Your turn to have the family over for Christmas this year? Instead of having a huge pile of dishes and leftovers that no one will ever be able to finish, have a look at some of our suggestions for where to eat out this Christmas in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.
Where to have Christmas lunch and dinner in Cape Town
The Backyard Grill
A unique experience when it comes to a Christmas Eve dinner. A South African take on the feast with braai meat sold by the kilogram and sides going at R20. Chops, steak, wors and chicken are all on the menu while guests can also buy ready made braai platters. A great way to spend a relaxed Christmas Eve with friends and family.
Price: from R130 per person
Contact: Tel 021 433 1296
Fire and Ice Hotel
The funky dining spot, Fire and Ice takes on a festive tone for an impressive Christmas lunch, serving their specialities as well as dishes such as cucumber and crab claw in teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. A rose water cheesecake brings up the rear of the menu, alongside a butternut and butterscotch pudding. The restaurant requires a 50% deposit when booking.
Price: R320 per person [Fully booked]
Contact: Tel 021 488 2555, www.proteahotels.com
The Atlantic Grill, Table Bay Hotel
Following a traditional menu style, The Atlantic Grill will be serving a selection of starters, featuring soups and canapés. Leg of lamb and walnut and apricot chutney pork loin are among the Christmas roasts, served with smoked aubergine and roast potatoes. A month before the meal, the Christmas is mixed in a special ceremony ensuring a cracker of a cake.
Price: Lunch in the ballroom is from R695 price includes a welcome drink, buffet and entertainment.
Contact: Tel 021 406 5918, www.suninternational.com/table-bay,
email [email protected]
Liberty’s Restaurant, DoubleTree By Hilton Cape Town, Woodstock
Including a welcome drink, the Christmas Day lunch feast at Liberty’s Restaurant will be served buffet-style. With a fresh take on everyday and Christmas favourites the buffet ranges from bruschetta with spicy salami and provolone to salads, not forgetting roast lamb, chicken and glazed gammon. Cheesecakes, meringues and mince pies for dessert.
Price: R400 per person
Contact: Tel 021 404 0570, doubletree3.hilton.com,
email [email protected]
The Meeting Room, Hilton Hotel, Cape Town City Centre
Served at the Signal Hill Terrace, feast on fresh oysters, ostrich carpaccio and mustard glazed roast beef. A buffet is also available, featuring curries, roasts and seafood. The brunch will suit vegetarians, with vegetable lasagne and a make-your-own salad section where guests can design their own salad from fresh ingredients.
Price: Christmas Eve dinner, from R450 per person
Contact: Tel 021 481 3700, www3.hilton.com, or email [email protected]
Rick’s Café Américain, Park Road, Gardens
Rick’s Café Américain, a Casablanca-inspired eatery in central Cape Town will be offering their usual selection of Moroccan, North African and Spanish cuisine along with some festive Christmas specials like slow-roasted duck served with apple-scented red cabbage, pan-fried bohemian dumplings and a dark beer jus. This will be served alongside their a la carte menu. Rick’s advises guests to prepay in order to reserve their place for dinner on Christmas Eve.
Price: R375 per person – closed
Contact: Tel 021 424 1100, www.rickscafe.co.za or email [email protected]
Bombay Brasserie, TAJ Cape Town Wale Street
An Indian take on a traditional Christmas Eve dinner at the Bombay Brasserie. Think Karoo lamb barra kebab, Goan kingklip with prawns and green mango masala, followed by a palate-cleansing sorbet. The experience provides a refreshing change to traditional Christmas celebratory meals. Kids are welcome to join, and there will be a supervised play area for them, with a visit from jolly old St. Nick.
Price: R1150 per person and for children is R550 and children is complimentary for a dinner.
Contact: Tel 021 819 2000, www.tajcapetown.co.za
Mint Restaurant, TAJ Cape Town Wale Street
Also within the TAJ Hotel, Mint Restaurant’s festive Christmas set menu is available, with either two or three courses, featuring West Coast mussels, lamb shoulder, smokey aubergine and asparagus risotto. A la carte and ‘Kids @ Taj’ menu also available.
Price: R795 per adult and R380 for children under 18. Children under 5 is complimentary. Dinner goes for R865 per person for a five-course menu and no children under 12 permitted.
Contact: Tel 021 819 2000, www.tajcapetown.co.za/blog/dining/mint-restaurant
Eat @ Simonsvlei
Offering a three course a la carte menu for grown-ups and a simpler menu for the kids, Simonsvlei provides an idyllic winelands Christmas lunch venue. Each course has three choices and is finished off with tea and coffee. Dishes include a baby marrow, ricotta and Parmesan tart, stuffed turkey wrapped in pancetta and white chocolate tartlets with a berry medley.
