For those who don't want to spend hours on Christmas day toiling in their kitchen to prepare a festive feast, there are plenty of fine dining restaurants open on the 25th December in London to cook up a Christmas banquet to remember.
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
The crème de la crème of 3-Michelin-starred restaurants, their Christmas day lunch menu was never going to disappoint. Top-quality ingredients are guaranteed from "Kristal" caviar from the Amur river and scallops from Kyle of Lochalsh. You don't visit their restaurant for stereotypical dishes like roast turkey, but instead, you'll get served capon (a neutered rooster to improve the quality of the meat). It's paired with chestnut, celeriac, black trumpet, and "Albufera sauce" (a richer version of a veloute sauce).
Sette by Scarpetta
For a Christmas day meal with an Italian twist, make sure you consider this iconic Manhattan transplant situated at the Bvlgari Hotel. The menu is as decadent as you would expect for a celebratory meal including the likes of foie gras crostino and lobster tagliolini. What's more impressive is they have a specific vegetarian menu with delectable options like winter squash parmigiana. What's more, having examined countless Christmas day menus, I believe they are possibly the only fine-dining establishment offering a vegetarian tasting menu.
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
Another 3-Michelin-starred restaurant to consider, they offer French haute cuisine at its finest. They are offering innovatively paired dishes like Scottish langoustine with Jerusalem artichoke and red shiso. With one of the most extensive wine lists in any restaurant in London, I would suggest going with their wine pairings and celebrating the important day with drinks such as a glass of 2012 Dom Pérignon.
Angler
If you are a fan of lighter dishes but trying more options then do consider this popular restaurant at South Place Hotel. Dorset crab with green apple, avocado, and wasabi is unlikely to land you in a post-Christmas lunch food coma. But you can still try the classics in bite-sized options like "pigs in blankets" with cranberry and apple ketchup and Christmas pudding bonbon.
Davies and Brook
For a traditional yet elegantly executed Christmas feast from executive chef Daniel Humm, do check out this sophisticated restaurant at Claridge's. Their veritable six-course feast includes the likes of scallops with clementine, foie gras brûlee, and a centrepiece roast turkey. You'll get the most mouth-watering of Christmas trimmings like maple-roasted carrots and a Christmas pudding flambéed at the table.
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Hélène Darroze, one of the most renowned chefs in the world, draws from her upbringing in Southwest France to craft innovative and authentic culinary experiences at The Connaught, blending tradition with creativity.
One of our highly recommended restaurants for Cantonese fare is MOTT 32. With global outposts in Las Vegas, Vancouver, Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, Cebu and Seoul, we sampled their tasting menu at their original restaurant in Hong Kong, and it did not disappoint.
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