Christmas Dinner for a Large Group in Leeds: How to Book for 15 to 60 People

TL;DR: A table of 15 or more is a different booking from a table of four: it needs a deposit, a plan for everyone's food and an earlier start. In Leeds, set Christmas menus mostly run from just under £30 to around £55 a head before drinks. At Bombay2Goa in Headingley, the Christmas Feast is four courses for £30 a head, tables of up to 25 book online, and bigger parties of up to 60 book by phone.

Booking Christmas dinner for four is easy. Booking it for twenty is a small project, and the person who ends up running it is usually you. The good news is that the hard parts are the same every year: getting a date, knowing the cost, collecting everyone's food choices, and keeping a mixed group happy. Here is how to handle each one, with real numbers from our own booking system.

Why Booking for 15 or More Is Different

A restaurant has a fixed number of tables, and a group of 20 takes up the space of several of them for the whole evening. That is why many restaurants stop taking online bookings somewhere between 8 and 16 guests and ask you to send an enquiry instead. It is also why large groups ask for a deposit and, often, a food order in advance: the kitchen can plan, and the table is not wasted if the group falls through.

None of that is bad news for you. It simply means a big group works best when you decide early and ask the right questions, which is what the rest of this guide covers.

When to Book a Large Christmas Group in Leeds

As early as you can. The most useful public figures we found come from Tagvenue, a venue-booking platform. Looking at its 2025 and 2026 London Christmas party bookings, groups of 20 to 49 booked about 44 days ahead on average, about 87% of December bookings were made by the end of November, and Thursdays and Fridays were the hardest nights to get. That is London venue data, not Leeds restaurants, but the pattern holds in any city: the busiest nights go first, and big groups go before small ones.

In practice, if you have a date in mind for December, book it now rather than after your team has agreed. If your group is flexible, a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, or a date in late November, is far easier to get. Our Christmas Feast runs from 1 November to 24 December 2026, we are closed on Tuesdays, and the booking calendar shows every date that is still open. Booking by 30 November 2026 with the code SANTA15 takes 15% off the table bill.

Four Ways to Feed a Big Christmas Group

Option	Group size	Good to know
Christmas Feast at the restaurant	2 to 25, booked online	£30 a head, four courses, everyone chooses their own, evenings from 5pm
Private dining	Up to 60	Call 0113 513 5972. For groups of 20 or more we recommend enquiring at least two weeks ahead
Hot buffet at your office or venue	No upper limit	Our team sets up and serves. Quote within one working day. We recommend at least two weeks' notice for buffets
Drop-off trays	Any size	Prepared by us and delivered or ready to collect, and you serve it yourselves. A few days' notice is usually enough

For a sit-down meal where nobody has to cook, wash up or travel with food, the restaurant is the simplest choice. For a bigger group, or one that wants to stay at the office, the catering options do the same job somewhere else. See our catering page for how each one works.

What Christmas Dinner for 15, 20 or 25 People Costs

Looking at what Leeds restaurants are advertising for 2026, set Christmas menus mostly run from just under £30 to around £55 a head before drinks. Our Christmas Feast is a flat £30 a head, and the price never depends on which dishes each guest picks. Here is what that adds up to for three common group sizes:

Guests	Food	With welcome drinks	Deposit
15	£450	£525	£30
20	£600	£700	£50
25	£750	£875	£50

The welcome drink is Prosecco or non-alcoholic. A festive Indian cocktail is another £7.50 a head, and each guest can add whichever they like. "Food" is £30 a head, and "with welcome drinks" adds £5 a head for everyone.

SANTA15 takes 15% off the table bill for bookings made by 30 November 2026. On the food alone, that brings the table of 15 down to £382.50, the table of 20 to £510 and the table of 25 to £637.50, so your actual saving is at least that much.

How Deposits Work, and Why They Are Per Table

Many venues ask for a deposit per person, which makes a group of 25 expensive to confirm. Ours is a single flat fee for the whole table, and only for 6 or more guests: £20 for 6 to 10 guests, £30 for 11 to 15 guests, £50 for 16 or more guests. It is paid by card on Stripe's own secure page when you book, and it comes off your final bill on the night. If the party does not show, it is non-refundable. Tables of fewer than 6 book with nothing to pay up front.

Whichever venue you choose, ask three things about any deposit: how much, when it is taken, and what happens if your numbers or date change. We have written ours into the booking page so you can see it before you commit.

Collecting Everyone's Choices Without the Chasing

The job that wears organisers out is not the booking, it is chasing twenty people for their dinner. Three things make it easier:

1. Send the menu first. Put the Christmas menu link in the group chat so people can look before they answer.
2. Ask for dietary needs and allergies before dishes. That is the part that cannot wait, and it is quick to collect.
3. Set a deadline and use "decide later". When you book with us you can enter everyone's starter, main, side and dessert straight away, or choose "decide later" and give us the orders nearer the day, by phone or when you arrive.

