A Different Kind of Christmas
- Yvette Thomson
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
Non-traditional festive feasting across London
by Yvette Thomson
For those who'd rather swap sage & onion for spice, smoke, fire and soy, London’s festive dining scene is delivering serious alternatives this season. From lobster noodles to wagyu grills, these are the tables rewriting the rules of Christmas lunch and doing it with confidence.
Namaste Village
Twickenham and OMNOM Islington
Christmas arrives in full colour at Namaste, where festive menus lean into nostalgic Indian home cooking with serious seasonal flair. The 5-course option at £35.95 feels like a gift: think Galawati kebabs, spiced pumpkin and carrot soup, a Christmas masala dosa, red velvet naans and carrot halwa with brandy butter. It's comforting, generous and quietly brilliant for anyone opting out of meat without sacrificing indulgence.
Doughnation
Covent Garden
For those who believe Christmas should involve gravy at all times, Doughnation’s Turkey Cranberry Feast pizza is the festive crossover you didn't know you needed. Turkey, chipolata, cranberry and rocket arrive on their signature soft base with a side of thick gravy for dipping. Add the Jingle Bell Spritz pitcher and suddenly December plans look very productive indeed. There's also a bottomless option for the brave.
Chook Chook
Putney
Chook Chook keeps things properly cosy with a Christmas menu built for sharing. At £40 per person, you get a full run of starter, main, sides and dessert with showstoppers like curry leaf prawns, duck vindaloo and pistachio kulfi. The festive cocktails seal the deal. The cranberry margarita alone could become tradition.
Noodle and Beer
Chinatown and Spitalfields
If you want your Christmas feast with a side of drama, Noodle and Beer’s lobster special delivers. A whole 1.1kg lobster arrives swimming in house sauce with blanket noodles and a festive gold shimmer, designed for groups of up to four. Pair it with their cult cocktails and end on sticky rice cakes. This is unapologetically fun Christmas dining.
Xi Home Dumplings Bay
East London
Xi Home’s festive specials feel deeply personal, rooted in founder Wenjun’s Northeastern childhood kitchen. Expect fried radish balls, prawn and fish roe wontons in chilli oil, clay pot braised beef short ribs with tomato and cabbage, and osmanthus pear for dessert. It is winter comfort food with real soul, and exactly the kind of cooking that makes December feel human again.
KIBOU
Battersea
KIBOU trades turkey for toro with stylish confidence. Their festive sharing menus start at £35 per person, while the Tokyo Menu goes all in with wagyu and yuzu miso salmon at £75. There are also made to order sushi and bao platters for at home celebrations that deserve better than supermarket party food.
Farzi
Haymarket
Farzi’s Taste of Farzi festive menu brings pure theatre to Christmas dining. Duck khurchan cornetto, lobster seekh kebab, grilled halibut with shrimp chutney and rich mutton kosha mangsho all sit comfortably on a menu that refuses to behave. Add the Xmas brownie with grilled marshmallow and suddenly pudding feels exciting again.
Roketsu
Marylebone
For those who want Christmas with quiet precision and deep luxury, Roketsu’s six course festive menu is one of the most refined in the city. Yellowtail yuzu, foie gras miso monaka, crab chawanmushi, seasonal tempura and wagyu from the grill if you are feeling decadent. Pair with sake or wine and let someone else do all the thinking.
KOKUM
East Dulwich
KOKUM’s Christmas feast is bold, flavour driven and generous. Crab tikki, achari turkey tikka, ossobuco laal maas and saffron kulfi bring serious energy to the traditional format. The cocktail list leans playful too, with names like The Grinch and Santa’s Nightcap doing exactly what they promise.
HUŌ
Belsize Village
HUŌ offers an elegant Asian alternative for those wanting to trade roast potatoes for jasmine rice. Peppercorn prawns, Thai green curry, sweet and sour chicken, seabass with ginger and a dessert spread of yuzu cheesecake and mochi keep things celebratory without feeling heavy. It is a proper feast built for sharing and lingering.
This year, Christmas doesn't need to look the same on every plate. These kitchens prove that tradition is optional, flavour is not.
Enjoyed A Different Kind of Christmas? Follow @banglemag on Instagram for the latest updates.
Comments