A Chinese take on the Christmas party: a different company celebration on Torgallmenningen

A Christmas party unlike the others

December in Bergen has a rhythm of its own. The streets are strung with light, Torgallmenningen fills with people moving between meetings and last errands, and the calendar fills up with parties that all start to look a little alike. A Christmas party with us is meant to break with exactly that. Here we swap the roast for steaming sharing plates, and let the evening be about what it should be about: sitting well together, for a long while.

For many companies the Christmas party is the one occasion all year when the whole team gathers outside working hours. The evening deserves to be more than just another dinner. A Chinese Christmas party gives precisely that feeling of experiencing something together, unfamiliar enough to be remembered, warm enough to feel like home.

We have welcomed companies in the city centre through many Decembers, from the small department of eight to the whole firm of dozens. What we have learned is that a good Christmas party is not about the number of dishes or the length of the speeches, but about the pace, the hospitality and the food that binds the table together.

Why a shared meal suits a celebration

A party always finds its tone around the food that is shared. When the plates are set in the middle of the table and everyone helps themselves, conversation loosens on its own. No one is stuck with their own plate; you reach across to one another, taste what your neighbour recommends, and agree on which dishes were the evening's favourites.

The Chinese table is built for exactly this. Instead of one starter, one main and one dessert per guest, we compose a series of dishes meant to be shared by the whole table. Something crisp beside something mild, something with wilder spice beside something clean and fresh. That way the whole party travels through the evening together, rather than each guest having a single dish.

This way of eating does something to the mood, too. It lowers the threshold for talking across the table, it gets colleagues who rarely speak to share a portion of dumplings, and it gives the evening a natural flow. The food becomes a reason to linger.

What a Chinese Christmas party tastes like

A typical evening with us begins gently and builds. We like to open with small, warm dishes, hand-made dim sum (点心), crisp spring rolls and something easy to share while guests find their seats and the first glass is poured.

Then come the warm plates through the evening. Here there is room for our signature dishes: crispy duck (香酥鸭) with pancakes, spring onion and hoisin, wok dishes with a Sichuan edge such as Chicken “Gongbao” (宫保鸡肉), steamed fish with ginger, and the vegetables and noodles that tie the meal together. We compose the selection so the table is balanced, fierce and mild, meat and seafood, crisp and tender.

Finally, something simple and sweet to land on, so the evening has a calm close. All the way through the idea is the same: that no one should go home hungry, but that no one should feel the food is being rushed past them either.

Set menus, paced just right

For a party we almost always recommend a set menu over à la carte. When you are many, ordering individually quickly becomes unwieldy (both for you and for the kitchen), and the food arrives unevenly. A set menu lets us pace the evening instead: the small plates first, the warm dishes in waves through the evening, and the sweet at the end.

A well-considered order is underrated. It gives guests time to talk between dishes, it keeps the food warm and fresh as it is brought out, and it lets the evening last without dragging on. We follow the table as we go and adjust the speed to the mood. If the conversation is good, we let it have room; if hunger is strong, the next plate comes sooner.

We put the menus together in dialogue with you. Tell us a little about the party: how formal it should be, whether it is a celebration or a thank-you to the staff, and roughly the level you have in mind. We will then suggest a selection to suit.

We adapt to the occasion

No two parties are alike, and we want the menu to feel like your own. If you have guests with allergies or preferences (vegetarian, gluten-free, shellfish to avoid), tell us in advance and we will prepare separate dishes without any fuss at the table. No single guest should have to explain themselves in front of the whole team.

We adapt to the budget, too. A Christmas party can be a generous, multi-course experience, or a more pared-back meal of a few chosen favourites. Both can make a fine evening; what matters is that the frame is agreed in advance, so you can relax once the evening is under way.

We have hosted parties for a generation, and we know it is the small things that make an evening worth remembering.

Room for the department and the whole company

We welcome everything from the small table of eight to larger company parties. Tell us how many you will be and we will find a solution to suit, one shared table where the whole team sits together, or an area of your own where you can be on your own, a little apart from the rest of the room.

For the largest parties we recommend booking early. December is short, and the most sought-after evenings (the Thursdays and Fridays before Christmas) fill up first. If you are flexible on the date, you have more options; if you have a particular evening in mind, it pays to secure it in good time.

Right on Torgallmenningen, and easy to reach

The location makes a difference for a company party. We sit on Torgallmenningen, the city's busiest square, a step from Bryggen and the fish market. For a team coming straight from work, it is easy to gather; for guests heading out afterwards, everything is within walking distance.

