Are any restaurants open in London on Christmas Day 2025? Though most are closed, a handful dish out festive feasts to those seeking a special Christmas meal. Whether you’re visiting London over Christmas, or are a Londoner looking to dodge the cooking (or washing up), we’ve put together a guide to eating out in the capital on 25 December.
It tends to be the high-end (read: pricey) restaurants which do open for Christmas dinner, usually with set menus. You’ll need to book in advance for 25 December, as lots of people will be looking to do the same thing.
And remember: there’s no public transport in London on Christmas Day (other than cycle hire).
DALLOWAY TERRACE, SOHO: The always beautifully decorated Dalloway Terrace serves a six-course feast spanning amuse bouches (beetroot-cured salmon, slow-braised ox cheek), through starters and mains (roast turkey/venison/halibut or a veggie charred aubergine mille-feuille), a pre-dessert maple panna cotta, followed by dessert choices including Guinness Christmas pudding, mulled poache pear, or cocoa and salted caramel ice cream. Finish up with petit fours. More details and booking. £130 per adult (£50 per child).
ST JAMES’S COURT: You’ve got two Christmas Day dining options at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences and St James’ Court, A Taj Hotel. Michelin-starred Quilon serves a South-West coastal Indian menu for both lunch (£85 per person) and dinner (£105 per person), with dishes including lamb varutharacha curry, chicken roast, seafood moilee, and chicken biryani. Meanwhile at TH@51 on the same site, the Christmas Day menu (£179 per person) spans five courses of seasonal dishes including Dorset crab cake, roasted butterball turkey with all the trimmings, and Christmas pudding.
RAILS, KING’S CROSS: Begin Christmas Day at RAILS with a glass of Nyetimber sparkling wine, before moving on to a three-course feast. Starters include lobster gateaux or game & pistachio terrine followed by turkey with sage & apricot stuffing, roast sirloin of beef, pan-fried monkfish, or wild mushroom & delicia pumpkin pithivier. Finish with festive treats such as Christmas pudding, Mont Blanc, dark chocolate & coffee opera cake, or cheese — followed by mince pies and tea. More information and booking. £115 per person.
DECIMO AT THE STANDARD, KING’S CROSS: Spanish-Mexican restaurant Decimo within the Standard London hotel has veered away from its roots and offers a more traditionally British Christmas Day menu this year (RIP truffle nachos). Think crab tartlet or chicken and fois gras liver parfait, followed by roast turkey, halibut, beef wellington or celeriac, accompanied by sides for the table (roasties, pigs in blankets, parsnips, carrots and red-wine sauce). Dessert options include the traditional Christmas pudding with brand custard, or orange cake served with Grand Marnier custard. Begin with a glass of Ruinart champagne on arrival. More details and booking. £150 per person.
JOIA, BATTERSEA POWER STATION: Tuck into a festive repast with a view, on the 15th floor of art’otel Battersea, where tradition meets Iberian. The menu begins with sharing plates of petiscos (Portuguese small plates) and tapas including pan con tomate, and cod fritters, followed by a choice of main course including grilled turbot, turkey with cabbage and madeira sauce, and fillet of beef. Dessert takes the form of Christmas pudding with a brandy flambé, warm chocolate mousse with an intriguing olive oil caviar and citrus sour cream, or an Iberian cheese selection with red-pepper jam. More details and booking. £125 per adult/£30 per child.
THE WINTER GARDEN, MARYLEBONE: Do Christmas lunch buffet-style at The Winter Garden, within the Landmark London hotel. This is no run-of-the-mill buffet though: think lobster, langoustines, crevettes, caviar and blinis, smoked salmon and sushi. Continue with roasted bronze turkey, dry-aged beef fillet and wild mushroom and truffle en croûte, served alongside seasonal salads and sides. To finish, the dessert station includes chocolate yule logs and chestnut Mont Blanc to champagne trifle and gingerbread brûlée. £425 per person for unlimited buffet and champagne. The restaurant also offers a more traditional Christmas Day dinner later in the evening (£275 per person). More information and booking.
BOKAN, CANARY WHARF: Celebrate Christmas with a view, 37 floors up at Bōkan. The main restaurant area is closed on Christmas Day, but a festive feast is served in the bar area. The menu keeps things simple, with a single main of roast turkey, chestnuts & berries, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding served with gravy and a single dessert: sugar dome with quince, chestnut and Baileys. More information and booking. Main £38, dessert £15.
