'Tis The Season To Eat: Top Restaurants To Tuck Into Grand Christmas Feasts

High on taste, the old-Bangaloreans and expats flock to this place for Christmas meals starting the night before for a meal that's traditional, delicious and home-like. You get a platter loaded up with roast turkey (both lean and dark meat) or roast chicken together with stuffing, gravy, mashed potato and boiled veggies. Naturally, you must end with Christmas cake served with cream or ice cream. Or, perhaps, you want to be less traditional and have the world-famous apple pie here. Nothing like a Christmas lunch at this iconic spot! 

Price: INR 1,200++

Must Try: Roasted turkey platter

Zomato Rating: 4/5

At Bangalore's favourite microbrewery and pub, the Christmas menu has been crafted to go perfectly with their beers. Toit has put together seasonal drinks to go with the food and the plum rum sounds like a must-try. The menu features classics with a twist, think roasted turkey and cranberry salad (seared, baked and served with a berry-infused apple, almonds, lettuce, dried cranberries and a tart dressing), winter vegetable parcel, fennel and orange roasted chicken platter and beef wellington. Top it off with plum pudding (baked with alcohol and served with a rum sauce) and cocktails to make it properly merry.

Price: INR 2,000 for two 

Must Try: Cranberry and roasted turkey salad and plum pudding

Zomato Rating: 4.7/5

You can count on Lazy Suzy to pull out all the stops on making it a very Merry Christmas! They have curated a three- and a five-course set menu available on Christmas Eve on Christmas Day (lunch or dinner). Dig into the standout dish, which is the roast turkey (or chicken if you prefer) with pistachio, and bread stuffing with cranberry sauce, gravy, buttered brussels sprouts and orange glazed potatoes. Or pre-order and bring home the roast chicken with giblet gravy, pepper sauce, garlic bread and roast potatoes. For dessert, look no further than the plum pudding served with an indulgent vanilla anglaise, and a roasted almond and caramel ice cream! Say no more, Lazy Suzy, we'll be there! 

Price: INR 1,350 upwards

Must Try: Roast turkey or chicken with pistachio and bread stuffing

Zomato Rating: 4.2/5

Start with salads, building your way to the Christmas-special appetisers and main course menu at The Reservoire between 18 and 28 December. Try the cottage cheese roulade (stuffed cheese in a masala kadai sauce) and pigs in a blanket for starters. For the mains, there's cheesy chicken with creamy polenta, teriyaki grilled fish with udon noodles. You can also request a roasted turkey with cranberry and red wine jus, but do this in advance. End your feast with a chocolate yule log cake, the ginger cake with white chocolate butter cream and the glorious Xmas Pudding with brandy caramel sauce! 

Price: INR 2,000 for two

Must Try: Cottage cheese roulade, pigs in a blanket and their special Xmas Pudding 

Zomato Rating: 4.4/5

Whether you’re in Whitefield or Indiranagar, the casual and green brewery and taproom is bringing out classic Christmas options—some with a twist. Warm yourself up with their herb-roasted pumpkin risotto or the black garlic risotto featuring the catch of the day. Seafood for Christmas? Why not! For purists, there’s the roasted half chicken with an indulgent cranberry and apple stuffing. Of course, dessert is a must and they have a decadent yule log that the whole table can share. They have a few festive cocktails, but everything is best paired with one of their brews. 

Price: INR 2,000 for two 

Must Try: Black garlic risotto, roasted half chicken and yule log

Zomato Rating: 4.2/5

If you're a sucker for a hearty Asian meal, then you must be celebrating Christmas at Shiro's. A melange of salads, be it Thai herb chicken, raw papaya, Indonesian veggie salad or a turkey salad, for those who can't do without, can be enjoyed. Mains feature chicken massaman, prawns in a Hunan basil sauce and a khao suey counter for a warm and comforting bowl (or many!). Noodles, fried rice and a whole bunch of other specially curated Asian dishes feature. If you're at Shiro's, you can't leave without having a cocktail, and their Christmas specials will have you trying them all! To bring sufficient merriment to the celebration, order a couple of eggnog martinis and sparkling figs to go with your grand meal. The Christmas menu is available till 25 December.

Price: INR 3,500 for two 

Must Try: Thai herb chicken salad, prawns in a Hunan basil sauce and eggnog martinis

Zomato Rating: 4/5

This city favourite has brought their A-game to ring in the celebrations this season with a four-course Christmas feast (pub-style) at their St Marks Road and Whitefield Road outlets. The menu progresses from Caesar salad bruschetta and a blue cheese chopped salad to Hard Rock Cafe specialities for the main course—pulled pork sandwich, legendary burger and the mushroom swiss burger and quesadilla burger for vegetarians. For dessert, there's an apt scrumptious holiday brownie topped with caramel and chocolate sauce. Of course, there's drinks, with the Claus' martini being a must-try. The menu is on till 25 December.

Price: INR 1,799++

Must Try: Pulled pork sandwich, legendary burger and their holiday brownie

Zomato Rating: 4.6/5

Sanchez Restaurante and Cantina's season's special winter/Christmas menu is all kinds of Mexicana deliciousness. It's also plenty playful with options like the grilled octopus marinated in Morita for a wonderfully smoky flavour. Vegetarians, freely enjoy the barbeque king oyster mushroom with crispy grilled onions. There’s plenty of mulled wine to pair with these and for something that brings on the warm fuzzies with a kick—the mistletoe margarita. Christmas meals are incomplete without dessert, so don’t forget to order the star churros accompanied by berry coulis and melted dark chocolate.

