To have walked out of my work Christmas party in favour of dining alone

Good on you I say!

I could fill a book with details of shit parties and nights out I've had to stay at when I really wanted to be doing something else.
The only issue is if someone at your work things it's rude, but you could make an excuse up?
Felt ill, partner or kids stuff?

That was really rude of you to be honest.

This. I am embarrassed for you at your lack of manners and self-awareness. Your behaviour was shocking

I can see the temptation - office events seem to veer between alcohol fuelled/sex on the photocopier types (not so much these days though!) and dull events where you find that you have nothing in common with everyone else bar work.

Unfortunately, it's one of those things where attendance is expected, particularly if the firm has paid. I did get out of it one year but I had a broken hip - anything less and I probably would have been expected to turn up.

As it's your first such event (and if the firm was paying), then it really wasn't politic to walk out. It gives a bad impression and you've got to work with these people for the next year so it would have been better to grit your teeth and play nicely. Even if you had paid, it still looks dismissive.

On a separate note, who on earth has already had their Christmas Party? What fresh hell is this?

I wouldn't consider this in the slightest bit rude. It's no more rude that not helping yourself to free tea or coffee if your employer provides that. There should be no obligation to go to your work do.

As you’re so pleased with yourself I’m not sure why you’re asking for further validation here? If you are the boring non-entity you claim to be then I guess you’ve done your colleagues a favour not having to endure you for a whole evening.

Yes often it’s paid

So it was a stand around, mingling affair and you stayed an hour and a half? I'd say that's fine. Obviously a sit down dinner would be rude, but people flit in and out of these types of occasions all the time - and isn't that the point?

There are never enough canopes/bar bites/bowl food whatever anyway at these things - more for those who were enjoying it.

I've always known this as an Irish goodbye, not a French exit, maybe that's why I'm very blasé about this 😂

I don’t think I’m more important than their family and friends, sometimes we have social occasions at work, sometimes after work. Sometimes you just need to make an effort she doesn’t.

Fascinated by the people who think that this is a huge deal and that the OP should have made some sort of announcement that she was leaving, otherwise her card will be marked forever more. I’m glad some sane people have entered the chat as I was starting to think I was going a bit mad.

How is eating alone brave? Anyhoo…

Oh and if it's 50 plus people, everyone will probably think you are talking to other groups if they've even twigged you are not around, which i doubt. Announcing your departure at a bar to a large group of colleagues isn't necessary at all.

It's absolutely fine. I doubt anyone really noticed (or cared -not in a rude way, but you are colleagues, not best mates).
If it's mentioned, which I doubt it will be, just say you had a lovely time. You don't need an excuse for leaving drinks at a bar.

Presumably she is being paid for the time she should be there? If so, very rude!

If not…. What makes you think you are more important than her family and friends? She works with you all week..

Bit of a drip feed - you could have mentioned that you’d been there for 1.5 hours in your original post, because it did come across as an early flounce. As it is I don’t think it’s rude to only stay for 1.5 hours for what is just drinks and canapés at a bar with 50 other people.

But I also don’t get people high-fiving you as if you just climbed Kilamanjaro. It doesn’t take guts to leave a work party, it’s not a badge of honour.

Also you might like to know that in France it’s called "filer à l'anglais… which rather turns things on its head.

Final point - plenty of people don’t get a works party or have to pay for it themselves, so for people being sneery about the whole concept of having a do in the first place - not everyone is so fortunate to even have the option.

Oh, I think that's okay, then. Since nobody knows you yet, they're unlikely to have noticed you disappearing.

You'll probably get away with making some "lovely evening" type murmurings, and you'll be thought of as sociable. Hope your solo dinner was as enjoyable as it sounds!

If there was 50 odd people you won’t be missed, especially if you’re new. I admire you for having the balls to walk out. So many times in my life I have thought ‘fuck this shit’. When I was young I stuck jobs I was miserable in but now I’m in my 40s I think fuck this shit and do what I want. I really hope you enjoyed the Turkish food.

I think it's fine and I like my work colleagues! You stayed an hour and a half, it was a drinks only event with 50+ people, few will even have realised you ducked out early. By the point anyone noticed who knows what time you stayed until? Some PPs are reacting like you walked out of a sit down dinner after ten minutes.

I think the real baller move would have been to have said goodbye and then leave. 'Sorry, I have to go now but have fun!' As a new person this would be more understood, as you don't know anyone, and doesn't look underhand.

Xmas work parties are total balls, we spend enough time with these people! I've not been drunk at a work party for many years.

What a hysterical thread.🙄
OP, you stayed 90 minutes and needed to get home.
The end.
You dropped in.
You did your bit.
Be breezy if some pain in the arse feels the need to mention it.
Completely your choice to leave.
I have never ever heard of anyone making an issue of this in any private sector company.

There’s only one semi decent Turkish restaurant anywhere near Oxford Street. So I hope that’s the one you’re at as otherwise your flouncing off was pointless!

Well if you don't think you were in any way unreasonable, why post about it on AIBU? Methinks you feel something - guilt, rudeness, fear of disapproval?

I don't especially like these big work dos, though I always go and I like socialising. It's simply because I don't know how they'll turn out. Sometimes they are a real bore and I'm constantly trying to make small talk or watching others dance while I feel I'm too old for all that OR I have a good time, either having a laugh or an interesting conversation or ten.

It's the amount of people I have a problem with - I can always have interesting chats if the group is smaller.

Hang on. You stayed an hour and a half? At a casual sounding bar event? That sounds like a perfectly acceptable amount of time to me, what’s the big drama?

I have a huge amount of respect for you for leaving! Nothing worse than a dull works do. Hope you’re still enjoying your evening alone