A festive table setting with gourmet dishes, cocktails, golden ribbon, and small disco balls. Three people’s hands are visible, reaching for food and drinks, creating a celebratory atmosphere.

Restaurants & nightlife

Where to dine on Christmas Day in London

We’ve made a list, and checked it twice. This is where to dine out for Christmas lunch (or dinner) on 25th December this year.

Words by Georgie Young

4th December 2025

7-minute read

For many people, cooking Christmas lunch at home is a long-standing tradition (one that’s made particularly special when London’s top sommeliers have spilled their secrets on how to pair Champagnes with Christmas dinner). However, there’s something to be said about donning your finery and heading out to eat after a festive morning at home – or even eschewing the typical turkey and trimmings for something a bit more exciting. And that’s where our list of London’s best Christmas Day dining comes in. Act fast, though – these tables are in high demand.

Carbone, Mayfair

Best for: an Italian take on Christmas Day dinner.

How many people can say they’ve had Christmas Day dinner at one of London’s best Italian restaurants? The answer: the lucky few (if they manage to secure a table). For one day only, it’ll offer its first-ever lunch sitting and a four-course feast featuring dishes like satin-like spicy rigatoni vodka and Caesar alla ZZ blanketed beneath a snowfall of Parmesan.

carbonelondon.com | £195 per person

30 Grosvenor Sq, W1K

1 Sloane Gdns, SW1W 8EA

At Sloane, Chelsea

Best for: a chestnut-stuffed Christmas feast.

This terracotta brick townhouse-turned-boutique hotel is turning up the heat for the festive season. It'll be opening its big black double-height doors for Christmas Day, firing up a five-course menu filled with chestnut cappuccinos, chestnut-stuffed capons, and a classic Bûche de Noël (Yule log). All of which will be served in its sixth-floor dining room, overlooking Chelsea’s oh-so-chic streets.

atsloane.com | £220 per person

Pavyllon London, Mayfair

Best for: festive French fine dining.

Christmas at Four Seasons Park Lane’s Pavyllon is a six-course showstopper – think truffle-stuffed raviole, beef Rossini with foie gras, and a cloud-like gianduja with clementine sorbet. There’s even live entertainment and a kids’ menu for mini gourmands. It’s everything you’d expect from one of Mayfair’s best restaurants run by 17-Michelin-starred Yannick Alléno.

pavyllonlondon.com | £350 per person

A festive dining table is set with white plates, napkins tied with red ribbon, gold cutlery, and tall glass candles. Greenery decorates the table. A decorated, lit Christmas tree is visible in the background.

A festive dining table is set with tall glass candle holders, white candles, plates, napkins with red ribbons, and greenery. A decorated Christmas tree with lights is visible in the background.

Hamilton Pl, W1J 7DR

Delicious and elegantly presented Christmas dinner dishes including the classic turkey, roast potatoes and stuffing as well as, beef wellington served on white plates with dipping sauces at Claridge’s Restaurant, Mayfair.

Brook St, W1K 4HR

Claridge’s Restaurant, Mayfair

Best for: Claridge’s famous Christmas pudding.

Claridge’s and Christmas are practically synonymous – not least because of its annual, designer-led Christmas tree. On Christmas Day, its restaurant will serve an extravagant five-course lunch menu, which goes from smoked salmon and crumpets to Claridge’s famous Christmas pudding via truffle risotto and roasted turkey.

claridges.co.uk | £550 per person

The Aubrey, Knightsbridge

Best for: traditional Christmas flavours with a Japanese twist.

It’s an award-winning Japanese izakaya, so – naturally – The Aubrey’s Christmas lunch will feature nigiri and sashimi by the (small) plateful. However, you’ll also taste a couple of traditional flavours with a Japanese twist – like, robata turkey with truffle teriyaki sauce. And, being in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, you’re just a short stroll from Harrods’ all-out window display.

mandarinoriental.com | £145 per person

A plate of cooked stuffed Christmas turkey served at The Aubrey Knightsbridge, London.

