Going out for Christmas Day dinner

[MsMiaWallace]

I know it's early but yesterday I noticed a menu in a carvery to Book for Christmas dinner.

It got me thinking & I think I'd actually quite like it. Yes it's expensive but no stress etc.

Does anyone else just eat out for Christmas Day dinner?
Do you recommend?

Yep for over ten years now.
It's great....
Do book early, it's mighty popular...

Do you go to a chain restaurant?

We did it once and absolutely hated it.

It was a decent restaurant normally, but the meal wasn’t great, it was expensive, the staff were (understandably) not chuffed to be there and it was just a big faff on Christmas Day, we ALL decided we MUCH preferred being at home. Never again.

I really felt awful about the staff too and even if we had enjoyed it, I wouldn’t do it again, because I don’t want to be part of the ‘demand’ that keeps people away from their friends and family on Christmas Day. Ok so not all of them celebrate Christmas or are bothered about working it, but I don’t want to contribute to creating a demand on rolls who don’t get any choice. It’s bad enough emergency workers, hospital staff etc have to work...but restaurants. No.

Often the Carvery but sometimes independents. It is quite expensive unsurprisingly but the staff get triple pay so that is mostly why. There's always a lovely atmosphere.

We did it a couple of years ago.
It was £75 each (adults) £25 (kids).
We went to a local foodie pub and have to say the food was amazing. I was very pleasantly surprised. I have seen the bog standard cheap eat pubs charging £50/head so think we got a really good deal.

We’ve done it a couple of times and it was lovely - great food and felt very festive getting dressed up and going out.

But my goodness, it was expensive! And no leftovers 😞

We did it when I was 8.5 months pregnant and it was bloody brilliant! I didn't want to travel far as had some complications and our house was way too small for a large group of adults and excitable children, cats and dogs. It was expensive but worth it. The food was good and staff were lovely too; nice family atmosphere and tolerant of little kids needing to zip about in the garden between courses.

We were there for a good couple of hours I think. It was a nice pub which felt very Christmassy - we booked early, thankfully, so were able to request sitting inside rather than in a marquee.

We decorated our house too, and had everyone over to open presents beforehand and for coffee and mince pies afterwards. It helped that the whole family is very easygoing and no one got stroppy because things weren't done 'the right way'!

We had various doggy bags of food to take away but no actual roast leftovers for Boxing Day lunch etc - that is the only downside I can remember. Otherwise I'd definitely recommend it!

We did it the year before last. It was in an independent hotel and we stayed there Christmas day night. It was expensive of course - £85 per adult, half price for children but it was really lovely. They did a really nice Christmas cocktail for the adults and a special chocolate milk for the children with strawberry laces tied in a bow on the milk bottle and a little gingerbread man on the top. The table was decorated beautifully and the meal was nice (obvs not as good as my home-cooked dinner!) and we weren't rushed atall. There was a guy singing Christmas songs and playing guitar in the background. There were crackers and little gifts on the table and the children were given a Christmas present. We then spent the rest of the afternoon opening presents in the hotel lounge, had a rest im our room and then a few drinks in the bar in the evening.

A few years ago we had Christmas dinner in a restaurant and it was awful. Food was not good, staff were miserable and it felt rushed and souless. I swore I'd never do Christmas day out again after that but glad we gave it another try. I still think I prefer to chill at home, though.

We had extended family visiting from overseas one year so booked a table for 12ish people at a local hotel. It was expensive, but worth it, as we weren’t all crammed into one house with people fighting for space. Nice starters and range of puddings and it wasn’t rushed. Was handy in that situation.

There was an Xmas where it was just me, DH and DS so we did a local carvery kind of place. £50 or so for the adults and it was a bit of a letdown. It felt like going out for any Sunday lunch but with a few extras like pigs in blankets. Plus, it was a bit weird not having leftover turkey on Xmas evening! I wish I’d just bought an M&S feast for the same price and done a bung it in the oven type dinner instead.

