The festive season is now in full swing everyone in London is planning their Christmas meals out.
In classic London fashion, many places are already booked up, leaving some underrated hidden gems for the procrastinators.
For some, a Christmas meal, whether you call it lunch or dinner is the highlight of the holiday, so Eastlondonlines has rounded up some of the best bites throughout the boroughs.
Hackney
The Prince Arthur
The Prince Arthur will do the job for a cosy and convivial pub setting. Having acquired a new chef this year, the 19th-century pub hits the sweet spot between traditional and modern.
If your group thinks they can handle it, you could order an entire seven-kilogram maple-glazed suckling pig for your main meal. If that feels too ambitious, you can stick to a plate of lamb, duck, chicken or fish, with starters and desserts to look forward to.
Where: 95 Forest Rd, London E8 3BH
When: Now until Sunday December 24. Open on Christmas Day but fully booked.
Cost: Prices vary greatly as there is no set menu
Find out more here.
Cat and Mutton
Established in 1729, Cat and Mutton sits along the bustling Victorian Broadway Market, making it the perfect stop after a day of Christmas shopping. You can look forward to hearty and comforting dishes such as celeriac and truffle soup and venison with roasted pumpkin.
Where: 76 Broadway Market, London E8 4RA
When: Now until Saturday December 23. Closed on Christmas Day.
Cost: Two courses for £29.50 per person or three courses for £35.50 per person. Sharing boards for £50-£55.
Find out more here.
Smokestak
For meat lovers seeking something a bit different, Shoreditch’s Smokestak breaks free from the traditional roast routine and delivers something usually only American southerners get: Barbecue for Christmas dinner.
Whether you choose beef brisket, pork with green chili slaw or another mouthwatering main, this festive menu will take your tastebuds to Texas and back.
Where: 35 Sclater St, London E1 6LB
When: Now until Saturday December 23. Closed on Christmas Day.
Cost: Vegetarian or sharing menu for £50, Menu with meat for £65. Additional supplements may be required for certain items
Find out more here.
Croydon
Boulevard
Eat a multi-course meal while serenaded by music tributes to Elvis, ABBA and Christmas King Michael Buble, who is defrosting as you read this.
This festive French menu offers fried brie, cognac pâté and steak served with Roquefort butter sauce among other dishes.
Where: 32 Selsdon Rd, South Croydon CR2 6PB
When: Now until Sunday December 31. Open on Christmas Day.
Cost: Two courses for £19.70 per person or three courses for £26.55 per person
Find out more here.
Tree House Croydon
This quirky venue looks like it came straight out of a Christmas village with its mock-Tudor style exterior and homely holiday decorations.
Its Christmas menu is just as welcoming, with pigs in blankets, dauphinoise potatoes and sticky toffee pudding being just some of the options available to you.
Where: 78 S End, Croydon CR0 1DP
When: Now until Monday December 25. Open on Christmas Day but fully booked.
Cost: Festive menu for £35 per person or Christmas day menu for £55 per person
Find out more here.
Little Bay
To experience a fusion of British and European cuisine for Christmas dinner, you might enjoy Little Bay, where you can look forward to dishes like crab and hollandaise profiteroles and chicken breast with mushroom sauce.
On certain nights, you could get serenaded by live opera while surrounded by the restaurant’s quirky theatre-themed décor.
Where: 32 Selsdon Rd, South Croydon CR2 6PB
When: Now until Tuesday December 26 (unless the turkey runs out sooner!). Closed on Christmas Day.
Cost: Festive menu two courses for £19.70 per person or three courses for £26.55 per person. Christmas day menu five courses for £44.95 per person.
Find out more here.
Tower Hamlets
Browns West
Originally a sugar warehouse built by Napoleonic prisoners of war, Browns West is drenched in maritime history in the heart of London’s docklands.
While it’s worth coming here for the atmosphere alone, the Christmas Day menu cannot be ignored. The stilton souffle and beef wellington are just a couple dishes that seem so much better when someone else makes them for you.
Where: West India Quay, Unit A Hertsmere Rd, London E14 4AY
When: Festive menu on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve. Open on Christmas Day.
Cost: Festive and Boxing day menu for £42 per person or Christmas day menu for £97 per person. New Year’s Eve menu for £70 per person
Find out more here.
Big Easy
If you plan to go rogue this Christmas, look no further than the Big Easy, where Canary Warf hosts a melting pot of North American Gulf Coast culture.
Mix up your Christmas dinner by tucking into some garlic-buttered Canadian lobster or Texas-style turkey with cornbread, gravy and more.
There’s no shortage of starters or sides to accompany this supersized Christmas dinner.
Where: Crossrail Pl, London E14 5AR
When: Now until Sunday December 31. Closed on Christmas Day.
Cost: Three courses for £29.50 per person, party platters for £25-$40
Find out more here.
The Culpeper
This Spitalfields pub offers plenty of festive dishes, including beetroot-cured trout and roast pork belly. If you have a specific wine in mind for your Christmas dinner, feel free to pre-order when you submit your menu choices.
If you plan to get carried away, book one of the rooms on the third floor and make a night of it.
Where: 40 Commercial St, London E1 6LP
When: Now until Saturday December 30. Closed on Christmas Day.
Cost: £50 per person
Find out more here.
Lewisham
Babur Restaurant
Christmas dinner with an Indian twist may be just the thing you need this year to break tradition while still honouring the holiday.
Conventional Christmas flavours like leeks, parsnips and cranberries are infused in onion bhajis, Chettinad sauce and garam masala pudding.
Where: 119 Brockley Rise, London SE23 1JP
When: Now until Sunday December 31. Open on Christmas Day.
Cost: Two courses for £64.95, children aged 7-12 eat two courses for £34.95, children under 7 eat for £14.95
Find out more here.
Maggie’s Café and Restaurant
This family-owned Irish eatery will make you a home-cooked Christmas dinner for less money than you’ll find most anywhere in London. Named after its founder, the restaurant is now run by Maggie’s sons who try to keep it a staple in Lewisham’s community.
Between the warming veggie soup and the hearty hazelnut, cashew and cranberry roast, vegetarians will feel right at home.
Where: 320-322 Lewisham Rd, London SE13 7PA
When: Now until Friday December 22. Closed on Christmas Day.
Cost: Two courses for £18.95 per person or three courses for £21.95 per person
Find out more here.
The Station Hotel
You can find a traditionally English Christmas dinner at the Station Hotel, where your potatoes are roasted in goose fat and your most difficult choice of the day will be choosing between six delectable desserts.
Perhaps it’s a good idea to book one of the Station Hotel’s boutique bedrooms and crawl upstairs to fall into a food coma.
Where: 14 Staplehurst Rd, London SE13 5NB
When: Now until Monday January 1. Open on Christmas Day.
Cost: Festive menu for £41 per person, Christmas Day feast for £95 per person, sharing boards for £28 – £52. New Year’s Eve dinner for £60 per person
Find out more here.
