The best Christmas dinners in London

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. Although the menu changes yearly, this year it includes their new Christmas stuffing Scotch eggs, Cumbrian beef wellington to share, and a winter fruits 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, wild boar ragu, pumpkin and ricotta ravioli, and a festive cannoli selection, though it does change annually.

An enduring paragon of British cuisine, the Michelin-starred St. John offers different three-course menus to groups of at least eight people. Each sharing menu revolves around a central beast – suckling pig, game, beef, goose, or fish, accompanied by a starter, sides, and dessert served in a feasting style on sharing platters. Vegetarians are taken care of separately.

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 pan-fried Cornish cod, stone bass ceviche, and churros with hazelnut sauce, with different wines from the two countries and signature cocktails to go along.

Experience Yaatra's festive four-course Christmas lunch at the historic Old Westminster Fire Station. Executive Chef Amit Bagyal's menu, blending tradition and spice, features a welcoming Christmas bellini, a glass of Champagne, and highlights like truffled mushroom soup, clove smoked game liver pate, and roast turkey with all the trimmings, plus more. Finish with decadent desserts such as Christmas pudding and spiced chocolate and orange mousse.

Megan's have spruced up their menu this year, giving it a festive makeover. Feast on pigs in blankets cheese fondue (omg, yes, really) with warm bread for dipping, dunking and mopping, best washed down with hot mulled wine or a creamy Baileys espresso martini. The special menu also features a deconstructed Christmas kebab: a flatbread with crispy turkey leg, stuffing, cranberry, pomegranate sauce, crispy onions and pistachios, topped with pickled red cabbage, pickled onions and harissa hummus. Finish off with the half-baked s'mores cookie dough filled with chocolate and topped with marshmallows and pistachios.

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 menu includes three courses, with this year's highlighting choices such as Jerusalem artichoke tart, pan roast turbot on the bone, faux gras, Gressingham duck wellington, apple, fig and chestnut crumble, and Christmas pudding with brandy butter ice cream.

If a white Christmas is truly 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 pools of velvety gravy. It all comes with a focus on the best ingredients.

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 will 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 roast venison from the 19th century, with pescatarian and vegetarian alternatives. On Christmas Day, an exclusive tasting menu will be available.

At celebrated French chef Alain Ducasse's exquisite venue at The Dorchester Hotel, executive chef Jean-Philippe Blondet has prepared six-course Christmas Eve and Day menus of French haute cuisine. Christmas dinner includes dishes like hand-dived sea scallops, fillet of Cornish turbot, and chestnut velouté, among other dishes.

If you'd like a very stylish, very British Christmas gathering with friends or family, the Holborn Dining Room and its festive menu are just the thing. The three-course menu includes options such as roast Norfolk turkey with braised red cabbage and spiced custard tart with eggnog ice cream. Opt to dine in the brasserie's elegant Pie Room to bump you a few places up the “nice” list.

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 wild sea bass, accompanied by starters such as baked lobster thermidor tart, and a range of desserts to top it all off. You can also add a glass of mulled wine for extra winter cosiness.

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 six courses from the chef, including the traditional roast Bronze turkey, house-cured salmon, and Cornish crab tartlets. There are also snacks for the table to start you off, and coffee or tea with mince pie truffles.

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 three Sticks'n'Santa menus for groups of seven or more. The picturesque and tasty dishes include sushi- and yakitori-style twists on Christmas flavours, for example miso-fried sprouts, chicks'n'blankets, or red'n'green roll. A plant-based option is available as well and there's even matcha eggnog to go with your meal.

The high-ceilinged dining room at The Corinthia is offering something for all ages and tastes this holiday season. Their traditional Christmas Eve and Day set menus come with an alternative for children ages 3–11, featuring options such as pigs in blankets, sole goujons, mini margherita pizza, penne pasta, and more, as well as the classic roast turkey.

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. The three-course festive menu comes with a glass of prosecco and includes options such as smoked salmon, sirloin steak, turkey parcel, and Christmas pudding.

The Cubitt House pubs around London, guided by acclaimed chef Ben Tish, offer festive sharing menus that start off with mini Yorkshire puddings filled with roast beef and horseradish, before continuing with starters such as chicken liver parfait, mains such as turkey with chestnut and apricot stuffing, and finishing off with a Christmas pudding, profiteroles, or Biscoff and Baileys cheesecake.

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 serves set menus in the private dining room.

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 Peggy Jean is 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.

In its lush, plant-filled setting in Covent Garden, The Petersham welcomes festive diners with fixed-price seasonal menus for lunch and dinner, with the likes of blue-cheese mousse, hand-carved turkey, and chestnut risotto to warm you up. The establishment, widely known not only for its beautiful interior but also its afternoon tea, offers a Christmassy take on the latter, with turkey finger sandwiches, orange and cranberry scones, and fruit cake all on the lineup.

At the Riding House Cafe, Christmas Day becomes a culinary celebration with its festive menu. This stylish London eatery sets the stage for a memorable holiday feast, offering a tasty selection of seasonal dishes that capture the spirit of Christmas. From succulent roasts to indulgent desserts, their menu showcases the best of British holiday fare, ensuring a joyous and flavorful experience for all who dine here. 

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. This Michelin-starred 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.

For a Taiwanese twist on Christmas dinner, head to Mr Bao in Peckham or Daddy Bao in Tooting. This family-run restaurant works with suppliers they consider family to ensure their dishes are made with the best-quality ingredients. This year, you can expect a new festive menu of tasty bao buns and other dishes, spruced up with a Christmassy Chinese twist, think turkey kiev bao buns, kimchi roast potatoes, hot and sour grilled sprouts and clementine pavlova. 

Market Halls prepared for the festive season by transforming its three 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.