8 Best Holiday Party Venues in NYC for Small Teams (Under 30)

Finding the right holiday party venue for a small group in NYC is harder than it sounds. Too big and the room feels empty. Too divey and it just feels like a random Tuesday. These 8 spots hit the sweet spot: real atmosphere, private or semi-private space, and enough going on that 15 to 30 people will actually have a good time. Corporate holiday parties, small team celebrations, intimate dinners in Manhattan or Brooklyn where you want it to feel like an actual event.

Nautical cocktail bar on the SoHo/Greenwich Village border with a private mezzanine for up to 30

The Folly sits on West Houston between LaGuardia and Thompson, right where Greenwich Village bleeds into SoHo. The nautical theme could easily be corny but it lands well. Reclaimed wood, warm lighting, cozy enough that your group of 20 won't feel lost.

The Private Mezzanine holds up to 30 guests and is genuinely private. The cocktails are actually good, and the seafood menu gives you real food options rather than the usual sad happy hour spread. There's also a projector with full AV, a DJ booth, and a vintage photo booth on site. For a holiday party under 30 people, that's a lot of built-in fun.

Broadway-Lafayette on the B/D/F/M is a two-minute walk. Prince Street on the N/R/W is close too. Easy for the whole team to get to from almost anywhere in Manhattan.

Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake's gaming venue steps from Grand Central, with private party suites for 20

If your team likes a little competition, T-Squared Social on East 42nd Street is a strong call. Co-founded by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake, which sounds like a gimmick until you actually walk in. The place is massive, with duckpin bowling, golf simulators, darts, ping pong, bubble hockey, foosball, and NYC's largest TV screen. It doesn't feel like a novelty. It feels like somewhere your team will actually want to stay for three hours.

For small groups, the Party Suites and Golf Bays each hold up to 20 people in a semi-private setup. Good for teams that want a low-key competitive activity built into the night rather than just standing around a bar. The food and drink packages go beyond the usual open bar basics.

Location is as good as it gets. The 4/5/6/7 and S all stop at Grand Central right below. Getting 20 people from all over the city to show up is about as easy as it gets.

Tribeca cocktail bar with a 45-foot marble bar, botanical cocktails, and private sections for up to 40

Little More opened on Reade Street in Tribeca and immediately became one of the most talked-about bars downtown. The centerpiece is a 45-foot marble bar underneath a 16-foot wall of spirits. Dark serpent murals, a botanical wall, dimly lit and genuinely sexy without trying too hard.

The cocktail program is led by former Apotheke mixologists. These aren't well-drink pours dressed up in fancy glasses. The food menu is genuinely creative: spiral lasagna, birria ramen, crab mac and cheese, caviar service if your team is feeling it. The Back Area Upstairs holds up to 35 guests privately, which is right in the sweet spot for a small corporate holiday party.

The 1/2/3 stop at Chambers Street is a short walk. So is the A/C. The block at night feels like real Tribeca, quiet cobblestone energy with good restaurants on either side.

Chelsea bistro with a hidden speakeasy behind a vintage vending machine door, fits 30 in the cabana

Loulou on 8th Avenue in Chelsea has three distinct spaces: a Parisian bistro dining room upstairs, a speakeasy you access through a vintage vending machine door downstairs, and outdoor cabanas with pitched ceilings and chandeliers. Any of these works for a holiday party. Together they make the place genuinely memorable.

The Speakeasy fits up to 80 standing but works really well for an intimate holiday dinner for 30 to 36 seated. Gold bar, jungle mural, velvet everywhere. The food is French-leaning and actually good. The cabanas fit 30 for a reception and are available through mid-November, so keep that in mind for early holiday parties. For groups who want dinner plus drinks in a space that has a real sense of occasion, Loulou earns its spot on this list.

The A/C/E/L at 14th and 8th is right there. The 1 at 18th Street is also a short walk. Chelsea at night is an easy neighborhood to pull people into from all over the city.

Provençal French restaurant in Greenwich Village with a private second-floor mezzanine for 30

Le Petit Village is a classic French restaurant in Greenwich Village. Small, warm, feels like somewhere in Provence rather than Manhattan. No concept gimmicks, no DJ booth, no neon. Good food, good wine, attentive service, and a space that makes conversation feel easy.

The Second Floor Mezzanine fits up to 30 guests privately. Good for a corporate holiday party where the goal is actually talking to your colleagues rather than shouting over a sound system. The menu is classic French bistro with a solid wine list. The service is polished and discreet, which matters when you're hosting clients.

The A/B/C/D/E/F/M stop at West 4th Street is close. The vibe on the block at night is exactly what you'd want for a grown-up holiday dinner: quiet West Village side street, good restaurants nearby, no chaos.

25 floors above FiDi with city skyline views and a Water View room that fits 30 seated with AV

Highwater Rooftop is 25 floors up inside Hotel Indigo at 120 Water Street in FiDi. The view from up here is legitimately impressive, especially in December when the city is lit up. The skyline comes through the panoramic windows and does the heavy lifting on atmosphere.

For small teams, the Water View Space fits 30 seated or 60 standing, comes with AV and projector capability, and has an optional office-style setup if you want to run a presentation or year-end recap before the actual party starts. That dual purpose makes it useful when you want the business part to feel intentional and the celebration part to feel separate. The cocktail menu is good and the local craft beer program is solid.

The 2/3 and 4/5 both stop at Wall Street nearby. Fulton Center is walkable too. For FiDi teams this is a no-brainer. For teams coming from Midtown, it's about 20 minutes on the 4/5 and worth it.

A 500 sq ft Mars-themed glass house in the West Village that fits 26 seated for something totally different

Sing NYC is a 500 square foot glasshouse with a transparent ceiling, vivid red textured walls, life-sized astronaut figures, and a Mars-inspired theme that sounds wild on paper but looks genuinely cool in photos. If your team is tired of the standard bar-restaurant formula and wants something that will actually spark conversation the moment people walk in, this is it.

It seats 26 or holds 35 standing, so it's built specifically for small groups. The natural light from the transparent ceiling works well for daytime events and shifts to something more atmospheric at night. In-house catering is available and comes with a venue fee discount, which keeps costs reasonable. Good for a tech team, a creative agency, or any group that wants the night to feel like something other than a Thursday dinner.

Located in the West Village/SoHo area with A/C/E/B/D/F/M trains all accessible. The immediate block is quiet and residential, which makes the contrast of the interior even more effective.

Upper East Side farm-to-bar cafe with a private large table for 30 and scratch cocktails made from local ingredients

Festivál Cafe on 2nd Avenue at 60th Street is NYC's only self-described farm-to-bar cafe. Everything on the menu, food and cocktails, is made from scratch using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. No artificial additives, no industrial oils. The menu rotates with the seasons, so what you're eating in December is genuinely different from what they were serving in August.

The Private Large Table holds up to 30 guests. For teams that care about what they put in their bodies, or who want a holiday party that doesn't feel like every other restaurant buyout in the city, Festivál is worth the trip uptown. The community-owned, UES-local character of the place comes through in the service and the vibe. It feels like someone's neighborhood spot, not a hospitality group's production.

The N/R/W and 4/5/6 at Lexington and 59th Street are a short walk west. The M15 runs right up 2nd Avenue. For teams with UES offices or clients nearby, it's a very easy sell.

Need help narrowing it down or getting a quote fast? Litty's concierge team works with all of these venues and can match your group size, budget, and vibe in one conversation.