The best Christmas dinners in London

Mr Bao and Daddy Bao are unveiling new menus that infuse holiday favourites with a unique Taiwanese flair, creating a menu that goes beyond the usual festive offerings. Both South London favourites have crafted their own distinctive experiences: Mr Bao in Peckham will introduce a range of festive specials such as confit duck bao or salt & pepper crispy roast potatoes, while Daddy Bao in Tooting will offer a complete Christmas feasting menu with dishes including miso roast parsnips and apple sidra glazed ham hock bao .

The Cubitt House pubs around London, guided by acclaimed chef Ben Tish, offer family-style festive sharing menus that start off with tasty delights like roast figs or goose rilletes, before continuing with mains such as roast bronze turkey with apricot sage & pork stuffing, and finishing off with a Christmas pudding.

The Piano Works are famous for their skilled house band that plays songs requested by the audience on special slips of paper. If you're looking to enjoy a Christmas dinner whilst “Let It Snow” tinkles away live in the background, they might be your best – and most affordable – bet. There are different packages to choose from, including a daytime buffet and a three-course festive menu. The latter comes with a glass of prosecco and includes options such as smoked salmon, sirloin steak, turkey parcel, and Christmas pudding.

Popular Aussie brunch specialists The Daisy Green Collection will be providing festive cheer in the form of a three-course menu at several of their locations – all have their pros, but our money is on Peggy Jean, a charming barge that floats on the Thames. Expect HG Walter 28-day dry aged roast beef, free-range Norfolk bronze turkey, pan-fried sea bass, and other classics with Aussie twists, along with nostalgic desserts and plenty of bubbles.

At celebrated French chef Alain Ducasse's exquisite venue at The Dorchester Hotel, executive chef Jean-Philippe Blondet has prepared multiple-course Christmas Eve and Day menus of French haute cuisine. Christmas Eve dinner includes dishes like seared foie gras, line-caught sea bass, and breast of guinea fowl, among other delectable items.

William IV, a 200-year-old pub on Old Street, is offering a festive three-course Christmas menu from 25 November, featuring dishes crafted from premium British ingredients. Guests can enjoy the menu by the cosy fire downstairs or in the elegant private dining rooms upstairs, with highlights including free-range turkey, squash wellington, and sticky toffee pudding. Optional extras like Carlingford oysters and Shetland mussels further elevate the experience, showcasing the founders' commitment to exceptional sourcing and accessibility.

If a white Christmas is in the stars this year, The Lighterman might just be the spot for enjoying snowy vistas. The modern canal-side gastropub has prepared set menus for the festive season, balancing tradition and creativity with roasted heritage breed meats, locally-grown seasonal veg, and buckets of various sides. It all comes with a focus on the best ingredients.

Experience Yaatra's festive Christmas meal in the historic setting of the Old Westminster Fire Station. Executive Chef Amit Bagyal's menus, blending tradition and spice, are available in different versions, from an efficient two or three-course Christmas lunch to a family-style kebab and curry feast or a languorous tasting menu. Vegetarian options are available as well, and the restaurant is also open on Christmas Day.

Chelsea's recently refurbished, country manor-reminiscent pub The Cadogan Arms celebrates the season with classic British dishes devoted to sustainability and local produce. The set Christmas menu includes a starter, main, dessert, plus sides and cheese to finish. The menu changes yearly, but you can always expect things like intriguing twist on  the classic scotch egg, premium roast meats with all the trimmings, and traditional desserts like a winter fruit crumble with spiced custard.

In the intimate setting of its private dining room, this refined Italian eatery serves festive feasts that draw on Sicilian tradition and Moorish influences and are designed for sharing. You can choose between different set menus featuring dishes such as homemade focaccia, slow-roasted pork belly, and aubergine parmigiana, with the menu changing annually.

A popular charcuterie bar and restaurant that takes advantage of Italy and Spain's overlapping love of small dishes, Salt Yard is celebrating the season with a festive selection of tapas. It changes every year, but this year you can choose between different menus with plates such as Loch Duart salmon, gambas pil pil, and churros with cinnamon sugar, with different wines from the two countries and signature cocktails to go along.

Found across London, Megan's have spruced up their menu this year, giving it a festive makeover. Feast on an assortment of indulgent dishes, including Medi-inspired starters such as buttermilk fried chicken with cranberry & date dip and crispy brussels sprouts on labneh before moving onto the sharable feasting board. Finish off with giant half-baked cookie dough, mulled wine, mince pie, and a frozen espresso martini shot.