We are easy to reach by public transport. Buses and the light rail stop on and around Torgallmenningen, and there is parking in the centre within walking distance. For staff travelling in, or making their way safely home after a good evening, the proximity to transport is a practical advantage often underrated when planning a Christmas party.

Something good in the glass

A good meal deserves something good in the glass. We have put together a wine list chosen to follow the Chinese flavours: fresh, aromatic wines for the lighter dishes, and something with a little more body for the fuller ones, like the duck. Do ask for a recommendation and we will find something to suit your menu.

For a party it can be worth agreeing on the drinks in advance, a house wine for the table, say, or a small selection for guests to choose from, so the evening flows without anyone having to study the wine list in the middle of a conversation.

More than a dinner

For a company the Christmas party is an investment in something that does not appear in the accounts: the sense of belonging. A good evening together, where people laugh and get to know one another across roles and departments, has a value that lasts longer than the meal itself. We see it as our job to give you the best setting for exactly that.

That is why we care about the details easily overlooked. That everyone is seen as they arrive, that the food comes evenly so no one is left waiting, that the pace leaves room for both conversation and breath. It is the sum of the small things that decides whether an evening is merely fine, or whether it is remembered.

A Christmas party should feel like a thank-you: to the colleagues, to the team, to the year that has passed. We do our part to make that thank-you come through clearly, from the first welcome to the final toast.

An evening that lasts

What we value most is when a party lingers long after the last plate is empty. A Christmas party is not only a meal; it is a rare chance to see your colleagues in another way, without screens and deadlines. We try to set the scene for exactly that: low light, warm colours and a pace that invites you to stay.

A seasoned host guides the evening from welcome to final toast, so that whoever is responsible for the party also gets to relax. You should not have to keep an eye on the kitchen or count the glasses; we take care of that. Your only task is to enjoy the evening with your team.

An alternative to the traditional Christmas fare

Many find that Christmas parties begin to taste the same. When one company dinner follows the next, and the menu is identical everywhere, the evening loses a little of its spark. A Chinese Christmas party offers a welcome change, the same warmth and festive mood, but with flavours that surprise and gather.

That does not mean turning our back on Christmas. On the contrary, the shared meal suits our season well: it is rich, warm and generous, made to be enjoyed slowly in good company while the dark lies thick outside. For many companies, doing something a little different is exactly what makes this year's party remembered longer than last year's.

We also find that an unfamiliar choice often brings people together. When no one quite knows what is coming to the table, everyone is a little more curious, a little more involved. The food becomes a shared subject of conversation, and the threshold for getting to know one another across departments drops a notch.

Questions we are often asked

How spicy is the food? No spicier than you wish. Much of the Cantonese kitchen is mild and clean, and we can adjust the heat of the menu so it suits the whole team. If some want more kick, we arrange that on the side.

Can you cater for allergies and diets? Yes. Let us know in advance and we will prepare separate dishes for those who need them (vegetarian, gluten-free or otherwise), without making a fuss at the table.

How long does an evening last? That is up to you. A typical Christmas party stretches over several hours, with the food at a calm pace and time enough between dishes. We follow the mood of the party and let the evening last as long as it should.

Can we give a speech or bring a cake? Of course. Tell us if you would like a pause for a speech, a toast or something of your own for dessert, and we will make room for it in the flow of the evening.

Plan in good time

A successful Christmas party usually begins with an early enquiry. Once you know roughly the date and the number, it is wise to get in touch, that gives us the best chance to set aside the right space and plan the evening calmly. The details can fall into place later; what matters most is securing the evening.

We are glad to help find the date that suits both you and us. If you are flexible, there are often good options outside the very busiest evenings too, frequently with a little more time and calm around the table. Whenever in the season you are, we do our best to make the evening what you hope for.

Remember, too, that a Christmas party is more than the food. If you would like an area of your own, a particular seating, or room for a small marking during the evening, it is good to mention it early. The more we know about what you have in mind, the better we can shape the evening around your party in particular.

How to book

Booking a Christmas party with us is simple. Send us a short request with your preferred date, the number of guests and a little about the occasion, and we will be in touch to put the evening together and confirm the details. We will gladly go through the menu, drinks, pacing and any considerations in good time, so everything is ready when you arrive.

The earlier in the autumn you are, the better the chance of getting exactly the evening you want. But if it has grown late and you are still without a venue, do get in touch anyway. We do our best to find room.