In London, Christmas isn’t just a holiday, it’s a whole vibe: a season for reunions, rituals and a touch of extravagance. These are the best festive restaurants in London for 2025.
Whether you want a Sunday lunch in a cosy pub, a romantic winter terrace for two, a lively night out with friends, drinks in what is (no doubt) London’s most festive bar, or even a table for Christmas Day – the capital’s dining destinations are going all out this November and December.
Here are twelve oh-so-festive dining spots we recommend booking this Christmas season, whatever your celebrations call for.
The Berkeley: Après Ski In The Heart Of The City
In partnership with Feast Events, The Berkeley is once again bringing The Alps to Knightsbridge with its immersive rooftop dining experience, Feast Off-Piste. Until 13 January 2026, guests can dine in custom-made ski gondolas surrounded by snow-dusted pines and sparkling lights overlooking Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. After a glass of mulled wine on arrival, groups can settle in for a hearty sharing menu that includes: raclette with charcuterie and pickles, truffle-topped tartiflette, and milk-chocolate fondue with gingerbread s’mores. A cocktail list featuring Laurent-Perrier pours and winter-warmers include the Burnt Marshmallow Mezcalita and Dark Chocolate Old Fashioned. One of the few times of the year that non-hotel guests can access the hotel’s stunning rooftop, this is London’s most luxurious answer to après ski.
Rosewood London: A Dickensian Afternoon Tea
This year, the Rosewood London reimagines Victorian London through a literary lens with its Festive Art Afternoon Tea, inspired by the works of Charles Dickens, the author of perhaps one of the most famous, if not always the cheeriest, of Christmas stories. Served in the Mirror Room, executive pastry chef Mark Perkins continues the hotel’s tradition of storytelling through pastry, crafting a 19th-century-inspired mince pie and buttery shortbread alongside three exquisite cakes that bring Dickens’ tales to life. A Christmas Carol appears as a rich Manjari chocolate creation wrapped in a red scarf of chocolate; Oliver Twist is a bright lemon and raspberry nod to the Queen of Puddings; The Old Curiosity Shop layers spiced gingerbread and caramel with edible gold trinkets. Available throughout the Christmas period, it’s a deliciously theatrical tribute to one of London’s most famous authors.
Miracle at Henrietta: Cocktails And Kitsch
For those who like their Christmas outings on the kitschier side, Miracle at Henrietta delivers the most joyfully over-the-top bar experience in the city. Now in its eighth year, and in a larger space within the Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden, the New York-born pop-up returns with even more tinsel, fairy lights and retro alpine charm, serving cocktails in Santa mugs and snow-globe glasses. Expect festive favourites with a twist, from the Snowball Old Fashioned to the Christmasaurus and the ever-popular Christmapolitan. With bar snacks by Henri at Jackson Boxer, Miracle is unabashedly OTT and guaranteed to raise some seasonal spirit out of even the biggest Scrooge.
Bentley's: For Some Post-Shopping Seafood Indulgence
How better to recover from a hard day of Christmas shopping than with a glass of Champagne and a dozen oysters? A London institution since 1916, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill sits just off Oxford Street, offering the ideal pause for some sparkling refreshment. A generous heated terrace offers up the perfect spot for some Mayfair people watching, whilst the menu, from native oysters to seafood platters, steaks and beyond, proves why Bentley’s remains one of the capital’s most timeless winter treats.
The Red Lion & Sun: Hightail To Highgate For Sunday Lunch
If your idea of an idyllic winter weekend involves a long walk followed by a proper roast, make your way to Highgate. The Red Lion & Sun, recently crowned Best Pub in London at the National Pub & Bar Awards and ranked number six in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs, is the ideal pit stop. Expect roaring fires, the hum of locals, and Sunday roasts that sell-out weekly. Expect dishes like roast rib of beef, porchetta with stuffing, half-roasted chicken and a chestnut-rich vegetarian option, all served with classic sides like roast potatoes, root mash and the essential Yorkshire pudding. And if you can’t make it for Sunday lunch, they are also serving up a festive weekday menu for lunch and dinner throughout the Christmas period.
German Gymnasium: A Wunderbar Stop In King’s Cross
Ideally located for those Christmassy catchups when someone must then dash for the train home, German Gymnasium in King’s Cross is serving up, as the name suggests, a distinctly European take on Yuletide. Housed in a Grade II-listed building, once home to London’s first Olympic Gym, this grand cafe transforms into a slice of Berlin come Christmas. An impressive 20-foot tree glitters beneath the vaulted ceiling, while traditional nutcrackers stand guard over diners below. The menu celebrates classic German winter flavours: goose served in honour of St Martin’s Day, crisp schnitzels, and delicious tortes. With its blend of old-world charm, hearty fare and a dash of Wunderbar magic, it’s the ideal location to raise a glass before heading home for the holidays.