The first fully plant-based pub in London, The Spread Eagle is throwing a lavish Christmas feast with no casualties apart from your trouser button. The festive set menu includes three courses, with this year's highlighting choices such as deep-fried shamembert, mushroom stroganoff, apple and pear crumble, and sticky toffee pudding. An à la carte menu of all these and more is available as well.

The buzzy Dishoom restaurants around the capital are serving abundant Bombay-style feasts for Christmas this year. The thaals for groups of six or more come loaded with sharing specials such as turkey raan, the famous house black daal, all the rotis you could want, and more. Vegetarian and vegan options are available as well, while smaller tables can order the festive specials separately. There's a range of special festive punches, mimosas, and other tipples on offer as well.

Christmas is all about tradition, and it doesn't get more traditional than the food at this opulent double Michelin-starred restaurant that uses authentic recipes dating back to the 13th century. The festive lunch and dinner menu here features dishes like the 16th-century plum meat fruit or king's venison from around the time of the Battle of Hastings, with pescatarian and vegetarian alternatives available upon request. On Christmas Day, an exclusive tasting menu is available.

The holidays are a time for celebration, reflection, and quality time with loved ones, and Louie's exclusive Christmas menu is designed with this in mind. The four-course sharing menu combines festive flavours with a twist, featuring dishes such as Maryland corn and white crab cake and Norfolk turkey with cranberry and port jus, all inspired by Louie's New Orleans seafood roots. The meal finishes with the restaurant's famous pecan pie.

This festive season, head to Roast for, well, a traditional Christmas roast. This contemporary British restaurant overlooking Borough Market offers a menu of seasonal dishes, including mains such as roast Suffolk Bronze turkey or sea bass, accompanied by starters such as red king prawns, and a range of desserts to top it all off.

Situated in a converted tea warehouse by the Thames and sporting unparalleled views of Tower Bridge, Le Pont de la Tour serves classic French cuisine in an elegant setting. The Christmas Day menu features multiple courses from the chef, including roast crown of chicken, London-cured salmon, and cep and chestnut fregola. There are also snacks for the table to start you off, and a selection of French cheeses among other desserts.

If you're looking for something a bit different for Christmas this year, the Sticks'n'Sushi joints offer a Japanese feast that's no turkey. You can choose between different festive Sticks'n'Santa menus. The picturesque and tasty dishes include ceviche, Wagyu maki, and black cod skewers, with a plant-based option available as well. There's champagne to go with your meal too.

At his flagship restaurant in Bermondsey, the godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK, José Pizarro, has prepared a special feast for “unabashedly carnivorous” groups of eight or more – a tasting menu that revolves around a whole Segovian suckling pig. There's a lighter option that skips the beast available as well, whilst smaller groups can order off the à la carte. Meanwhile, the Broadgate Circle location offers a more tapas-style menu featuring a traditional Catalan canelón with chicken, whilst the Royal Academy branch and Lolo serve set menus.

At the Riding House restaurants, Christmas  becomes a culinary celebration with their festive menu. These stylish London eateries set the stage for a memorable holiday feast, offering a tasty selection of seasonal dishes that capture the spirit of Christmas. Groups can choose between full set menus or a hybrid version with individual mains, making the Riding Houses a convenient choice for larger parties, office get-togethers, and the like.

The Flask in Hampstead is a traditional London boozer offering a carefully-curated selection of Christmas dishes complete with traditional favourites and creative twists. With a warm and inviting vibe, The Flask is the ideal spot to gather with friends and family on Christmas Day. From succulent roasts to decadent desserts, the menu promises a memorable dining experience that captures the essence of Christmas. 

Celebrating Christmas dinner at Corrigan's in Mayfair is the height of sophistication. The award-winning restaurant, led by renowned chef Richard Corrigan, offers a sumptuous festive feast combining the finest seasonal ingredients and traditional Christmas dishes, all prepared with a modern twist. The elegant setting of Corrigan's, with its timeless charm and attentive service, sets the stage for an unforgettable festive meal.

Market Halls prepared for the festive season by transforming its sites with a Christmas theme. This includes street food with a festive twist, live music, carol singing, warming cocktails, and festive packages. Embracing the holiday spirit, food vendors at Market Halls will offer unique dishes, each infusing classic Christmas flavours with their distinctive culinary styles. The Market Halls are also ready to host Christmas parties of all sizes, from intimate gatherings to large groups of up to 600.

Christmas dinner at Polo Bar is unique - it's the first 24/7 Christmas dinner in the UK. At literally any time of the day or night you can visit this fun London stalwart and enjoy a full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Christmas-themed cocktails and other seasonal options like a burger and cooked breakfast are also on the menu.