The best Christmas dinners in London

Standout London steakhouse The Jones Family Kitchen is serving a delicious Christmas menu daily starting 1 December – if you book by 31 October, you'll even get free prosecco on arrival. Menu choices include mulled wine cured trout, turkey steak, pan-fried cod, and vegan Wellington, with a trio of desserts and an optional cheese course to round things off. Meanwhile, groups can order the Christmas Meat Feast with sharing platters of primer rib, onglet, and turkey. Different drinks packages are available as well.

Agrodolce London champions Roman-style cuisine, serving dishes like pinsas, bruschette, and steaks in a grand dining room with chandeliers, marble tables, and framed artwork. This Christmas, they're serving a four-course festive menu featuring dishes like beef tartare with truffle-infused cheese sauce, tonnarelli pasta with clams, and oven-baked sea bass. With a bottle of wine for every four guests included in the price, it's a great choice for intimate and larger Christmas dinners alike.

Soho's classic Italian restaurant 40 Dean Street is getting in on the festive fun with a menu featuring the likes of porcini mushroom and truffle soup, deep-fried brie with cranberry jam, sous vide stuffed turkey wrapped in Parma ham, warm panettone with rum and raisin ice cream, and vanilla panna cotta. A complimentary glass of prosecco is included upon arrival.

Novikov's Italian dining room is offering a special-value festive set lunch this season, making it an appealing spot for a celebratory meal in elegant surroundings. Guests can choose three or four courses, beginning with dishes like gravadlax or roasted pumpkin, followed by comforting plates such as homemade tagliatelle or veal lasagne. The feast continues with hearty mains like monkfish or slow-roasted pork shank and ends on a sweet note with either the Noel Tree mousse or panettone-and-butter pudding.

If you are looking for a Christmas Day meal that does something a little different, Ukai on Portobello Road is serving a one-off festive menu with a Japanese twist. The Notting Hill favourite is known for blending Robata-style cooking with Mediterranean and South American influences, and the Christmas line-up follows suit. Truffle edamame, salmon tataki and mixed tempura open the meal, followed by a chef's selection of sashimi, nigiri and maki to share. Mains range from flat iron steak with rosti potato to teriyaki-glazed salmon and chicken with gravy, with black cod available as an upgrade. A chocolate fondant with raspberry ice cream rounds things off. 

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 hot smoked trout and horseradish rilletes, before continuing with mains such as roast bronze turkey with prune and sage & bacon 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 festive buffet and Christmas lunch or dinner.

If your December diary needs an excuse to get a group together, EREV in Notting Hill has you covered with a festive feast that swaps turkey for a table of Mediterranean dishes made for sharing. Expect slow-cooked lamb that practically melts in your mouth, or a roasted celeriac centrepiece with all the veg you could want. Turkish tacos and smoked aubergine tartare make an appearance, and the dessert board brings chocolate mousse, Basque cheesecake and Ottoman baklava. It is a fun, group-friendly way to do Christmas without the clichés.

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 like crispy fried sprouts and apple sidra glazed ham hock bao, while Daddy Bao in Tooting will offer a complete Christmas feasting menu with dishes including pigs in blanket gyoza and turkey bao.

Experience Yaatra's festive Christmas meal in the historic setting of the Old Westminster Fire Station. Executive Chef Amit Bagyal's traditional Christmas Day menu, blending tradition and spice, features the likes of Indian herb-cured salmon gravlax, masala-roast lamb rump, and tandoori-spiced roast turkey. Vegetarian options are available as well.

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 grilled octopups, gambas pil pil, and churros with cinnamon sugar, with different wines from the two countries and signature cocktails to go along.

The buzzy Dishoom restaurants around the capital are serving abundant Bombay-style feasts for Christmas this year. The spreads for groups of four or more come loaded with sharing specials such as turkey raan, the famous house black daal, rotis, 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.

