The Venue Edit

The venues we know,
and recommend most.

A hand-picked list from coast to coast. No directory. No filter-and-pray. The rooms we'd actually recommend to someone we like.

The Venue Edit is our working list of private event venues we know well enough to send a friend to without a second thought.

Every venue here has been personally assessed, reviewed and approved by our team. We talk to the operators most weeks, we have eyes on what's changing, and we hear back from every host after their event. That's how the list stays honest as it grows.

We won't pretend we have a venue in every city. What we will do is tell you the truth about the ones we do have, what each room is actually good at, and which night of the year it comes alive. Have a peek.

Filter by occasion
Mr. Mahjong's private event venue, Chinatown San Francisco
Late-night pick
Chinatown, SF
Asian-Fusion Bar

Mr. Mahjong's

"Vintage meets late-night in the best way. Built-in AV, multiple screens, and a room that photographs beautifully the moment the lights go down. Send the group that wants the evening to feel like something."

Standing50–70 guests
Seated30–50 guests
Best forMilestone birthdays, agency parties, launches
Hatch DTLA private event venue, Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown favorite
Downtown LA
Restaurant + Patio

Hatch DTLA

"A warm, playful room that doesn't take itself too seriously, which is unexpectedly rare in Downtown LA. The front patio buys you a whole second atmosphere at the price of one venue."

StandingUp to 200 guests
Seated100–140 guests
Best forTeam dinners, creative agency events, launches
Bermuda Clubs Carlsbad private event venue, San Diego County
North County
Carlsbad, CA
Live Events Venue

Bermuda Clubs Carlsbad

"Ten thousand square feet of flexible floor with a real stage. That means your event can be anything from a seated dinner to a full production. San Diego County doesn't have many rooms that do both well. This is one."

StandingUp to 200 guests
Seated120–150 guests
Best forLive shows, corporate events, fundraisers, big celebrations
Guilford Hall private event venue, Baltimore Maryland
Baltimore's best
Baltimore, MD
Historic Brewery

Guilford Hall

"Baltimore's historic brewery turned event hall. High ceilings, brick walls, and bones you can't fake. Where people in Baltimore book their wedding when they want the venue to be part of the story."

Standing500+ guests
Seated250–300 guests
Best forWeddings, large fundraisers, milestone celebrations
Aracely Lounge private event venue, Danville California
East Bay
Danville, CA
Lounge + Garden

Aracely Lounge

"The East Bay sibling to Aracely Cafe, and the smart pick when you're hosting people who live in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, or Danville and don't feel like trekking into the city on a Tuesday."

StandingUp to 300 guests
Seated150–200 guests
Best forEast Bay dinner parties, corporate dinners, milestone birthdays
Conestoga Ranch glamping event venue, Bear Lake Utah
Off-Grid Retreat
Garden City, Utah
Lakeside Resort

Conestoga Ranch

"A gorgeous modern resort with old school western aesthetics on the shore of Bear Lake, which sounds like a Pinterest cliche until you see it. The right pick for a multi-day company retreat or a wedding weekend where guests properly unplug."

Standing200+ guests (outdoor)
Seated120–150 guests
Best forDestination weddings, company retreats, family reunions
Alliance Center Denver private event venue, LoDo Denver
Mission-led
LoDo, Denver
Coworking + Event Space

Alliance Center

"Wynkoop Street, purpose-built for people who plan events and actually care what happens at them. Conference rooms, a community-focused crowd, and a mission that makes any fundraiser feel right at home."

Standing120–150 guests
Seated80–100 guests
Best forNonprofit fundraisers, corporate off-sites, mission-led gatherings
SLC Masonic Temple private event venue, Salt Lake City Utah
Historic SLC
Salt Lake City, UT
Historic Temple

SLC Masonic Temple

"Ten different rooms, each with its own personality. The Egyptian Room is the showstopper, the Auditorium is built for proper ceremonies, and the whole building carries the kind of history that makes a wedding day feel permanent in a way a hotel ballroom never will."

StandingUp to 999 guests
Seated300–500 guests
Best forWeddings, large ceremonies, galas, fundraisers
CA+D Center for Architecture and Design, San Francisco
Downtown gallery
Downtown SF
Gallery + Architecture Center

CA+D

"Downtown, four flexible rooms, AV included, and the kind of gallery-style walls that make any event look like it has a bigger budget than it really does. The team here is a dream."

StandingUp to 290 guests
Seated150–200 guests
Best forProduct launches, panels, design-forward brand events
Temple Bar SF private event venue, Inner Sunset San Francisco
Sunset staple
Inner Sunset, SF
Neighborhood Bar

Temple Bar SF

"The back patio is the move. Tucked away, feels like you've found somewhere, and exactly the kind of unfussy room where a 40th birthday lands perfectly without anyone having to pretend it's a gala."

StandingUp to 150 guests
Seated80–100 guests
Best forBirthdays, casual company drinks, engagement parties
Fig Tree Venice private event venue, Venice Beach Los Angeles
Beachfront dining
Venice Beach, LA
Beachfront Restaurant

Fig Tree Venice

"Every seat has an ocean view. That's not a marketing line, it's the geography. When your event needs a 'wow' moment the second guests walk in, the Pacific does the work."

StandingUp to 300 guests
Seated150–200 guests
Best forEngagement parties, out-of-town celebrations, brand launches
Aracely Cafe private event venue, Treasure Island San Francisco
Island garden
Treasure Island, SF
Cafe + Garden

Aracely Cafe

"The indoor-outdoor flow here does so much of the heavy lifting that you almost don't need decor. It's the closest thing to a garden wedding venue the Bay has, and the in-house team handles catering like they've been doing it for a decade. Because they have."

StandingUp to 300 guests
Seated180–220 guests
Best forWeddings, larger celebrations, company summer parties
Alchemy Springs private event space, San Francisco
Wellness pick
San Francisco, CA
Wellness Space

Alchemy Springs

"When your brief has the word 'restorative' anywhere in it, this is the one. A bathhouse with skylights and warm wood. The energy of a guest list changes the moment they step inside."

StandingUp to 100 guests
Seated60–75 guests
Best forWellness off-sites, intimate gatherings, launches
BKLYN Commons private event venue, Flatbush Brooklyn
Rooftop view
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Indoor + Rooftop

BKLYN Commons

"The rooftop is the reason people book it, and rightly so. Indoor and outdoor in one venue means a summer party that still works when the weather turns, which in New York in September you absolutely need."

Standing150–200 guests
Seated80–120 guests
Best forSummer parties, launches, weddings, milestone birthdays
Lost Cat private event venue, Lower Nob Hill San Francisco
Cocktail den
Lower Nob Hill, SF
Cocktail Bar

Lost Cat

"Small, playful, and exactly the right shape for a half-buyout that doesn't feel corporate. The kind of bar where people actually talk to each other instead of standing in a line at the bar."

Standing120–150 guests
Seated60–80 guests
Best forTeam drinks, intimate birthdays, book launches
Blackwood private event venue, Marina San Francisco
Marina refined
Marina, SF
Refined Dining Room

Blackwood

"Chestnut Street, luxe finishes, the kind of private dining room that makes a rehearsal dinner feel properly occasion-worthy. Grown-up in the best sense of the word."

Standing120–150 guests
Seated60–90 guests
Best forRehearsal dinners, anniversary dinners, executive dinners
Tell us what you're planning

Not sure which one? That's what we're here for.

Share a bit about your event and we'll come back with the venue we'd recommend to a friend. Usually within the hour.

Get our pick