66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA

A buffet table features a large pile of cooked lobster claws and seafood under warm lights, surrounded by leafy garnishes and decorative greenery in an elegant restaurant setting.

A buffet table displays a large pile of lobster claws and other seafood under warm lighting, with decorative plants and heat lamps in the background. A card labeled Lobster is visible among the seafood.

27 Poultry, EC2R 8AJ

Cecconi’s, The City

Best for: unlimited Thiénot Champagne.

For a cool Christmas in The City, head to Cecconi’s at The Ned. Its Festive Feast is a roast buffet brimming with all the usual suspects, plus lobster and oysters for good measure. Unlimited Thiénot Champagne and live entertainment add extra sparkle. Swing by the historic grand banking hall to marvel at the spectacular Christmas tree in collaboration with The Macallan.

thened.com | £250 per person

Canton Blue, Belgravia

Best for: a post-meal stroll around Hyde Park.

If your ideal Christmas dinner involves barbecued pork, hand-carved furniture, and a post-meal stroll around Hyde Park, Canton Blue is the one for you. The showstopping Cantonese restaurant at The Peninsula London serves an eight-course menu on 25th December, featuring lobster dumplings, steamed seabass, and stir-fried wagyu beef.

peninsula.com | £198 per person

The luxurious bar interior at Canton Blue, The Peninsula London features a large, elegant painting and tall sculptural art piece, enhancing its sophisticated ambience.

The Peninsula, 1 Grosvenor Pl, SW1X 7HJ

A plated gourmet dish featuring a seared piece of fish atop a creamy puree, garnished with crispy potato chips, sautéed mushrooms, and fried kale, with a drizzle of dark sauce, served on a white plate.

A gourmet dish featuring a piece of fish on a creamy purée, garnished with crispy chips, sautéed mushrooms, and kale, drizzled with sauce. A glass of wine and a bowl of fries are in the background.

1 Electric Blvd, SW11 8BJ

JOIA, Battersea

Best for: dining face to face with Battersea Power Station’s towering turbines.

Up on the art’otel’s 15th floor, JOIA’s Christmas Day menu brings Iberian flair to festive classics – from Norfolk Black turkey with black cabbage and Madeira sauce to rich Christmas pudding flambéed in brandy. Go all in with wine pairings (even if only to be able to make a toast against the towering turbines).

joiabattersea.co.uk | £125 per person

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Best for: a themed Yule Log done the Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester way.

With three Michelin stars to its name, it’s unsurprising that Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is considered one of London’s very best French restaurants. And its six-course Christmas lunch menu is as indulgent as you’d expect. Think chestnut velouté with roasted guinea fowl, blue lobster with butternut squash, and an Alain Ducasse-style Yule log to finish.

alainducasse-dorchester.com | £490 per person

A close-up of a cooked lamb chop, juicy and pink inside, resting on a white plate with a drizzle of sauce and a sprinkle of herbs. Another piece of lamb is visible in the background.

Close-up of a cooked lamb chop with a pink, juicy center on a white plate, garnished with herbs and sauce drizzled around it, creating a gourmet presentation.

53 Park Ln, W1K 1QA

A festive plate with sliced roast turkey, gravy, sprouts, bacon-wrapped sausage, carrot, red cabbage, a round stuffing, and a garnish, set on a white table with Christmas decorations in the background.

A festive plate of roast turkey with gravy, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cranberry sauce, and pigs in blankets, garnished with microgreens. A decorated Christmas tree is in the background.

222 Marylebone Rd, NW1 6JQ

Winter Garden Restaurant, Marylebone

Best for: free-flowing Taittinger rosé Champagne.

Christmas under The Landmark’s soaring glass roof? Yes please. The Winter Garden Restaurant’s Christmas Day luncheon is a festive buffet of fresh seafood, warming roasts, and indulgent sweets – all washed down with free-flowing Taittinger rosé Champagne. It’s grand, glittering, and just the right amount of over the top for the big day.

christmas.landmarklondon.co.uk | £425 per person

The Ritz, Mayfair

Best for: a black-tie Christmas.

