Office Holiday Party: RNM or Fifth Floor?

[jmarek]

Our office is planning our holiday party -- 18 people including guests. It is already too late for many places, but we do have the options of private dining at Fifth Floor (on the sixth floor private room, I think) or RNM (upstairs).

Which would be better -- for food (for a multi-course December meal) and for ambiance (ideally a fun space to have cocktails we could interact in before sitting down)?

[Joan Kureczka]

I've been to a private event at the Fifth Floor and thought the food nearly all boring and looking at the menu afterward, ridiculously expensive.

[sfgrub]

The food at The Fifth Floor is really inconsistent and frankly not that great. RNM's food is consistently good to sometimes very good and the atmosphere is far more spirited.

[Atomica]

Isn't Fifth Floor far more expensive than RNM? In case that matters . . . I personally think Fifth Floor is super overpriced and silly (clunky ways of serving their food and every single item is a "signature dish"), but have never been to RNM.

[ChowFun_derek]

That's why I characterized it as "all things being equal"....if the price is similar...I'd try the Fifth Floor.....

[jmarek]

Price isn't really an issue between the two. We might have chosen other places in the Fifth Floor price range, but none have an available private room of the right size with a minimum below $3500.

[ChowFun_derek]

Although RNM is in my neighborhood...the parking is lousy and the neighborhood of Lower Haight is nothing to write home about!
I'd definitely prefer (all things being equal) to experience the sixth floor at the Fifth Floor...it sounds like a more interesting culinary happening...and parking and public transportation is close....

[Frosty Melon]

RNM. Though I haven't seen the sixth floor private room, I can't picture a large group for a party at Fifth Floor. The price difference would be significant too. Plus with RNM you can share small plates, which is good for those types of events.

Oops, just noticed you want multiple courses...

[jmarek]

Sharing could be fun too, so long as it is planned out so that everyone gets to try everything...