Don’t want to cook? Left booking late? Try these excellent London options for Christmas dinner
Rivea
Knightsbridge, SW7, £105pp, rivealondon.com
Toast Christ’s birth in the glittering basement of the Bulgari Hotel, where executive chef Alexandre Nicolas has created a traditional menu with decadent twists. Scottish salmon gravlax and a pear and chestnut yule log rub shoulders with more unusual delicacies, such as a foie gras terrine with muscat grape gelee and roasted capon (that’s a castrated cockerel, festive chums) dusted with black truffle.
Morgan Arms
43 Morgan St, Bow, E3, £70pp, morganarmsbow.com
If you live in the east end and want to spend the big day in a lovely gastropub, this is a great bet. Renowned for its Sunday roasts, Morgan Arms is family friendly and has a beer garden which may be covered in snow. Christmas dinner is five courses, including cured salmon; roast turkey, roast potatoes, roasted roots, pigs in blankets, sage stuffing & cranberry sauce; and panna cotta with stewed pears.
The Lighterman
3 Granary Square, N1C, £75pp, thelighterman.co.uk
Kings Cross is a safe bet if you’re planning to gather family from far-flung corners of the UK, and The Lighterman is an ideal venue. “We’re built for Christmas parties,” boasts the website, and can accommodate groups big or small on the day itself. Expect the usual from the three-course set-menu.
Holborn Dining Room
252 High Holborn, WC1V, £110, holborndiningroom.com
It’s only been open a few years but Holborn Dining Room already feels like a London staple and there are few places we would rather spend Christmas day than the cheery red seats of its bar. Executive head chef Calum Franklin will be serving up a traditional three-course menu with seasonal favourites such as roast Norfolk bronze turkey with all the trimmings, alongside roast rib eye and fillet of cod. Then retire to the cosy warmth of Scarfes Bar for a swift drink to send you on your merry way.
Cinnamon Club
Westminster, SW1P, £100pp, thecinnamoncollection.com
If you’d rather skip Christmas dinner and get straight to the turkey curry buffet, then you’d be better off at this Victorian library turned Indian fine dining establishment. There’s plenty of choice – at least six options for each course – ranging from British classics with an Indian touch to full on Hyderabadi biryani. If it doesn’t sound Christmassy enough, it’s a favourite with MPs so you’ll still be able to get drunk and argue about politics.
Dean Street Townhouse
Soho, W1D, £100pp, deanstreettownhouse.com
As you nod off in a leather armchair in front of a roaring fire, you’ll hardly believe you’re in the heart of Soho at Dean Street Townhouse. Its Christmas dinner is all about home comforts, too, with smoked salmon, a bronzed Norfolk turkey, Christmas pudding and bakewell tarts.