Price: R395 per person, kids R180
Contact: Tel 021 863 3040, www.simonsvlei.com/restaurant, or email [email protected]
Where to have Christmas lunch and dinner in Gauteng
Cafe Picobella, 4th Avenue, Melville
Enjoy a relaxed three-course Christmas lunch at Cafe Picobella, a family-run café with a distinct Tuscan feel. The set menu includes smoked salmon and ricotta cakes with lemon butter & creme fraiche, chicken stuffed with almonds, mushrooms & rice, cherry glazed gammon baked in a wood-burning oven and served with broccoli and cauliflower bake, wild mushroom arbario and Italian kisses for dessert. Please note that bookings are only available for the second seating after 14:00.
Price: R390 per person
Contact: Tel 011 482 4309, email [email protected]
Parc Ferme, Maude Street, Sandton
Take on Parc Ferme’s seven-course Christmas Eve dinner, starting with a smoked marlin mousse and traditional glazed ham and carved turkey, culminating in chocolate gateau with honeycomb ice cream. Kids are invited to enjoy a simpler menu with pizza and spaghetti bolognaise.
Price: R495 per person, R120 for kids
Contact: Tel 011 245 4846, www.parcferme.co.za, email [email protected]
Punchinellos Restaurant, Southern Sun, Montecasino
Punchinellos’ Christmas Eve dinner includes antipasti/mezze table buffet, a choice of beef fillet, traditional roast turkey, salmon and a vegetarian potato gnocchi. Berry ice cream with mascarpone and traditional Christmas pudding with black pepper ice-cream to round off a huge festive meal.
Price: R325 per person
Contact: Tel 011 367 4367, www.montecasino.co.za, [email protected]
Luce, Southern Sun Hotel, Hyde Park, Sandton
High up above Hyde Park, Luce is hosting a 6-course taster menu in a luxurious setting. With the same menu as the Christmas Eve dinner, the views of the city in daylight provide a refreshing backdrop for a special time with the family.
Price: R395 per person
Contact: Tel 011 341 8137, www.tsogosunhotels.com, email [email protected]
De Kloof, Waterkloof
De Kloof will be serving the same plated set menu on Christmas Eve for dinner and on Christmas Day, starting with a canape of angelfish ceviche and tempura mussels with a smoked turkey roulade, wrapped in bacon. Following a meaty main course, treat yourself to chocolate pannacotta, fruitcake ice cream and cinnamon candy floss. The meal is rounded off with a gingerbread man.
Price: R495 per person, R175 for kids
Contact: Tel 012 771 8655, www.dekloofrestaurant.co.za email [email protected]
Where to have Christmas lunch and dinner in Durban
Hotel iZulu, Ballito
An enormous selection of extravagant dishes from beef silverside carpaccio with tempura aubergine to Christmas turkey with traditional sage stuffing, Hotel iZulu should appeal to even the most hard-to-impress diners. Puddings include nostalgic Christmas cake with brandy cream and fresh fruit pavlova with ice cream. The lunch begins at noon, giving you plenty of time to nap the afternoon away on the lawn next to the swimming pool.
Price: R550 per person
Contact: Tel 032 946 3444, www.hotelizulu.com, email [email protected]
La Pizza Pazza, Village Road, Durban
An Italian Christmas at La Pizza Pazza spoils diners with antipasti platters, slow-roasted turkey with Italian sausage and stuffing, and a choice of elaborate accompaniments including saffron risotto and zucchini ribbons with basil pesto butter. Italian trifle, classic Christmas fruitcake or a baked cheesecake for dessert.
Price: R295 per person, R145 for kids
Contact: Tel 031 764 0749, www.lapizzapazza.co.za, email [email protected]
The Rainbow Terrace at The Hilton, Durban
Enjoy the ambience of the Rainbow Terrace restaurant with a selection of traditional and exotic salads and starters. A lunch buffet with classic Christmas roasts, curries and fish dishes is accompanied by butternut and other seasonal vegetables, potato wedges, mash and royal rice. A novel take on deserts, the Rainbow Terrace offers a selection of bite-sized deserts, like miniature malva puddings and cakes complemented by a chocolate fountain.
Price: R600 per person
Contact: Tel 031 336 8232, www3.hilton.com, email [email protected]
Hartford House, Mooi River
An hour and a half from Durban, Christmas at Hartford House opens with a stallion show and a traditional Zulu dance before lunch even begins. A set menu with some unusual takes on Christmas fare like grilled fermented porcini mushrooms, hickory-smoked duck and roast lamb with lemon balm, followed up by a selection of baked puddings and local Midlands dairy treats, all at the home of good conversation, fine wine and classic horses.
Price: R810 per person
Contact: Tel 033 263 2713, www.hartford.co.za, email [email protected]
