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Original poster

Restaurant meal on Christmas Day - yay or nay?

53 replies

ACatsNoHelpWithThat · 29/10/2018 11:39

DH and I will be by ourselves this Christmas Day. Neither of us have ever been out for Christmas dinner but were thinking of giving it a go this year. Obviously it will depend on the pub/restaurant itself but in general is going out for Christmas dinner worth the (understandably) inflated prices or is it likely to be a massive disappointment?

Basically we'd both like a day off cooking (we'll be doing the full works for DH's kids on Boxing Day) but don't want a takeaway etc.

OP posts:
anniehm · 29/10/2018 11:43

I know people who choose it and say it's great - choose somewhere you can walk to unless you plan on driving as taxis are really hard to find, and accept that's there's a premium to pay, I would also feel that I should tip the staff well on top. Our local restaurant is offering 60 covers maximum arrival between 12.30&1, including fizz on arrival, 3 courses, 1/2 bottle of wine and coffee and mince pies for £50/head which I was actually tempted by, however I will cook as have pesky vegan types plus a fussy father.

carrie74 · 29/10/2018 12:05

I've eaten out on Xmas Day once. Never again. I didn't really want to be celebrating my day with a roomful of strangers, I felt really bad for the staff having to work, the food wasn't as good as we could have made at home, you can't choose to have more of one thing and less of another. Also you're bound by the restaurant"s timings (there's so much food, at home you can spread it out throughout the day).

Since you're doing the full shebang on B Day, could you not just have a nice other type of meal at home (so say nice meal deals from M&S or similar, or posh picky food), so you don't ha e to properly cook, but you're still celebrating at home, and can do it in your own time.

BarbaraofSevillle · 29/10/2018 12:11

I wouldn't do it on Christmas Day, because the expense just isn't worth it for me. You might not be able to get in anywhere now anyway.

As Christmas Day is on a Tuesday this year, if I wanted to go out for a meal I'd do it over the weekend or on Christmas Eve (if you want a roast, you'll get carvery anywhere, or served roast many places on the Sunday) and then on Christmas Day, I'd have a nice home made brunch and then nice nibbles, ham and maybe trifle to graze on from mid afternoon onwards.

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formerbabe · 29/10/2018 12:24

We did it one year...it's lovely not having to cook and clean up! If it's just two if you, I'd definitely do it....it's nice to be out for part of the day.

Only downside is no leftovers !

Sexnotgender · 29/10/2018 12:27

No. It’ll be overpriced and soulless.

Amber0685 · 29/10/2018 12:28

We do it (no family over here) and it has always been great. Book now good places get filled up very fast.

Titsywoo · 29/10/2018 12:30

I did it loads when I was younger due to my Dad job. It was always very posh hotel restaurants and I loved it personally. I'd do it again if it were just DH and I although not Harvester or something - a really nice place is usually worth it plus no washing up!

Openup41 · 29/10/2018 12:33

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at poster's request.

greendale17 · 29/10/2018 12:38

No- I don’t like the fact people have to work Christmas day

Penguinsetpandas · 29/10/2018 12:39

We did it once from a holiday cottage, lovely meal, lovely place and enjoyed it but was considerably more for same meal a different day, understandably. Depends how much money means to you and what could do with it instead.

palindromeam · 29/10/2018 12:50

If you're doing the full works for DH's children the next day and don't want the same two days running have you thought about sit in Indian?

A couple open near here and are much more reasonable than anywhere serving traditionally Christmas food.

Just a thought.

Original poster
ACatsNoHelpWithThat · 29/10/2018 13:31

My DSCs are vegetarian so although we'll be doing a full roast with trimmings there won't be any of the things we look forward to like turkey or pigs in blankets or goose fat potatoes. We've recently moved house and the oven is way too small to do turkey etc for me and DH even if we cook it ahead and reheat.

I quite like the idea of going out on the Sunday and grazing on stuff on Christmas Day. Might do that if everywhere's booked up for Christmas Day. Unfortunately can't book for another week or so until the DC's mum confirms her work shifts for definite, although we're 95% sure we'll have DCs on Boxing Day we wouldn't want to lose our deposit.