Kapara: Soho’s Sparkling Winter Garden Escape
Cosy winter terraces are plentiful in London this time of year, but Kapara, tucked away in St James’s Court off Soho’s Greek Street, is one to keep on your radar when you need a break from the shopping crowds. The Eastern Mediterranean restaurant has transformed its spacious terrace into a hideaway of silver branches, winter florals and fairy lights, complete with heaters and blankets to keep guests snug well into the evening. Chef patron Eran Tibi’s sharing menus celebrate the season’s finest ingredients with a Middle Eastern twist: dates in blankets wrapped in Parma ham with Rosary goat’s cheese; clementine-cured salmon; carrot hummus with a twisted Jerusalem bagel; all followed by generous roasts for mains. A collaboration with Milk & Honey distillery brings a line-up of warming whisky cocktails, which are served up alongside their excellent wine list.
Ham Yard Hotel x Sapling Spirits: Festive Fire Garden
If you prefer your winter terraces on a rooftop, then Ham Yard Hotel is transforming theirs into The Fire Garden this season – a glowing winter pop-up created in partnership with Sapling Spirits. This year’s theme celebrates warmth, light, and the ritual of gathering around an open fire. Tickets include a welcome drink, an additional cocktail of choice, and DIY s’mores toasted over the flames. Expect inventive serves such as the Marshmallow Blazer, a flaming mix of gin, pistachio syrup and walnut liqueur. The food menu is equally indulgent, from truffle-topped flatbreads to roast scallops, and baked Saint-Marcellin with cider apples. Blankets, hot-water bottles and rooftop views complete the snug escape hidden away above Soho’s December rush.
Bob Bob Ricard: Celebrations With A Side Of Champagne
Bob Bob Ricard with its famous Press for Champagne buttons feels festive all year round, making it a great choice for a celebratory occasion. This year, the Soho and City dining rooms have gone all-out with a line-up of tasty dishes including Jerusalem artichoke velouté with golden truffle croquette, roasted venison loin with chestnut and smoked bacon, and a Christmas-pudding soufflé finished with brandy crème anglaise. Both restaurants will also be open on Christmas Day for the first time, for a celebration in true Bob Bob dazzling style.
BAM Karaoke Box: A Parisian London Musical Mash-Up
Arriving earlier this year from Paris, BAM Karaoke Box has quickly become London’s most stylish spot to sing your heart out and, this season, it’s turning up the sparkle with a Moët & Chandon takeover. Expect a limited-edition cocktail list, a vending machine dispensing mini bottles of Moët, and a terrace takeover. Consultant chef Sabrina Gidda adds her experienced touch to the menu with Parisian-inspired dishes, including the intriguing sounding Ooh La La London Platter that comes crowned with caviar. With 22 private karaoke rooms, two bars, a DJ-ready live stage and 45,000 songs (including every Christmas classic imaginable), BAM brings unapologetic fun to the season. With both Mariah Carey and Christmas Throwback brunches available for booking, BAM is definitely hitting the high note this season.
The Churchill Arms: London’s Most Festive Façade
Few pubs embody London’s Christmas spirit quite like The Churchill Arms. Dating back to the 1750s, this Notting Hill landmark is famous for its exuberant exterior. Each year, its famous Notting Hill façade is draped in more than 20,000 twinkling lights and hundreds of Christmas trees, drawing crowds for the annual switch-on. Inside, the walls are lined with Churchill memorabilia and vintage curiosities, creating a cosy, British charm that draws locals and visitors year after year. Beyond its Instagram-worthy façade, the pub is equally loved for its authentic Thai kitchen, which has been serving fragrant curries, crisp spring rolls and steaming noodle dishes since the 1980s. A visit here will deliver some quintessential London Christmas cheer.
34 Mayfair: Miracle At 34
34 Mayfair is an annual must-visit for its spectacular canopy of thousands of baubles and shimmering lights that adorn the restaurant each Christmas. This year’s display, created in partnership with Silent Pool Gin, transforms the space into a glittering celebration of the season from floor to ceiling. The festive set menu offers refined comfort with their spin on classic starters such as woodland mushroom soup with hazelnut brioche or Black Angus steak tartare with wagyu crumb and truffle dressing. Mains include roasted corn-fed chicken with chestnut stuffing or fillet of seabass with Sicilian red-prawn risotto, followed by decadent desserts fit for the season such as sticky toffee pudding with Baileys ice cream. Winter warmers come courtesy of Silent Pool Gin cocktails; we especially like the sound of The Silent Night, a ruby-red Negroni with coffee and winter spice. It’s a dazzling dining experience in true Mayfair style.
Lead image: 34 Mayfair
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