To budget a company Christmas dinner, multiply the cost per head by your headcount, then add the venue, drinks and extras on top. That final total is the one that counts, and it rarely matches the "from" price on the first listing you find.
Below you will find the budget lines worth asking for in writing, a worked example and a dated timeline for December 2026. At Ektimo, Christmas dinners start at €60 per person with a minimum event spend of €1,500; the terms are on our Christmas 2026 page. Everything here also applies if you organise the dinner yourself.
The budget lines of a corporate dinner, including catering
A quote you can compare always has the same rows. If a venue sends you a single closed price, ask them to say what sits inside each line and whether catering is included or booked separately.
| Line | What it covers | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Menu | Starter, main course and dessert | Number of courses, vegetarian option and allergen handling |
| Drinks | Wine, beer, soft drinks, water, cava | Open bar or bottles per table, for how many hours, and whether coffee and spirits count |
| Venue | Private room or minimum spend | Whether it is charged separately, and the arrival and closing times |
| Service and set-up | Staff, linen, sound | Hours included and the price of an extra hour |
| Extras | Decoration, DJ, photographer, cloakroom | What the venue arranges and what you book yourself |
| Taxes | VAT | Whether the figure you were given already includes it |
A worked example
At the Christmas 2026 starting price of €60 per person, a dinner for 30 comes to €1,800 and one for 40 to €2,400. The €1,500 minimum is reached at 25 guests. Below that, the cost per person rises above €60, and it can be worth combining two teams into one dinner.
As a market reference, the group menus advertised on restaurant booking portals start at around €25 to €50 per person (indicative figures from October 2026, always "from" prices). Many do not make clear whether they include unlimited drinks, a private room or extras. To compare properly, ask every venue for a proposal on identical terms: same hours, same drinks, same number of courses.
What the "from" price usually leaves out
- Drinks that are not part of the menu, especially cocktails and spirits.
- A private room: in an open restaurant you share the space with other tables.
- The extra hour if the dinner runs late.
- Decoration, music and any screen or microphone.
- VAT, if the price is advertised before tax.
- The deposit and cancellation terms, which cost nothing until your plans change.
What to send each venue
To get proposals you can compare, send the same message to every venue. Include your chosen date and a backup, the headcount with a margin of plus or minus five, the planned schedule, whether you need a private room, the kind of catering and drinks you want and your maximum budget per person. Add the restrictions you already know about, such as vegetarians or allergies, and whether there will be speeches, music or a screen. The more specific the message, the fewer proposals you will receive with figures that cannot be compared.
Timeline for December 2026
The Fridays of December 2026 fall on the 4th, 11th and 18th, and Tuesday the 8th is a public holiday. If your dinner is on a Friday, the schedule below is the minimum; if you can choose another day, you have more room. One local detail: many Spanish restaurants serve dinner from about 21:00, so agree the arrival time with the venue early.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| By 16 October | Set the maximum budget and an approximate headcount. Decide whether partners are invited. |
| Week of 19 October | Request proposals from three venues, or from an organiser, on the same terms. |
| By 30 October | Lock in date and venue. Get the deposit and cancellation terms in writing. |
| Week of 9 November | Finalise the menu. Collect allergies, intolerances and vegetarian or vegan requests. |
| Week of 23 November | Send the invitation with date, time, address and dress code. |
| Week of 30 November | Confirm attendance. Ask how far ahead the venue needs the final number. |
| Week of 14 December | Walk through the schedule with the venue: arrival, aperitif, dinner and close. Arrange getting everyone home. |
| On the day | Bring the guest list and a phone number for the venue contact. |
Where to start comparing
For seated groups of 30 to 60, look at the corporate space next to Passeig de Gràcia (up to 60 seated according to its listing) or the minimalist studio with natural light (up to 50). For groups of 10 to 24, the private chef dinner in a creative loft covers menu and setting in one proposal. And if you want the evening to have a theme, the Mexican tasting menu with mezcal takes between 4 and 30 guests.
If you have already picked a date, or are about to, read why the best venues for company Christmas dinners fill up early.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a company Christmas dinner cost per person in Barcelona?
It depends on what is included. Group menus advertised on restaurant portals start, as a rough guide, at €25 to €50 per person, without unlimited drinks or a private room. At Ektimo, Christmas 2026 dinners start at €60 per person, with a minimum event spend of €1,500.
How far ahead should we book?
For December, a sensible target is to lock in date and venue before the end of October, and earlier still if you want a Friday. The later you ask for proposals, the fewer options you will have to compare.
Open bar or bottles per table?
An open bar gives guests freedom and is easy to explain to the team. Bottles per table usually give you tighter control of spend. Ask for the price of both over the same duration and decide with the numbers in front of you.
Ask for a proposal for your date
If you already have a date and a headcount, go to the Christmas 2026 page and tell us what you are looking for. If you would rather describe the event in more detail, use the tailor your event form. Either way, we reply with a tailored proposal within 24 hours. If you need catering for the dinner, tell us and we will include it in that proposal.
Ektimo Events Team
Event Planning Specialists
Contributing writer at Ektimo Events, sharing insights on venues, event planning and team experiences.