EKSTEDT AT THE YARD, WESTMINSTER: Celebrate the Nordic way at Ekstedt at The Yard (within the Great Scotland Yard Hotel), with menus built around fire. Christmas Day lunch is a festive roast spanning three courses of Nordic-inspired dishes, including classic roasted mains such as braised short rib, fire-cooked leg of lamb and a Guinea fowl with herbs & citrus. For evening dining, the seven-course feast includes flambadou oyster, charcoal-grilled Cornish fish and juniper-smoked sirloin of beef, followed by a duo of desserts and Swedish candy. More information and booking. Christmas Day lunch (12.30pm-3pm) £115 per person. Christmas Day dinner (6.30pm-9.30pm) £140 per person.
SKYLON, SOUTH BANK: Christmas dinner in a sleek, modern restaurant overlooking the Thames? Don’t mind if we do. The Christmas Day menu at Skylon comprises four courses plus tea or coffee (mains choices are turkey, beef wellington or celeriac wellington), and we’d put money on the food being both classy and delicious. More information and booking. £130 per person.
PAVYLLON MAYFAIR: Michelin-starred Pavyllon London at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane opens on Christmas Day for a six-course menu by the world’s most decorated Michelin-starred chef, Yannick Alléno. Expect a procession of dishes including the restaurant’s signature cheese soufflé, along with beef fillet, prawn cocktail, and langoustine tail. Choose between lunch and dinner — the evening sitting includes a live music performance. More information and booking. £280 per person for five courses/£350 per person for six courses.
THE GUINEA GRILL, MAYFAIR: Apparently London’s oldest steakhouse and pub, The Guinea Grill serves a five-course menu on Christmas Day. It begins with apple and parsnip soup; or venison, duck and cranberry pâté, while mains include a ballotine of Norfolk turkey with maple and chestnut stuffing; dry-aged rib of beef with lamb cutlets; and wild mushroom Wellington. Finish with a classic Christmas or sticky toffee pudding, or British Isles cheeses, followed by mince pies. More information and booking. £175 per person (including a glass of champagne).
CLARIDGE’S: Eating out on Christmas Day is never cheap, but if you’ve just won the lottery/a movie deal, there’s always Claridge’s. The Claridge’s Restaurant offers both a Christmas Day lunch and Christmas Day dinner menu, whistling through choices including roast turkey breast with all the trimmings, beef wellington, and a selection of cheeses — finishing with either a chocolate yule log, or Christmas pudding with brandy sauce. More information and booking. Lunch £550 (!) per adult/£275 per child. Dinner £325 per adult/£150 per child.
KAHANI, CHELSEA: Fine-dining Indian restaurant Kahani opens on Christmas Day, offering a seven-course festive menu. Turkey is still the centrepiece, in the form of tandoori smoked turkey with truffle, cream cheese and mace, and quinoa khichdi. Other courses include chicken bhaji with red onion, courgettes & coriander and smoked tomato chutney, and seabass with mixed peppercorn white crab bisi belebath. Dessert is a chocolate and orange mousse, with pomelo marmalade, and cranberry & pumpkin ice cream. More information and booking. £125 per person (optional wine pairing £80 extra).
CINNAMON CLUB: Situated within the Old Westminster Library, Vivek Singh’s Cinnamon Club is another fine-dining Indian restaurant offering its own take on Christmas Day dinner. Begin with bold flavours such as Keralan lobster soup or tandoori turkey tikka, before moving on to mains of roast goose breast with sesame tamarind sauce, slow-braised lamb raan or delicately grilled jumbo prawns. To finish, indulge in spiced twists on tradition, from garam masala Christmas pudding to black cardamom brûlée. An alternative menu is available “for those challenged on the spice front” (their words, not ours). More information and booking. £150 per person. Christmas Day menus are also available at sister restaurants Cinnamon Bazaar (Covent Garden and Richmond) and Cinnamon Kitchen (City and Battersea).
NICHOLSON’S PUBS: Most Nicholson’s pubs open on Christmas Day, and many serve a three- or four-course traditional Christmas dinner, with a separate kids’ menu available. Nicholson’s pubs, various locations. Prices vary between locations, starting at £75 per adult/£30 per child.
If you’re looking to eat out in central London on Christmas Day, but aren’t fussed about turkey and trimmings, you can always try Chinatown, where some restaurants will be open (though we highly recommend calling ahead).