Whether you’re looking for this year’s best Christmas sandwich, a holiday treat, or a delicious Christmas lunch or dinner, we’ve pulled together the best festive feasting spots and Christmas restaurants in central London for 2023.
Top festive treats
Ole & Steen: Plan a cosy catch-up over coffee and something tasty in the run-up to Christmas. Perfect for sharing, the Danish bakery brings a host of festive flavours to its menu each Christmas, from seasonal sandwiches to pastries and cosy winter drinks.
Fortnum & Mason: A must-visit for any serious seasonal shopper, Fortnums has tasty treats of all kinds within its iconic Piccadilly store. Lift the lid on festivities with one of its hampers, packed with gourmet goodies. Or treat someone special to a tasty morsel each day from its feasting advent calendar, one of our picks for 2023’s best advent calendars. Or why not stop in for one of London's best festive afternoon teas. Between shopping sprees, find festive fancies from Field or indulge in ice cream at The Parlour.
The Ritz London: Putting on the glitz, The Ritz London is full of seasonal cheer – decked out in classy decorations, it’s the place to be spoiled. Listen to carols, meet Father Christmas and nibble on dainty treats such as mince pies and Christmas cakes as part of its Christmas afternoon tea. Or combine jazz with an à la carte evening menu during Festive Live events. The iconic hotel has this season well and truly wrapped up.
Christmas lunches in London
Fallow: Fallow-lujah… The new seasonal menu from the conscious eatery has arrived and it’s packed with inventive, warming dishes to keep you cosy. Enjoy a modern take on classic pigs in blankets in the form of glazed chipolatas with bacon crumb, orange and cranberry, munch on a stuffing flatbread, or add an extra festive twist with a side of sprouts and bacon.
Ginza: Bring flavours of Japan to your pre-Christmas catch-ups with friends and family with Ginza’s £70 festive lunch menu. Delight in six exquisite courses, from sashimi and tataki to garlic prawn and sirloin steak. Finish the feast with a decadent matcha fondant - the ideal pick me up between Christmas shopping sprees.
Best Christmas dinners
Papa L’s: Get a taste of Africa with sensational savouries and indulgent puddings this season. Papa L’s packs in the flavours with winter dishes such as butternut squash and ginger soup, braised pork cheeks with butter beans, and beef short rib with pickled red cabbage, that warm the soul and the stomach. Don’t go home without squeezing in winter crumble tart with Madagascan vanilla gelato, or banana cake with cinnamon caramel and plantain crisps.
Al Duca: Enjoy some warming dishes this season as part of Al Duca’s Christmas menu. How about grouse mafaldine pasta? Or a hearty pork loin with bourbon sauce? Or maybe the delicate delica squash croquette? Enjoy these Italian dishes packed full of seasonal ingredients, as part of a three or four course menu from £55.
Top Christmas party restaurants in London
Quaglino’s: Drink, feast and dance the night away to live acts during the festive season at Quaglino’s, which serves up a choice of classy Christmas dining options. Whether making last-minute plans with friends over brunch, lingering over seasonal lunch specials or sipping on festive cocktails, there are plenty of treats in store.
Davy’s at St James’s: Gather with friends or family for a Christmas gathering to remember. Plan a wine tasting, enjoy samples from the festive wine collection, or tuck into seasonal specials from the kitchen – its three-course set menu for £47 includes oak smoked gravlax, roast turkey and a British cheese plate among many tempting choices.
Christmas Day dining ideas
St James’s Hotel & Club: Take a break from tussling with the turkey at home, by celebrating Christmas Day in style. The stylish St James’s hotel presents a that champions seasonal ingredients – savour five courses, plus decadent canapes and coffee with truffles, for £230.
GBR (Great British Restaurant): Dukes hotel’s all-day dining venue is putting on a fine Christmas Day lunch in 2023. Work your way through the memorable seven-course menu featuring festive flavours – all for £165. If, like Santa, you can’t make it on Christmas Day, feast on its two- or three-course festive menu from 24th November.
Wild Honey St James’s: Make Christmas that bit sweeter with Christmas Day lunch at Wild Honey St James’s. Full of seasonal fare and Christmas classics, its seven-course menu for £230 includes three options for the main – with venison and halibut as alternatives to turkey – plus desserts such as its signature Wild Honey ice cream with raw honey. Kids can enjoy a four-course menu for £40.
Brumus: Housed within the Haymarket Hotel and brimming with modern décor, Brumus is an elegant choice for a celebratory meal come the 25th of December. Its £120 Christmas Day menu in 2023 includes the likes of lobster and prawn cocktail with Bloody Mary sauce, roast halibut, and eggnog crème brûlée among other festive favourites.
The Game Bird: Pulling out all the seasonal stops, The Stafford’s acclaimed restaurant serves up a five-course feast for Christmas Day 2023. Saffron-cured turbot and Kellybronze turkey feature on the main menu, while highlights of the creative vegetarian menu include beetroot Wellington and winter truffle tagliatelle – both menus are £275.
Planning your friends’ Christmas drinks? Look no further than our guide to the best Christmas cocktails in St James’s. Or for more festive ideas, follow our social channels @StJamesLondon and @RegentStreetW1 to discover our wonderful array of activity taking place this winter.
