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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Christmas lunch out - worth it?

27 replies

GreatWesternValkyrie · 20/09/2018 20:23

I’m debating an extremely lazy Christmas by booking a Christmas Day lunch at a restaurant. I’ve never done this before.

In my head, I’m imagining it’ll be a warm cosy place, lovely fire and decorations, unhurried and totally relaxing, I’ll be glamorous all day and not catch a glimpse of an oven. However, my inner cynic is a bit goady and says it’ll be noisy, rushed, mass catered and on a group table from hell like the worst wedding ever i.e.totally not the glorious experience that I’m dreaming up!

Wondering if others have done this? Christmas cheer or yucky Yule?

OP posts:

cushioncovers · 20/09/2018 20:25

Never done it myself but I would pick your venue carefully.

CoperCabana · 20/09/2018 20:25

I have done it twice. Definitely enjoyed it. But in not having to do any meal prep or washing up, maybe something is lost? Post meal was a teeny bit flat (and no turkey leftovers for supper was an issue!)

nervousseacreature · 20/09/2018 20:26

I’ve been out for Christmas dinner on the day (but at 5pm) with another single friend. We both had to work the next day so went to a hotel. The food was lovely and good night to have to cook/clear up.

Don’t think I’d want to do it with my family now though (now have dh plus 2 under 18 months). It wasn’t hugely festive feeling

Mamabearx4 · 20/09/2018 20:29

Had some great meals out and some terrible ones.
Even one at jimmy spices.
Cosy feel your best bet is to go somewhere small and local.
Also eat later in the day its much quieter. Staff in happier moods as shift ending soon. And you'll be stuffed late so wont need to have the leftovers for supper.

Redtartanshoes · 20/09/2018 20:30

Did it a couple of years ago at very posh place: £110 each, £50 for 7 year old ds.

Food was lovely, but not plate piled high stuff you would have at home, nice meal though, but quite formal and expensive. Was a big sad not to have a fridge full of left overs and also to be able to slob around in Xmas pjs

Would probably do again though. You have to pick your place carefully. A lot of restaurants serve cold starters/soup and re heated main cold/microwave deserts as it means they don’t have to have a proper chef in and have to pay £££ for their wages. Stuff made day before and reheated

millmoo · 20/09/2018 20:30

Done it twice -never again !
You don’t have any leftovers to eat for the next 3 days 😀
So you seem to spend twice as much as you pay for your Xmas meal out which isn’t cheap but then have to go shopping on top for nibbly bits ...

PlugUgly1980 · 20/09/2018 20:31

We've done this the last 2 years! Best decision we made. We go to a local village pub (a Marstons chain) so nothing too posh, but still nice and a lovely welcoming, family atmosphere for two little ones (2 under 5's this year). Works great because we both can spend all morning playing with toys etc. No panic buying Christmas food or supermarket chaos as we go to family on Boxing Day too, so I just buy us some nice Xmas chocs/biscuits and then a selection of cold meats, cheese, etc to stick on the table later in the day. Very low maintenance. It's lovely because once lunch is finished there's no washing up...we go for a little walk round the village and in previous years the kids have had a nap and we've just chilled out for an hour or so. We don't eat out often, so for us it's a real treat and had now become our tradition. I've already booked us in for this Xmas.

letsdolunch321 · 20/09/2018 20:32

This is our 2nd year of doing it.

DD felt I was more relaxed not having all the faffing around. We ate st 3.30 a later seating which was fine.

Would recommend it for a stress free day.

Original poster

GreatWesternValkyrie · 20/09/2018 20:46

Thanks for the replies - helpful to see some pros and cons from others as I’m very undecided at the moment!

OP posts:

Fstar · 20/09/2018 20:48

Yes a few times to an indian restaurant (we prefer it to traditional). Was pretty funny one year as all the waiters were drunk, some smashing of plates in the kitchen, was quite entertaining to watch

Oblomov18 · 20/09/2018 20:56

I would but I don't know anywhere local that does it well enough.

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 20/09/2018 21:35

We did it once fourteen years ago. We had been to the pub for meals a few times and loved it. The staff were lovely and had been so nice - on one occasion our youngest who would have been 18 months old was poorly and caring for her meant my husband was unable to eat. They wrapped up his plate and told us to take it home with us and bring it back next time we were passing. They were also happy for us to bring a sandwich for our 4 yr old as he wouldn't eat a proper meal.

We had enjoyed every meal there and thought Christmas dinner would be great.

Unfortunately although the food was as enjoyable as expected there was no atmosphere, no entertainment, not even Christmas music on the sound system. Seated across from us was a young couple who didn't look up from their plates all afternoon and there was another table full of rowdy drunk couples including two older women who harassed the young waiter and were horrendously rude to him.

None of this was the fault of the restaurant of course but it did mean that it wasn't really a successful meal!

SimplyPut · 21/09/2018 08:39

I have never gone out for Christmas dinner as I worked serving one aged 17 and spent the entire afternoon wondering why these people had paid £60 a head (20yrs ago!) for such a rotten day.

Local hotel, usually great food. Tables packed in party night style and filled with various groups. All food cooked Christmas Eve or the 23rd and warmed back up.
Staff mostly grumpy as even when employed 6hrs a week it was 'be there or don't come back'.
Cheap crackers and no entertainment.
Rushed as everyone wanted home so no welcoming drinks by the fire, post meal relaxing.

It has definitely put me off!