Feeding a Mixed Group: Halal, Vegetarian, Vegan and Allergies

A traditional turkey dinner is hard to get right for a big, mixed group. Indian cooking helps, because vegetarian food is a full half of the cuisine rather than an afterthought. All our meat comes from halal-certified suppliers, so every meat dish on the Christmas Feast is halal. Vegetarians choose from dishes such as paneer butter masala, dal makhani and gobi manchurian, and vegan options are available across the menu. Anyone who likes it mild can pick butter chicken or chicken tikka masala.

For allergies, add the details when you book and we will plan around them. We can accommodate most allergies with advance notice. Telling us early matters most for a big group, because the kitchen is cooking for everyone at once.

Eight Questions to Ask Any Venue Before You Book

These come up on every large-group booking, in Leeds or anywhere else. Ask them before you pay a deposit:

1. Can you seat us together, and how? A table of 20 is very different on one long table, three rounds or two rooms.
2. What is the deposit, and when is it taken?
3. What is the cancellation and no-show policy? Ours: the deposit is non-refundable if the party does not show.
4. When do you need food orders, and can we decide later?
5. What happens if our numbers change? Ask for the deadline for final numbers.
6. How are dietary needs and allergies handled?
7. How do we pay on the night? One bill or separate ones.
8. What time does the evening finish, and how do people get home?

Our own answers: the deposit is a flat fee per table; the food order can wait; allergies are added when you book; and we are open until 11:30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and until midnight Friday to Sunday. For the rest, such as how we would lay out your tables or how you want to pay, tell us your numbers on 0113 513 5972 and we will confirm it before you commit.

Getting There and the Night Itself

We are at 16 Headingley Lane, LS6 2AS, on the main road between the city centre and Headingley, so it is an easy bus or taxi ride for most of Leeds. Street parking on most nearby roads is free after 6pm. And Headingley is home to the Otley Run, so there is no shortage of places for a drink afterwards if the party wants to keep going.

The Organiser's Timeline

1. Now: agree two possible dates, a rough number and a budget per head.
2. This week: ask for dietary needs and allergies, and book the table.
3. After booking: share the menu link and the date in the group chat.
4. A week or two before: collect dish choices, or leave them for the night.
5. Before the day: tell us if the numbers have changed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I book Christmas dinner for 20 people in Leeds?

Yes. At Bombay2Goa in Headingley you can book the Christmas Feast online for up to 25 guests, from 1 November to 24 December 2026, in the evenings from 5pm. It is £30 a head for four courses and everyone chooses their own dishes. For more than 25, call 0113 513 5972: our private dining area seats up to 60.

How much is the deposit for a large Christmas group?

The deposit is one flat fee per table, not per person, and only for 6 or more guests: £20 for 6 to 10 guests, £30 for 11 to 15 guests, £50 for 16 or more guests. It is paid by card when you book, taken off your final bill if you are with us, and non-refundable if the party does not show.

Do we have to choose our food when we book a group table?

No. You can enter everyone's starter, main, side and dessert when you book, or choose "decide later" and we take the orders nearer the day, by phone or when you arrive.

How far ahead should a group of 15 or more book Christmas dinner?

As soon as you have a date. Large tables and weekend dates go first because a restaurant can only seat so many big groups in one evening. Online booking at Bombay2Goa opens up to 3 months ahead; for groups of 20 or more on a private dining date, we recommend enquiring at least two weeks before.

Is there a halal Christmas dinner for a big group in Leeds?

Yes. All our meat comes from halal-certified suppliers, so every meat dish on the Christmas Feast is halal, and vegetarian and vegan options are available across the menu. Add any allergies when you book and we will plan around them.

What if our numbers change after we book?

Tell us as soon as you know by calling 0113 513 5972, and we will talk you through your options. The deposit is a flat fee for the whole table, set by group size, so it is worth checking where your new number falls.

Can you cater a big Christmas party at our office or venue instead?

Yes. We bring hot Indian buffets to offices and venues across Leeds with no upper guest limit, or you can order drop-off trays and serve them yourselves. Send your date and numbers through the catering enquiry form and we reply within one working day. For buffets and large events, we recommend at least two weeks' notice.

Book Your Group's Christmas Table

Tell us your date and numbers and we will take it from there. Book the Christmas Feast online for up to 25 guests, call 0113 513 5972 for a party of up to 60, or send a catering enquiry if you would rather we came to you. For smaller work teams, see our office Christmas party guide.