Planning a night out in London with a group

Where groups actually go

Each part of London suits a different kind of night. Pick the area before the venue — it decides the price, the noise and how easy it is for people to join late.

• Soho — Small places, no space for groups without a booking.
• Shoreditch — Good for a late one, expensive after midnight.
• South Bank — Easy to find, easy to get home from, works for mixed groups.
• Peckham and Brixton — Best value, worst late transport if you live north.

Getting home

The tube stops around midnight on most nights and runs all night on the Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines on Fridays and Saturdays. Where people live decides where you should start, not where you want to end.

How far ahead to book

For a group of eight or more, book two to three weeks ahead, and four in December. Many places will hold a table for 90 minutes only — worth knowing before you plan a long dinner.

One local thing worth knowing

Travel time is the real cost. A venue that suits four people and strands the other four is not a compromise, it is a smaller night out.

Getting the group to agree a date

The venue is rarely what holds a plan up; the date is. Put two or three nights in front of everyone, ask for every night that works rather than a favourite, and set a deadline a few days out.

A free date poll does this in about a minute, and the people you send it to answer with a tap — no account, nothing to install.