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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