When to Eat at London’s Essential Restaurants Over Christmas

Eating on Christmas Day in London normally means linen napkins, silverware, truffles, champagne, and pound signs. One notable exception is Christmas lahmacun on Green Lanes — there are others. If ritzy hotel dinners and north London rites of passage are not the vibe this year, then consider this: the festive period’s perpetual drowsiness, inspiration of misty, frost-kissed walks, and signal for Londoners to depart to familial obligations around the country leave a relative vacuum in the city’s most lauded restaurants.

If there’s a table that proved elusive for the duration of 2018, or a dish that’s been blowing up Instagram — or, more hopefully, the palates of trusted friends — this is the time to make the booking, arrange the walk-in, or, well, queue. Here are London’s 38 essential restaurants and their festive opening times, to assist in the glorious gazumping that can only happen for a few days a year — and to avoid any frustrations when rocking up unannounced. Diaries out, group chat at the ready: go.

This guide covers 23 December 2018 — 2 January 2019 inclusive, unless otherwise stated.

The Essentials

Xi’an Impression
Closed 25 December — 26 December

P Franco
Open 24 December 12 — 5pm, drinks only
Closed 25 December — 29 December
Open 30 December — 31 December, drinks only
Closed 1 January — 2 January

Mangal 2
Closed 25 December
Closed 1 January

Black Axe Mangal
Closed 23 December — 2 January

The Laughing Heart
Closed 23 December — 2 January, open New Year’s Eve with set menu “super late”

Marksman
Closed 25 December (open 12 — 3pm)
Closed 26 December — 30 December

Brawn
Closed 23 December — 4 January; 23 December will also be the last-ever Sunday lunch.

The Clove Club
Closed 23 December — 6 January

Moro
Closed 23 December — 1 January

Quality Chop House
Closed 23 December — 1 January

Lyle’s
Closed from dinner 22 December — 7 January

Honey and Co
Closed 24 December — 26 December
Closed 31 January

Sushi Tetsu
Closed 23 December — 14 January

Otto’s
Closed 23 December — 8 January

Noble Rot
Closed 23 December — 26 December, and 1 January

St John Bread and Wine
Breakfast and lunch 24 December
Closed 25 December — 26 December
Breakfast and lunch 31 December
Lunch and dinner 1 December

Quo Vadis
Closed 24 December — 26 December
Closed 30 December — 1 January

Koya Soho
Closed 25 December
Closed 1 January

Kiln
Closed 25 — 26 December

Gymkhana
Closed 23 — 26 December
Closed 1 — 2 January

Santa Maria Pizza Ealing
Closed 24 December — 25 December
31 December — last order 5pm
Closed 1 January

Padella Pasta
Closed 24 — 26 December
Lunch only 31 January
Closed 1 January

40 Maltby Street
Closed 23 December — 4 January

Bibendum
Closed 23 December — 26 December
Closed 1 January — 14 January

A. Wong
Closed 23 December — 2 January

The River Café
Closed 24 December — 2 January

Westerns Laundry
Closed 24 December — 28 December
Closed 1 January — 2 January

Oklava
Closed 24 December — 26 December
Closed 30 December — 2 January

Spring
Closed 22 December — 31 December

Etles
Closed 30 December — 8 January

Locanda Locatelli
Closed 24 December — 26 December
Closed 1 January

Core
Closed 24 December — 30 December
Closed 1 January

Ikoyi
Closed 23 December — 3 January

Singburi
Closed until March 2019 owing to unforeseen circumstances

Brat
Closed 25 December — 26 December
Closed 1 January

Bao Fitzrovia
Closed 24 December — 26 December
Ticketed event 31 December
Closed 1 January — 2 January

Sabor
Closed 24 December — 2 January