I did it in the uk once and it was rubbish. Done it for 3 years in the uae and have loved it. Depends what you are expecting really.
The uk one we were supposed to get coffee and mince pies but they rushed us and had the next sitting standing there tutting at us to hurry up. Not my fault we had just had dessert!

For the sake of the staff don’t. They’re generally young, paid peanuts normally (yes they get more ok Christmas Day, but would you accept only double wages for not seeing your family 10am-6pm?) and they will likely get the sack if they don’t come in. Might mike your christmas a bit easier but you’re contributing to making someone else’s miserable

Done it once years ago and hated it, staff miserable, felt rushed, no festive joy, poor food in a restaurant that was usually good. Im quite particular about table setting, and was rather hacked off with no table cloth and paper napkins, oh the horror!

My in laws do it and all they do is complain each year, so try somewhere else then complain again. Last years in a large hotel at £125 each was a total disaster, so much so they got a full refund.

I'm always sad anywhere is open Christmas day. I feel awful for staff who have to work and be away from loved ones. I wouldnt do it personally.

We do it every other year. There’s a big gang of us and it’s always been a fabulous atmosphere and very festive. It needs booking ridiculously early though, by mid August it’s always full.

Off-topic slightly, I've never eaten out for Christmas, but i have worked several Christmas lunches in a restaurant when i was at school/university. I always really enjoyed It. Everyone was in a good mood, we were paid double and we nearly always got very good tips. There was only one sitting, so we would be home by 5 ish, when my parents would have our Christmas meal ready. They would do the dog walk/games whilst waiting for me. Obviously we would all have preferred me ti be at home, but It was always a fun shift to work. But then, i didnt have young children at home, which may obviously have made a difference.

We did it once, when we were visiting my DGM, she was too old to cook, but weird about people in her kitchen. We had an OK Christmas dinner in a pub.

We tend to have our Christmas meal out on Christmas Eve. It's cheaper than the Christmas Day option and then the kids get to stay in their pyjamas all day on Christmas Day and can graze on chocolate and Christmas treats without spoiling their appetite for a big meal. It works well for us.

MVLipwig

My nieces and nephews have done various jobs over Xmas, including waiting tables and were happy to do it.

Don't assume they don't want to.

I have known a lot of people working in hospitals / care settings who choose to work Xmas day.

We're trying it this year for the first time as last year was awful. I end up spending all morning in the kitchen and don't get to see the kids playing with their toys. The house is a mess off toys and wrapping paper and then you get all the food mess as well. I can't wait!

Although I'll be sad on boxing day when I have no leftovers I'm sure.

Once and never again. Dire service, dire food (at a usually amazing pub). Spent close to £200!

Would rather have stayed at home and ordered Chinese.

It's a 'no' from me, did it once years ago with parents.........home is best

Christmas without leftovers 😭

That said I would definitely do it on a rotation.

Have done it only once, when staying with friends where the bloke was insistent that it would save me and his wife (!) all the bother of cooking. In fact I actually LIKE cooking Christmas dinner, and would much have preferred to cook than pay an awful lot of money for a meal that frankly wasn't as nice as what I'd have made at home.,

And no lovely leftovers to pick at/eat up for the next couple of days! Apart from the usually ruinous cost of an often inferior meal, that's the best reason for avoiding Christmas dinner out IMO.

Each to their own, though - I know some people just CBA to cook and don't want leftovers anyway.

We are going to our local Lebanese restaurant about 4 pm..there are just the 2 of us as dcs be elsewhere.
So lazy morning, gifts, champagne, then dinner.
I never do a traditional Xmas dinner Anyway and we always go out Xmas Eve and Boxing day to eat. No supermarket hassles for me.

Triple wages? having worked in the hospitality industry for years the most I've ever got is time and a half on Christmas day and when your wages are minimum wage (some of my colleagues earn just over £5 an hour) double or even triple time isn't anywhere near worth it