Editorial Director
Last Saturday night I went to Sister7 Kitchen at Fidelity Studio in Smithfield and on leaving, booked another table for closer to Christmas. It’s an Asian influenced menu featuring small plates of dumplings, bao buns, and more. The food is creative and tasty served in a really vibey and atmospheric room. From 10pm the kitchen is closed and the music is turned up, creating the perfect, party atmosphere. They also have a private room for bigger parties.
Shayna (Sappington) Healy, Branded Content Editor and Wedding Writer
Every December, my friends and I plan a fun girls’ night out – usually at a Christmassy pub adorned with decorations and a blazing fire. But last year, after a desperate late-night trawl for food ended with questionable chicken rolls at an all-hours deli, we decided this year’s gathering should be centred around dinner. We’re deciding between two places – La Gordita and Little Washer.
La Gordita is a Spanish tapas restaurant in Dublin 2 that I’ve had my eye on, the atmosphere is lively and the menu is chock-full of delicious nibbles, meats and cheese. It promises endless bottles of red wine paired with a Michelin-worthy meal (it was awarded a Bib Gourmand), but it is a bit on the pricier side (deservedly-so!).
Our second option is the new Little Washer in Glasnevin – an intimate Italian restaurant and sister to the popular Winding Stair, Woollen Mills, and Legal Eagle. Mouthwatering pizzas and small plates would be the highlight of the night, followed by a jaunt to the nearby Gravediggers for, in my opinion, one of the best pints of Guinness in Dublin.
Amber O’Shea, Social Media Manager
For Christmas, I have my eye on these fabulous spots, Grano and A Fianco. I’m hoping to book something for date night. If you are a wine lover as well you may just fall in love with this cute and cosy little spot called A Fianco, run by the same owners of Grano. It is a snug and cosy spot with an incredible wine selection. I’ve been trying to get a booking for these two spots this Christmas, so I am on the beloved waiting list — but these two spots are so amazing, I love to see how busy they are, especially during this time of the year.
I want to make sure to meet some of my friends and have a lovely catch up over the festive period, so I’d love to go for some tapas. Las Tapas De Lola and Mi Casa are definitely on my list. I’ve been to Mi Casa once before and everything was absolutely delicious — I’ve been dreaming about the croquetas ever since.
Joanne Kennedy, Senior Accounts Executive
I’ve booked The Westbury for festive afternoon tea in December. A girls day out with my mum and sister. It’s a lovely way to enjoy the run up to Christmas.
Holly O’Neill, Editor, IMAGE.ie; Beauty Editor, IMAGE Magazine
Top of my list to book for Christmas is the all new Neighbourhood Bar, the soon-to-open upstairs offering from the award-winning Neighbourhood Restaurant in Naas. They’re currently creating a new signature cocktail menu to pair with an upcoming selection of small plates crafted by Head Chef Gareth Naughton, and everything they’ve hinted at so far looks incredible.
Ciara Elliott, Acting Editor, IMAGE Magazine
Me and a few friends are going for drinks and pre Christmas get together at La Gordita off Camden Street which I’ve heard is delish. It has been described as “grown up food in an informal atmosphere” (I haven’t been there yet) but heard its cosy and bodega style with delicious sharing plates and tapas.
Sarah Gill, Feature Editor, IMAGE.ie
This year, I’m hoping to start a new tradition with my mother and sister in the form of a festive meal at The Oarsman in Carrick on Shannon. It’s probably best described as a traditional Irish gastro bar, but every little detail is dialed up to eleven, and come Christmastime, the decor and ambiance are sheer perfection. The backdrop is set by twinkling fairy lights and a guitarist’s soft strumming, and the menu makes expert use of local produce — don’t get me started on the orange and rosemary whipped Leitrim Hill Creamery goats’ cheese.
Elsewhere, I am keen on trying out Sonflour in Cork, and a girls night before we go our separate ways for the holidays is as good an excuse as any. It’s a vegan and vegetarian Italian restaurant that I’ve heard great things about, and they regularly host community events and live music sessions, so fingers crossed we can time our visit well.
Lastly, the festive season calls for an intimate date night in Rúibín, Galway. My favourite restaurant in the city, their bar menu has all the small plates and snacks to satisfy all year round, but for special occasions, a perch in their restaurant upstairs is the only place I want to be. Their cocktail menu changes seasonally, and last year’s featured a chocolate stout espresso martini that I sincerely hope is in evidence this time around.
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