Is This London’s Most Decadent Festive Menu?

We all like to push the boat out a little when it comes to Christmas lunch. Special canapes are thrown into the mix. Roast potatoes are rigorously fluffed and crisped. Organic turkeys are selected from the best butchers in town. But in the kitchens at London’s top restaurants, chefs are kicking things up a notch (or ten), pulling out all the stops to create show-stopping feasts to lure people out of their homes. The city’s most luxurious? A seven-course meal at the recently opened Claridge’s Restaurant, an art deco dining room with a focus on grills.

Is This London’s Most Decadent Festive Menu?

Head to Claridge’s Restaurant on Christmas Day, and you’ll be treated to an exceptional lunch courtesy of the hotel’s culinary director Dmitri Magi and his team. Luxurious ingredients are used from the get-go: after some nibbles and a glass of champagne, guests can try the restaurant’s signature amuse bouche, buckwheat crumpets topped with slices of truffle, or some Fine de Claire oysters and caviar.

Next up, tuck into dishes like seared Orkney scallops, foie gras terrine, and smoked wild sea trout. For mains, choose from a number of dishes such as Herefordshire beef fillet, Delica squash pithivier, or a classic roasted bronze Norfolk turkey leg. The table can also enjoy an array of family-style sharing sides: think all the classics like Brussels sprouts with lardons, roast potatoes, glazed parsnips, braised hispi cabbage and cranberry sauce. 

Of course there’s a cheeseboard too, featuring an impressive selection of British cheeses alongside fig chutney, clementines and artisanal bread. Then, finish on a sweet note with the famous Claridge’s Christmas pudding paired with brandy ice cream, or a Buchê de Noël, before rounding off the meal with some petit fours.

All this will be enjoyed amid the chic surroundings of the restaurant, which was designed by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio. A pink and green colour palette is paired with antique brass and mosaic flooring, with pendant lamps and a glitzy standout bar (the cocktails are also worth a try). Those after a bit more privacy, meanwhile, can book out the private dining room, which seats up to eight guests. Outside of the restaurant, Claridge’s is always especially beautiful during the festive season. Each year, a designer and friend of the hotel is brought in to create the tree: this year, it’s Louis Vuitton, who is drawing inspiration from the art of travel.

Unsurprisingly, the Christmas lunch doesn’t come cheap: £495pp, or £225pp for children. But for those keen to splash the cash this Christmas, this would certainly be one to remember. (And if not, check out some more affordable options here!).

Book at claridges.co.uk