Getting the gang together for a birthday, holiday, graduation or celebration is a time for indulging, imbibing and heading home in a haze of food, drink and friends. However, if you are instead playing host or hostess to the gathering, look forward to ending your night elbow-deep in dirty dishes or trying to restore your living room to an actually livable space. Forget the hassle of hosting and head to one of these four bars and restaurants for your next event. Leave the planning to the professionals, and you can put the fun back in family function.
Bars to Rent Out

O Bar, Martini Bar & Lounge
52 Stanford Street,
Fairfield, CT 06430
203-259-4151
http://www.obarandgrill.com/fairfield/about.htm

This hip new institution off of Fairfield’s popular Post Road has built its reputation on the premise of strained, chilled drinks topped off with a tasty olive. Visit Fairfield’s O Bar for your next business meeting or small private party, with accommodations for 50 people in this hidden gem location.  Enter the restaurant’s private room, an open air design filled with flowers and tables structured for an intimate gathering. A Prix Fix menu is available for you to customize a menu for your event from the options offered regularly at O Bar. A blue cheese, pear and balsamic pizza is available for $8, or a 12-oz. French burger for $12. Contact O Bar to set up your event and discuss specifics.

Grand Restaurant & Lounge
15 Bank Street
Stamford, CT 06901
203-323-3232
http://www.stamfordgrand.com

For an elegant affair, Grand is the restaurant/lounge to visit. The two-level lounge is known for its house music, drink specials and general party-starting features, so if gathering a group of well-heeled trendsetters for a night out, eschew a bar or tavern for Grand Restaurant & Lounge. Choose from one of six food stations, with a variety of options from South of the Border to Sushi, and add on some of Grand’s other fun options, from a food cart to a deluxe chocolate bar. Prices range per your arrangement; a raw bar station is available for $22 per guest for 2 hours and a premium open bar requires $25 per guest for the first two hours.

Wood n Tap – Hartford
99 Sisson Avenue,
Hartford, CT
860-232-TAPS
http://www.woodntap.com/hartford.htm

Casual, family-friendly fun is on the menu at Wood n Tap. This cozy neighborhood-style bar & grill playing every NFL game and offering up a half pound of Angus beef, or bison or more, just how you like it. Private events allow you to take advantage of the down-home atmosphere and low-key relaxation of a lunch, dinner or even themed buffet at Wood n Tap. Starting at $16.59 per person for a lunch, guests can enjoy a prix-fixe menu of salad, an entrée, wild rice medley, coffee and dessert. Theme buffets are a great birthday plan; for $28 per person, grab your ten-gallon hat and sink your teeth into a Texas Buffet.

SoNo Brewhouse
13 Marshall Street,
Norwalk, CT 06854
203-853-9110
http://www.sonobrewhouse.com/index2.htm

From the festive, flag-covered interior to the cozy wood and brick design, parties at SoNo Brewhouse will revel in the décor and dishes available for private parties. From bar mitzvahs to birthdays, SoNo Brewhouse has hosted it all and is well prepared for your party. American fare, in the form of hors d’oeuvres or a buffet, is available for you to snack on. Bar options can be a cash bar or open bar, among other options. Prices vary depending upon your arrangements, call Brewhouse to personalize the party you’re looking for.