Price: INR 2,500 for two 

Must Try: Barbeque king oyster mushroom, the mistletoe margarita and churros

Zomato Rating: 4.5/5

One more for the Asian food lovers, warm yourself up with Sriracha’s Cantonese-style claypot dishes. Essentially, these are one-pot meals, half cooked and then roasted in a clay pot to give you that earthy and rich flavour that only traditional cooking methods can give. With all the warmth and coziness that Christmas is associated with, these dishes are available till the end of the month. Order the stir-fry king prawns and white fungus bowl, or the fried bean curd and black fungus bowl. Cut through the rich flavour and channel the festive spirit with their meringue based sriracha pavlova with fresh berries—‘tis the season after all!

Price: INR 1,800 for two 

Must Try: Stir-fry king prawns and white fungus bowl, fried bean curd and black fungus bowl and sriracha pavlova 

Zomato Rating: 4.1/5

It isn't truly Christmas without baked goodies that warm the cockles of your heart. And super popular Magnolia Bakery has not one or two but an entire menu of sweet treats just for your pleasure. Treat yourself to plum cake, loaves, strawberry sour cream loaf, mini double-crust apple pie, jars of cookies and biscotti and Christmas cupcakes. We don't have to stress the deliciousness factor here, you already know it's going to be killer!

Price: INR 300 for one order (approximately)

Must Try: Plum cake, loaves, strawberry sour cream loaf, mini double-crust apple pie

Zomato Rating: 4/5

After the smashing success of last year’s Christmas festivities, Araku is hosting a grazing table and brunch for you, your friends, your family and pretty much anyone you want to invite, on 24 December. The grazing table buffet (from 9 PM to midnight) includes smoked chicken with stock pot rice, fresh mozz and roasted tomato, gingerbread swiss rolls and more! Come Christmas Day, a decadent brunch awaits. Aptly named Sunday noodles, burrata shakshuka, scrambled egg tacos, peanut butter French toast, kimchi flatbread and other experimental food await from 11 AM to 4 PM). But for those who go there before that, their Christmas specials are just as great. Enjoy their banana maple latte, mocha matcha, mulled coffee, Xmas hot chocolate and other special beverages. Their guava kimchi croissant, cascara hemp toast,or sourdough taco with duck mole should do nicely if you’re peckish. 

Price: INR 2,000++ for the Christmas Eve Grazing Table. The brunch and Christmas specials are a la carte.

Must Try: Smoked chicken with stock pot rice, guava kimchi croissant, cascara hemp toast and gingerbread swiss rolls

Zomato Rating: 3.1/5

Head to the Fox In The Field for a Christmas Brunch fit for a king. The menu features Christmas classics like roast turkey and caramelised onion sauce (yum!) and duck breast with spiced plum sauce. The chef has gone above and beyond to accommodate all palates with this buffet spread because you’ll find global and Indian favourites too. Think Thai yellow curry. kung napling pao, couscous cheese galouti, mutton laal maas and more. Pair this with their in-house brews and seasonal cocktails for extra cheer and merriment. Don’t forget to leave before dessert (if you still have room for more that is!) because they have kheer, shahi tukda and Christmas cakes among other things. 

Price: INR 1499++

Must Try: Roast turkey with caramelised onion sauce, duck breast with spiced plum sauce and Christmas cakes

Zomato Rating: 4.2/5

Ordering in this season? We feel you. Chowman is having their Oriental Duck Festival, and you don’t even have to step out of your homes to enjoy it! The star of a whopping 21 dishes is duck meat, common throughout the 12 courses. And slow cooked at that! For extra umami to ward off the chill, the duck meat and mushroom soup or the lemon chilli duck soup is perfect. Whet your appetite with braised duck and exotic veggies. Spice it up with Kolkata style, Mongolian or Thai chilli duck. That ought to make you forget this wet and gloomy winter. Dig right into the main course with their butter chilli garlic duck accompanied with egg noodles (we wouldn’t share this one) or Hunan black pepper roasted duck. You can enjoy these at any of their dine-in outlets or just order on any food-delivery app. 

Price: INR 950 for two 

Must Try: Braised duck and exotic veggies,  Kolkata style or Mongolian or Thai chilli duck and chilli garlic duck with egg noodles

Zomato Rating: 4.5/5

Make your Christmas or Christmas Eve meal a grand affair at Sheraton Grand. On Christmas Eve, enjoy a five-course Christmas menu at Persian Terrace paired with mulled wine and sangria. Plenty of music will keep that Christmas spirit up. Or indulge decadence at Feast with their extensive buffet that includes not just a pie station but also a turkey-carving station! Head to Feast the next day for Christmas brunch with activities (like games for kids, a Christmas-themed cooking workshop tarot readings, carol competitions and more) and live music, so you can truly make the best of the weekend. 

Price: INR 2,750++ upwards

Must Try: Anything from the pie station and the turkey-carving station

Zomato Rating: 4.2/5

Limelight Royal Orchid's Christmas feast will have you stuffed and then some. Apart from indulging in eggnog and mulled wine, they'll have stations for turkey, roast pork, and even a dosa station (best for those who can't do without dosa in the morning, no?). They'll have other traditional Christmas offerings as well as breakfast and brunch staples accompanied by wine, cocktails and champagne. For dessert and entertainment, you can enjoy the 50-foot-long yule log—behold and devour we say! 

Price: INR 2,299 upwards

Must Try: Yule log, roasted turkey or pork, eggnog and mulled wine

Zomato Rating: 3.9/5