The Ritz is always a delight at Christmas, and this year is no exception. Its six-course Christmas lunch and four-course, black-tie Christmas dinner sittings are both served in the glittering Ritz Restaurant, with courses cooked up by Executive Chef John Williams MBE and entertainment from a five-piece live band.

theritzlondon.com | Lunch £670, dinner £460 per person

Elegant dining room at The Ritz London, adorned for Christmas, showcasing luxurious decor and festive ambiance.

150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR

A cozy restaurant features white tablecloths, set tables, green tufted banquettes, wooden chairs, stained glass partitions, warm lighting, and framed pictures on wood-paneled walls, creating an inviting atmosphere.

A cozy restaurant interior with white tablecloths, set tables, dark green tufted seating, wooden dividers with stained glass, warm lighting from chandeliers, and framed art on wood-paneled walls.

30 Bruton Pl, W1J 6NL

The Guinea Grill, Mayfair

Best for: proper good grub at London’s oldest steakhouse and pub.

With more than six centuries of history, The Guinea Grill knows a thing or two about tradition. Its five-course Christmas Day lunch stars Norfolk turkey with maple and chestnut stuffing, rib of beef with lamb cutlets, and wild mushroom Wellington. Save room for dessert – the options are classic (and extensive).

theguinea.co.uk | £175 per person

Duck & Waffle, Bishopsgate

Best for: sweeping views of London’s skyline.

Christmas lunch whilst not looking at your wrapping paper-scattered front room already sounds enticing. Then you think about the panoramic views from Duck & Waffle, and suddenly you find yourself with a table for six on December 25th… Its menu is fun: starting with a ‘Verita Serum’ cocktail and ending with a cherry Bakewell tart (with traditional turkey and mince pies along the way).

duckandwaffle.com | £170 per person

The modern restaurant interior of Duck & Waffle, Bishopsgate in London - with large windows offering a city view. It features a distinctive yellow and black ceiling design, white chairs, wooden tables with place settings, and cosy brown booth seating.

110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY

Selection of luxurious fine dining plates served with red and white wine.

1 Wilbraham Pl, Sw1X 9AE

Kahani London, Chelsea

Best for: swapping traditionally British bites for unexpected Indian delights.

If the idea of traditional turkey fills you with horror, you might do better with a booking at Indian fine dining restaurant Kahani. The seven-course menu is just about recognisable as Christmas lunch: tandoori smoked turkey with truffle joins Nargisi Kofta and Peshwari lamb, and the traditional flaming pud is traded for chocolate and orange mousse.

kahanilondon.com | £125 per person

The Connaught, Mayfair

Best for: a pre- or post-meal martini from The Connaught Bar’s iconic martini trolley.

All three restaurants at The Connaught are open on Christmas Day. Tableside-carved turkey is available at The Grill and Jean-Georges for the lunch and dinner sittings, but we’re setting our sights on the lavish six-course Hélène Darroze lunch experience. There’s no turkey in sight here, but there is caviar, capon, and turbot.

the-connaught.co.uk | £290–450 per person

Interior restaurant with colourful comfy chairs, rounded small tables and wooden paneled archway walls with ceramic wall display.

16 Carlos Pl, W1K 2AL

A table with various dishes including truffle-topped pasta, grilled fish with sauce and lime, a meat dish with a croquette, and a bottle of Ruinart champagne. Additional plates and a glass of wine are also visible, served at Decimo at The Standard, Kings Cross in London.

10 Argyle St, WC1H 8EG

Decimo, Kings Cross

Best for: complimentary Ruinart Champagne on arrival.

Spend Christmas Day merrily on high at Decimo, which – as one of London’s best rooftops – sits on the 10th floor of The Standard. For a meal that’s far from standard, pick caviar over parfait, beef Wellington over roast turkey, and orange cake over Christmas pudding. Don’t forget to claim your complimentary glass of Ruinart Champagne on arrival, too.

decimo.london | £150 per person

The Cadogan Arms, Chelsea

Best for: an ambience that’s chic, cosy, and Christmassy all at once.