OP posts:
Dontgiveamonkeys1350 · 29/10/2018 14:12

If it was just myself and my dog I would fully be having pizza with all the trimmings garlic bread etc ... then ice cream for pudding. I don’t eat food like that so it would be amazing. Sat in my pjs in front of the tv watching Xmas films.

Ahhhhhhhhhh. That sounds amazing. I won’t be doing this as I have a son and my sister always comes. But I can dream.

I worked one Xmas day as a waitress. Every person who was there was rude to me. Food wasn’t what they expected. Children were moaning as all they wanted to do was go home. Not fun. I would never do it

Dontgiveamonkeys1350 · 29/10/2018 14:12

Not my dog. My husband 😂

ilovepixie · 29/10/2018 14:16

Not my dog. My husband

Christmas sounds lovely with just me and the dog 😂😂

Penguinsetpandas · 29/10/2018 14:24

😂 Just had visions of a dog eating pizza and ice cream happily watching Xmas films with you.

Unihorn · 29/10/2018 14:27

We've started doing this now as there are to many of us in the family to all eat together in one house. We go to nice hotels that do buffets so we can eat as much as we like in our own time. We also try to find places that have father Christmas visiting for the children.

RTFT · 29/10/2018 14:50

We do it every year, it's great. Amazing food and no washing up!

Redyoyo · 29/10/2018 15:03

We're doing it this year with my dm & dsis and family, I've made xmas dinner for in laws for the past few years and they dont appreciate it so this year I'm having a rest.
£55 a head and we are only paying for us and kids, so much cheaper than it costs to feed in laws.

fatpatsthong · 29/10/2018 21:26

I did it when pregnant - had twins born in January so was vast, family all a couple of hours away and I was basically on a watching brief from mid dec onwards so didn't fancy being too far away from hospital. Was just me and dh who wasn't drinking by then either.

It was ok - not really work the money, just a slightly fancier Sunday lunch with crackers. The staff were lovely and only did one service so no rush in your table at all. You just turned up between 12-3 whenever you were ready. I did have to move tables as they put all the twos close together in the little nooks by the fire place and in the corners etc and I didn't fit.....

Worked in a hotel as a waitress on Christmas Day as well - v v boring as most people didn't want much and I couldn't relax for my own Christmas dinner - mum did it early then they all got sloshed whilst I went to work.

mydogisthebest · 30/10/2018 07:30

Personally I would never go out for Christmas Dinner. I don't think you can get a decent roast dinner out. It needs to be cooked fresh. I have tried a few carveries and restaurants (not at Christmas) and have always been disappointed.

If I wanted to eat out I would choose an indian restaurant

Nenic · 30/10/2018 07:42

I’d never do it. I used to work in kitchens and you don’t get a choice about working. I hate how people go on about retail staff needing time with their families but then go on to eat out on the biggest family day of the year without giving a thought to the staff.

Unihorn · 30/10/2018 07:48

I've worked in restaurants all my working life and still go out on Christmas Day, though probably tip more than most. I purposely work in a restaurant that shuts on Christmas Day so I don't have to work. I figure most other hospitality staff could choose to do this too if they really didn't want to work it. Incidentally as a teenager I also got a part time job in a shop that didn't open Christmas or Boxing Day for the same reason.

Joinourclub · 30/10/2018 07:53

If it was just me and DH for Christmas Day, I’d go out to a lovely country pub for lunch followed by a long walk.

And then home for cheese and port and a film.

Biancadelriosback · 30/10/2018 07:57

@unihorn not everyone in hospitality has a choice! Otherwise all the restaurants that open on Xmas day won't have any staff.

I've worked I hospitality my whole life until this year when I got out. I would never go to a shop or restaurant or hotel on Christmas day unless it was an emergency eg sick family member and needing to travel. It's awful working as you see all these happy families and you know that yours is at home. It puts all this extra pressure on your family to fit Christmas around you as well. On the flip side, I did know several people who didn't have families and who liked working Christmas day as it meant they got to be around people!

In response to your actual question, the food often isn't any better than the £30pp Christmas party food they do in the run up to Christmas and it always tastes mass made. I would honestly buy tones of party food and graze all day at home in pjs