If we started listing every restaurant in London which is putting on a special Christmas menu, we'd be here till next Christmas. So instead we've picked out the more unusual festive offerings being served up around town.
So whether it's turkey tikka or reindeer pie you're after here's where to have your Christmas party in the coming weeks.
The eat your greens Christmas
Grain Store
1-3 Stable Street, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AB
Grain Store will have two Christmas menus available in December, one at £32.50 for 3 courses, and the other at £42.50 for 3 courses, plus a drink on arrival, and coffee. Dishes include Endive, fruit vinaigrette, smoked salmon mousse; Wild fruit puree, potted cabbage, parsnip crisps, bacon, roast partridge & sausage; and Chocolate and red bean cake, soya yoghurt mousse.
Find out more about Grain Store
Parlour
5 Regent St, London NW10 5LG (Kensal Green)
Chef Jesse Wood's £35 a head menu offers family-style starters and pudddings with your choice of a meain course. Starters include Father Christmas' Salad with Clementines & ...Reindeer and McTucky's Seasonal Popcorn Turkey Nuggets while the mains include The Chrimbo Turkey Kyiv and "Reindeer" Pie finishing off with Bergamot Water Ice with Earl Grey Brandy Snaps..
Dirty Bones
20 Kensington Church St, Kensington, London W8 4EP
If you fancy something more fun than the usual turkey and two veg how about a Christmas Dog at Dirty Bones (veggie alternative available)? This is a turkey & stuffing sausage cooked in red wine gravy topped with cranberry puree, stuffing, buttered greens & crispy potatoes. For dessert we like the sound of Dirty Bones S’mores, soaked in bourbon & set on fire to melt the marshmallows. £23 or £28 with dessert.
Find out more about Dirty Bones
Blackfoot
46 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE
EC1 restaurant Blackfoot is eschewing poulty altogether and going for a wholly pig-focused festive menu. The menu kicks off with charcuterie and then clams two ways before a choice of porchetta or Christmas ham and then peanut butter and bacon semi-freddo. There's also options for vegetarians too. Price £35 per head, minimum group size of 6.
Trishna
15-17, Blandford St, Marylebone Village, London W1U 3DG
Trishna have a 5 and 7 course Christmas Menu with a range of dishes to tempt folk seeking alternative fare such as turkey tikka (with fennel seed, star anise and masoor lentils) or mince pie samosa - served with Christmas pudding ice cream. Menus run from 1st December - 30th December 2014
United Ramen
105-106 Upper Street, London N1 1QN
From the people who brought you British ramen with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding comes a very non-trad Christmas Menu. For their first Christmas as a proper restaurant the United Ramen Christmas menu includes Sage & Onion Pork Gyoza, Turkey Ramen and Trio of Christmas Mochi.
Find out more about United Ramen
Brasserie Gustave
4 Sydney St, London SW3 6PP
Brasserie Gustave has a range of Christmas menus priced from £39pp all of which throw caution to the wind, calorifically speaking. there's foie gras terrine with fig chutney and toasted brioche, Venison steak with a chestnut polenta, green cabbage and red wine sauce, and Roasted goose breast with gratin Dauphinois. To book call 020 7352 1712.
Find out more about Brasserie Gustave
BRGR.CO
187 Wardour St, London W1F 8ZB
Soho burger joint BRGR.CO will be offering a winter edition of their signature slider afternoon tea featuring a turkey and bacon slider, hot mulled apple tea, spiced vanilla milkshake, warm mince pies and chestnut cheesecake. Best of all it's just £17pp.
Lyle's
Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ
You can expect Lyles chef James Lowe to do have a different take on the usual festive fare - their set lunch menu will include dishes like turkey broth & brussel sprouts; smoked herring, potatoes & chestnuts; mallard, beetroot & elderberries and chocolate, caramel & raw milk ice. To book email freddie@lyleslondon.com.
Trullo
300-302 Saint Paul's Road, London N1 2LH
Islington restaurant Trullo has two turkey free Christmas menus at £30 and £40 a head and to be frank they has us at Shallot fritti with gorgonzola fonduta. That said the Roast cod with braised Florence fennel, brown shrimp and salsa verde or slow roast lamb shoulder with soft polenta, cavolo nero and anchovy and chilli dressing sound pretty good too.
Rotunda
Kings Place, 90 York Way, Greater London N1 9AG
Really getting into the Christmas spirit is Rotunda in King's Cross who have decked out their entire restaurant (and private dining room) like a Christmas toy shop. The three course Christmas lunch is £38.50 and party platters are available too from £15 a head and the private dining menu is £40 a head.
Pizarro
194 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ
Another way to avoid the turkey is to head to Spanish restaurant Pizarro which sees them putting on three menus at £37.50, £40 and £50 a head. The menus include chacuterie platters (inc jamon Iberico, of course), hake ”à la plancha”, slow cooked pork rib, rib eye steak with Idiazabal sauce, Gressingham duck breast with sweet potato mash and more. But if you really want to try something special, then the suckling pigs - at half for £130 and a whole for £250 including veg - are clearly the way to go.
Rabbit
172 Kings Road, London SW3 4UP
Newly-opened Chelsea restaurant, Rabbit wants you to kick things off with a Christmas Martini, made with Sipsmith vodka steeped in Christmas spices followed by Partridge In A Pear Tree, a dish of partridge with pear and dropped pasta. And - fighting talk - they claim to be serving London’s Number One Mince Pie - using the Gladwin brother’s very own grandmother’s recipe. The mince is flavoured with several ingredients including apple brandy and veal suet.
This isn’t a finite list – we’ll be adding to it in the run up to Christmas as and when we hear about interesting ‘different’ menus. If you know of something you think should be here – tell us about it.
