A corporate cocktail reception delivered in Paris costs €29.90 to €51.90 excl. VAT per person at L'Écrin Traiteur, depending on the menu: L'Invitation (8 pieces per person), La Réception (12 pieces) or La Célébration (16 pieces). Each one mixes savoury and sweet canapés shaped by hand, delivered ready to serve across Paris and Île-de-France. Order until 2 pm the day before, minimum order €50 excl. VAT, delivery €29 excl. VAT in Paris and nearby towns, quote within 24 hours.
A corporate cocktail reception marks something: a product launch, an opening, a leaving party, a new year reception, receiving partners. Standing, your guests move and talk, without the constraint of table service. What is on the platters feeds directly into the atmosphere and into the impression you leave, and that is what the three menus below are built to carry.
The three cocktail menus
| Menu | Pieces per person | Savoury and sweet | Price per person excl. VAT | The moment it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Invitation | 8 | 6 savoury, 2 sweet | €29.90 | Drinks: afterwork, a leaving party, a welcome before an event (1 to 2 hrs) |
| La Réception | 12 | 9 savoury, 3 sweet | €40.90 | Light lunch, partner evening, an opening (1.5 to 2 hrs) |
| La Célébration | 16 | 12 savoury, 4 sweet | €51.90 | Standing dinner: the reception replaces dinner (2.5 to 3 hrs) |
La Réception is the one chosen most often: it covers land and sea without going as far as a full dinner. The compositions, piece by piece, are on the cocktail menus page.
How many pieces per person, by format
| Format | Length | Pieces per person | Our menu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks, afterwork | 1 to 2 hrs | 6 to 8 | L'Invitation, 8 pieces |
| Light lunch, replaces lunch | 1.5 to 2 hrs | 12 to 14 | La Réception, 12 pieces |
| Standing dinner, replaces dinner | 2.5 to 3 hrs | 16 to 18 | La Célébration, 16 pieces |
When in doubt, go generous: add 10% to the confirmed headcount. A small surplus gets shared; a shortfall gets noticed. The full reasoning is in our guide to how many canapés per person.
What it costs: examples for 20 and 50 people
| People | L'Invitation, 8 pieces | La Réception, 12 pieces | La Célébration, 16 pieces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 people | 160 pieces, €598 excl. VAT | 240 pieces, €818 excl. VAT | 320 pieces, €1,038 excl. VAT |
| 50 people | 400 pieces, €1,495 excl. VAT | 600 pieces, €2,045 excl. VAT | 800 pieces, €2,595 excl. VAT |
Totals exclude delivery (€29 excl. VAT in Paris and nearby towns). The price per person is the same whatever the headcount.
For 20 people. A product launch at 6 pm in your offices, two hours of reception, clients and partners among the guests: La Réception, 240 pieces, €818 excl. VAT, or €847 excl. VAT with delivery.
For 50 people. A new year reception or an opening: La Réception, 600 pieces, €2,045 excl. VAT, or €2,074 excl. VAT with delivery. If the reception replaces dinner, La Célébration comes to €2,595 excl. VAT, or €2,624 excl. VAT with delivery.
Which menu for which occasion?
- A product launch, a welcome before an event. L'Invitation if the reception runs under two hours, La Réception if you are receiving clients or partners.
- A leaving party, a welcome drink, an afterwork. L'Invitation, with a large cake to share. See our page on afterwork catering in Paris.
- An opening, a partner evening, a new year reception. La Réception, or La Célébration if the reception replaces dinner.
- An offsite or a convention. A closing reception at the end of the day, on top of the breaks and lunch: see offsite catering.
How do you organise a corporate cocktail reception?
A corporate cocktail reception is planned backwards from the date. The schedule below uses our real lead times: there is nothing to settle earlier than this, and nothing that can wait longer.
| When | What gets decided |
|---|---|
| 3 to 4 weeks ahead | For a large reception: the quote request, the date and the venue. This is when the format is chosen, not the recipes. |
| 1 to 2 weeks ahead | The expected headcount, the exact address, the floor, the contact on site and the time the canapés must be on the table. This is when the maître d'hôtel is booked. |
| 48 hours ahead | Required from 50 people, or across several sites: the confirmed headcount and the dietary needs, with the number of people concerned. |
| By 2 pm the day before | The last change to the headcount. After that, the order goes into production. |
| On the day | Delivered at the agreed time, plated and ready to set down. Setting up on request, equipment collected afterwards. |
How long does a corporate cocktail reception last?
The length follows from the number of canapés, not the other way round: that is the most common mistake. Eight canapés carry one to two hours; sixteen replace a dinner and carry an evening.
| Package | Canapés per person | Length it carries |
|---|---|---|
| L'Invitation | 8 | 1 to 2 hours, as drinks |
| La Réception | 12 | 1.5 to 2 hours, as a standing lunch |
| La Célébration | 16 | 2.5 to 3 hours, the reception replaces dinner |
If the reception has to run longer than the package allows, move up a format rather than doubling the quantities of a shorter one: the savoury-to-sweet balance is calculated per package.
Do you need staff on site?
Not for a reception delivered ready to set down: the canapés arrive plated and there is nothing to prepare. A maître d'hôtel earns their place when you are hosting clients or partners and someone needs to restock, clear and keep the table clean while you are with your guests. Allow €250 excl. VAT for a 6-hour service. Collecting the reusable tableware and the thermoses after the event is charged at €19 excl. VAT on top of delivery.
Drinks and dietary needs
A good reception does not need alcohol. We deliver Alain Milliat juices, waters and, for the toast, a 0% Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay, all in the same order. Count 3 to 4 drinks per person for a two-hour reception, with at least three different flavours: see our drinks. The whole menu is halal and pork-free as standard, at no extra cost; vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options to specify on the quote. The detail is on our halal corporate catering page.
Delivery, setup and lead times
We deliver to your venue, at the time of your event, presented ready to lay out; setup is available on request. Order until 2 pm the day before. From 50 people, or for several sites, give us at least 48 hours, and ask for the quote three to four weeks ahead for a large reception. Company invoice showing VAT. We deliver to Paris, La Défense, Boulogne-Billancourt, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Versailles and across Île-de-France.
Cocktail reception or sharing buffet?
A cocktail reception is eaten standing, piece by piece, and lets guests move around. A sharing buffet suits a team that stays seated, or a collective lunch. We have compared the two in our guide sharing buffet or cocktail reception. To organise a reception end to end, see organising a corporate cocktail reception, then ask for your quote: answer within 24 hours.