One of our favourite luxury London pubs, The Cadogan Arms is at the top of its game at Christmas – even without its game pie on the menu this year. Instead, start with venison tartare, move onto confit turkey leg, and end with a Bakewell tart. The sides deserve a shoutout, too – especially the Brussels sprouts with black garlic ketchup and almonds. Yum.

thecadoganarms.london | £195 per person

Table set with turkey, trimmings and champagne served at The Cadogan Arms, Chelsea.

298 King's Rd, SW3 5UG

A cosy setting featuring a wood-fired oven with an open flame. In the foreground, theres a spread of cooked ham, bread, jars of condiments, greens, and colorful bowls on a table adorned with fresh herbs and brussels sprouts, served at Ekstedt at the Yard, Great Scotland Yard in London.

3–5 Great Scotland Yard, SW1A 2HN

Ekstedt at the Yard, Great Scotland Yard

Best for: Christmas Day oysters.

Forget chestnuts – it's all about oysters roasting on an open fire here. The eponymous Michelin-starred chef will cook up a Christmas roast lunch and a festive seven-course Scandi dinner feast (featuring his famous flambadou oyster – one of London’s best oysters). Christmas conformists should choose the former, whilst festive free spirits should go for the latter.

ekstedtattheyard.com | Lunch £115, dinner £140 per person

Dalloway Terrace, Bloomsbury

Best for: dining alfresco for your festivities (it’s heated, of course).

The ever-delightful Dalloway Terrace transforms into a magical winter wonderland every December – this year, in partnership with Charles Heidsieck. This year, its Christmas Day menu is a six-course feast that covers both classic dishes and alternative options – like roasted halibut, charred aubergine mille-feuille, and the indulgent yet ominously named ‘Death by Chocolate’.

dallowayterrace.com | £130 per person

A cosy outdoor dining area features a long table set for a meal, surrounded by wicker chairs. Lush greenery and plants hang from the ceiling and walls, creating a garden-like atmosphere under striped awnings. Warm lighting enhances the ambiance of Dalloway Terrace, Bloomsbury in London.

16–22 Great Russell St, WC1B 3NN

A festive dinner table with two people pulling a Christmas cracker. Plates feature roasted meat, vegetables, and a side dish. The table is decorated with candles, flowers, and a glass of white wine at Ham Yard Hotel, Soho in London.

1 Ham Yd, W1D 7DT

Ham Yard Hotel, Soho

Best for: having the magic of Covent Garden at Christmas on your doorstep.

Ham Yard is the hotel to head to if you fancy chasing your food with a stroll under Oxford Street’s glimmering angels. You’ll begin with Champagne and canapés, followed by a feast that’s as traditional as you make it. You could have smoked salmon, turkey, and Christmas pud, crab, Dover sole, and eggnog crème brûlée – all rounded off with cheese and mince pies.

firmdalehotels.com | £165 per person

Alex Dilling, Piccadilly

Best for: a caviar-coated Christmas.

If your Christmas isn’t complete without caviar, turn your attention to chef Alex Dilling’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant at Hotel Café Royal. You’ll find the black pearls sprinkled across the oak smoked salmon starter, with other indulgences including butter poached langoustines, Cornish turbot, and bûche de Noël. All accompanied by a chilled glass of Veuve Clicquot, of course.

hotelcaferoyal.com | £270 per person

A beautifully presented dish featuring a glazed, rolled piece of lobster on an intricate silver platter. Its garnished with herbs and small flowers, adding a decorative touch. A sprig of greenery lies beside it on the tray, served at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, Piccadilly in London.

A beautifully presented dish featuring a glazed, rolled piece of food on an intricate silver platter. Its garnished with herbs and small flowers, adding a decorative touch. A sprig of greenery lies beside it on the tray, served at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, Piccadilly in London.

68 Regent St, W1B 4DY

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