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 menus feature multiple courses from the chef, including roast crown of bronze Norfolk turkey, house-cured salmon, and cep risotto with winter truffle. There are also snacks for the table to start you off, and a selection of French desserts.

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. 

Market Halls prepare for the festive season by transforming their 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.

Empire Empire in Notting Hill is gearing up for the festive season with indulgent Christmas dinner feasts perfect for sharing. Highlights include kale patta chaat, sizzling prawns Amritsari pakoras, rich laal maas, vegetarian Hyderabadi aloo baingan, and their signature saffron milk cake to finish. Whether it's a lively private hire for up to 48 guests or an intimate celebration in the velvet-clad dining room for 22, Empire Empire sets the scene with bold cocktails, glittering lights, and a nostalgic party vibe.

All the La Mia Mamma pasta restaurants are open for lunch and dinner on Christmas Eve, serving a four-course menu including a festive starter, your choice of pasta (with a free refill), a main to share, and a selection of typical festive desserts, as well as a flute of prosecco on arrival and limoncello and espresso afterwards to help keep you awake to catch Santa in the act.

This Christmas, The Ivy restaurants transform into “The Midnight Express”, a festive wonderland inspired by Arthur's magical train journey to save Santa and Christmas itself. With twinkling lights, whimsical train-themed decor, seasonal feasts, and sparkling champagne, guests are invited to celebrate the holidays in true storybook style. The festive set menus include dishes such as turkey ballotine and duck liver parfait.

AngloThai's festive tasting menu showcases signature dishes such as crab with caviar on coconut ash cracker, ox cheek jungle curry with brioche, and rib eye with sweet-and-sour curry, all served family-style. Their sommeliers are on hand to recommend wines and drinks that perfectly pair with your celebration. Hosting up to 16 guests, the AngloThai dining room offers an intimate Art Deco–inspired setting with bespoke Thai design, premium sound, and a curated vinyl collection for unforgettable Christmas gatherings.

The festive feasting menus at the London branch of Claro, a high-end international restaurant group are designed for groups of eight or more, with three unique experiences to choose from. Dishes include the likes of smoked turkey with freekeh, herbs, and dried blueberries, or beef tataki with cranberry & pickled red onion salsa. The Pall Mall restaurants is suitable for lively office parties and cosy family celebrations alike.

Sea Containers London on the South Bank transforms into a festive haven this Christmas, offering indulgent food, riverside views, and a celebratory atmosphere. Guests can enjoy a shared Festive Feast featuring seasonal starters like burrata and beetroot salad, mains such as cranberry-glazed Norfolk turkey or forest mushroom tortelloni, and comforting desserts including mince pies and apple crumble.

Jikoni's celebratory menus for six or more feature lavish sharing starters like clove-smoked venison samosas and prawn toast scotch eggs, alongside indulgent mains such as native lobster moilee and scrag end pie. With thoughtful wines, inventive cocktails, and beloved desserts like the signature banana cake with miso butterscotch, Jikoni promises an abundant, twinkling celebration where the spirit of hospitality shines.

This Christmas, Farzi is serving up a festive twist with its “Taste of Farzi” menu – a two-course modern Indian feast that blends creativity and tradition, featuring starters like duck khurchan cornetto, tangra chicken, and lobster & seafood seekh kebab, followed by mains such as chicken tikka masala, fish gulzar, and kosha mangsho, all accompanied by dal makhni, butter naan, forest berry pulav rice, and raita, with sweet treats like the xmas brownie & grilled marshmallow and fig & ginger pudding rounding off the meal.

Pivot overlooks Covent Garden Piazza and is offering a festive set menu of two or three courses with sides and classic British Christmas dishes. Guests can enjoy starters like ham hock terrine and mains such as braised beef short rib or a squash and chestnut mushroom pie, alongside all the traditional trimmings and a Christmas pudding to finish. With seasonal decorations and views of the Covent Garden Christmas lightslight switch-on, it's an inviting spot to celebrate from above the crowds.