MamaHechtick · 21/09/2018 08:50

We did once with dh's entire family. I'd never eaten out at Christmas before. I didn't enjoy it, it was busy, it didn't feel like Christmas at all and I didn't think it was worth the money.

Todamhottoday · 21/09/2018 08:55

Only did it once and hated it.

Im rather particular with table settings etc. and take a lot of time making the table looking its best. However the place we went to (not my choosing but had been before and it was fine) no table cloth, paper napkins, overflowing plates of mush, sour-faced staff who clearly did not want to be there, cheap cracker one each, cheap decorations, no festive atmosphere. Dreadful, but 2 others in our party really liked it

But my MIL does it all the time, god knows why all she ever does is complain and last year at a very expensive lunch in a hotel, it was so bad she got a full £250 refund. But she hates cooking Christmas lunch so will be out again this year.

But what I would say is you dont know until you try it, just be careful where you choose, then you can make up your own mind

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 21/09/2018 09:01

Not the same but I have ordered takeaway for Christmas dinner before. That worked very well and we still had leftovers so that might be worth considering? Plus I could still wear my pjs on the day.

FinallyHere · 21/09/2018 09:10

We have been doing this for years. As PPs have pointed out, the trick is to find a venue that suits you, and book early, the best places are probably full by now.

Bonus points if it's walking distance from home.

And a good idea to have some interesting things in the 'fridge to make up for no left overs. If i happen to be out and about on Christmas eve., I would pop into a supermarket (hear me out). My idea of hell with two loaded trolleys and the children overexcited. As an adult, not needing to buy anything, I love the experience.

HemanOrSheRa · 21/09/2018 09:12

I want to go out for Christmas dinner this year. In fact I announced it on Christmas night at about 9pm . We did it a few years ago - I enjoyed it, DP is easygoing so not fussed on way or t'other, DS (who was about 8 at the time) hated it! He preferred mummy's christmas dinner .

I'm thinking we could going out Christmas day and then cooking up a tray of m&s roasties, pigs in blankets, stuffing and a small turkey breast joint on boxing day for picking at and making sandwiches. We host DP's family on Christmas eve so always have bits leftover from that and frankly, by Christmas night I've had a guts full of it all!

FabulouslyFab · 21/09/2018 09:18

We do it - 13 of us ( inc 3 children) It means we can all eat together Christmas Day (nobody has enough space for us all round a table at home) and walk home afterwards. Its a little on the pricey side but it’s only once a year!

paddlingwhenIshouldbeworking · 21/09/2018 10:05

The thing I missed was not being able to pile you plate up with your favourites. It was beautifully cooked but had 2 small roast potatoes, 2 pigs in blankets, 2 different stuffing balls, a fixed amount of turkey, 2 carrots, 2 parsnips. All delicious but the joy of Christmas dinner is having it all laid out in front of you and tucking back into your favourites!

NorthLondonGirl · 21/09/2018 10:12

Where do you live? I've done it a lot as work in hospitality so often work Christmas Day then go out for my own meal, it can be an overpriced disappointment or a really great experience. I can point in the direction of a couple of places that are absolutely worth it if you're in London.

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 21/09/2018 10:22

We did it a couple of years ago at a local carvery, which was nice in that you could still choose your sides / pile your plate if you wanted. Also the young wait staff had been promised New Years off if they worked Christmas so didn’t mind being there!

Newkitchenideas1 · 21/09/2018 13:50

We go out every year and love it, wouldnt go back to cooking at home again.
Its lovely to get up in the morning have a chilled breakfast, open presents and get ready to go out for lunch around 1...nice glass of fizz on arrival followed by a lovely lunch and pud then home for more presents as typically we meet my parents for lunch then they come back to ours. We have only once cooked in the evening as other than that one time we havent needed anymore food! We have all been stuffed.
We try a new place every year, they havent all been perfect but the majority have.

We have done a country pub with log fire, lights,trees etc and it was so lovely we all really enjoyed it. We have only felt rushed in one place which is a large chain so if your going to do it find a nice local pub and book quick. We have already booked and paid a deposit for this year and they get booked quick.

We like not having to spend all morning prepping and being in the kitchen and buying all the food etc

Mrsfussypants1 · 22/09/2018 10:47

Once. We thought we'd give it a try and didn't have high hopes for either food or atmosphere. But it was lovely, they purposely under booked so we didn't feel as if we were sharing someone else's Christmas, food was perfect and I'm still trying to recreate that salted caramel dessert years later. Staff were so jolly and really made the day, most of them were young and like another post were having new year of and the girl serving our table had made a lot in tips and was excited to go to sales next day. Unfortunately they never put Christmas day on again.

This year we've booked to go out for lunch Christmas day again. I'm just not going to put myself through all stress. I'll be working a lot in run up, and I'm down to finish my shift at 12pm on the day itself. Had two options close by, 1 with roaring fire and alacarte menu, the other a chain with carvery and kids play area. With a 2 year old granddaughter I chose the latter and told everyone I had booked it. So we are having lunch at 3pm ( it will be old and cold by then and nothing to special) and I've chosen table in the family area ( loud ). To be honest grown ups coming aren't bothered where we eat, even my my food snob husband. I'm just excited to be spending Christmas with our granddaughter as they spent last year with other grandparents and we take turns and I so love Christmas. Im looking forward to no hassle and family time and i wilk take a trip to M&S to get some special tea time food for later on

ChristmasIsMyFavourite · 23/09/2018 08:27

My dcs have asked if we could go out for Japanese this year. If the restaurant near us is open (we can walk) we will.

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