Brining the turkey and stuffing it in the fridge. Peeling the carrots, potatoes, parsnips and whatever else you’ve got in. Washing the sprouts that no-one wants. Yorkshire puddings or not? Yep, prepping Christmas dinner can be a lot.
There is another way. These lovely places open on Christmas day for those that can’t, won’t or don’t cook. Christmas Day lunch in Leeds made for you? No pots to wash or dishwasher to stack? It can happen – get a load of these Christmas crackers.
The Adelphi
Whether you dine upstairs or down, The Adelphi is a lovely, traditional pub that always opens their kitchen on Christmas Day. Pre-book your taxi or nag someone else to be the designated driver so you can enjoy a five-course Christmas lunch with a couple of pints.
Take your pick of four starters then move on to the traditional turkey. If you’re not a fan, there’s also pan-seared sea trout, blade of beef, duck breast and a veggie wellington, with copious classic sides. Shock horror, there’s no Christmas pudding on the menu, but with sticky toffee pudding, cheeses and a crumble, plus truffles, who’s complaining?
The price: £85 for adults, £38 for kids.
The veggie option: Two veggie starters, plus a root vegetable wellington for main.
Find it: The Adelphi, 1-3 Hunslet Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1JQ.
Weetwood Hall
If it’s a white Christmas, we can’t imagine a more splendid place to do your festive dinner than Weetwood Hall. A Jacobean house with gorgeous grounds and a sprinkling of the white stuff outside? Bliss. Even better when you arrive to be greeted with a glass of champagne and canapés.
The menu reads beautifully, with chicken confit & leek terrine, hot smoked salmon and and more to kick things off. The main event is a roast turkey ballotine with beef dripping fondant and fragrant carrot puree, with butter poached halibut and roast vegetable ballotine also on the menu. For pud, a dark chocolate delice with honeycomb and banana ice cream is mouthwatering.
The price: £125 for adults, £65 for kids under 12 and under 2s eat free.
The veggie option: A roast vegetable ballotine with fondant potato and star anise carrot purree.
Find it: Weetwood Hall, Otley Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 5PS.
The Deer Park
The Deer Park Christmas Day lunch must be one of the most luxurious in Leeds. Opt for the extra special menu and there’ll be a chilled glass of Chapel Down bubbles waiting for you, before you tuck into rustic breads, baked seafood Thermidor or maybe chicken liver & fig parfait with toasted foccacia.
Turkey comes with a moreish chestnut & pork stuffing and all the usual palaver, while there’s also braised blade of beef, pan-roasted halibut, duck breast, 21 day-aged fillet steak, or a delectable root veggie & chestnut roast. There are seven puds to choose from, from a chocolate bomb through to a Christmas pudding with hot brandy sauce. Yes, please.
The price: £105 for adults, £54.95 for kids. The extra special upgrade is £15 per person.
The veggie option: A glazed goats cheese or soup starter, and a sweet potato, butternut & chestnut roast for main.
Find it: The Deer Park, 68 Street Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS8 2DQ.
The Barnbow
If you don’t want to take out a new mortgage in order to have Christmas dinner out in Leeds, The Barnbow is a great choice. Pull a cracker, put on the obligatory hat and then tuck into smoked salmon & prawn duo, caramelised onion tart or a camembert cheese fondue with hot honey sauce to start.
There’s a carvery for main, so you can mix up the turkey with gammon, beef or pork. Pescatarian? A baked salmon fillet comes swimming in a Champagne Thermidor sauce. For afters, there’s a no-nonsense Christmas pud, apple pie or a tempting chocolate & cherry ganache served with lashings of Belgian chocolate sauce.
The price: £57.99 for adults, £28.99 for kids under 12.
The veggie option: Three starters and two mains, including baked vegetable lasagne and mushroom bourguignon suet pudding.
Find it: The Barnbow, Austhorpe Road, Cross Gates, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 8EH.
The Cow & Calf
Wondrous winter views of Ilkley Moor, anyone? The Cow and Calf occupies an enviable spot, and the roaring fire and delicious food make it a popular Christmas Day lunch choice in north Leeds. There are starters both classic – roasted veg soup – and fresh – crispy duck salad – to get you started.
The turkey comes with a Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings, while there’s also 50 day-aged black Angus beef, noisette of lamb and sea bass with crab bonbons on the menu. For afters, it’s going to be hard to choose between the apple & mince pie crumble, sticky toffee Christmas pudding or chocolate trio.
The price: £87.95 for adults, £42.95 for kids.
The veggie option: A couple of starters, but only one main, a parsnip & cranberry flaky pastry parcel.
Find it: The Cow and Calf, Hangingstone Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8BT.
Miller and Carter
You can have turkey at Miller & Carter on Christmas Day, but why go to a steakhouse and not eat steak? The Steak Experience gives you the option of fillet or surf and turf ribeye with sautéed scallops. Add your choice of sauce – the stilton & white port seems seasonal – and you’re laughing.
That’s after you’ve started out with prawn & smoked salmon cocktail, duck liver parfait & ham hock terrine duo or vegetable tart, and before you get to a classic Christmas pudding, salted caramel profiteroles or even a selection of cheeses. You’ll need to loosen your belt a notch.
The price: £99.95 for adults, £47.95 for kids.
The veggie option: You’ve got three starters to choose from, then a butternut squash & chestnut roast main.
Find it: Miller & Carter Steakhouse, 56-58 The Headrow, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 8TL.
Malmaison
The Chez Mal Brasserie inside the Malmaison Hotel feels suitably swanky for a faff-free Christmas Day dinner, and the menu delivers on quality ingredients and big flavours. From the seared beef fillet carpaccio to warm crottin de cavignol, it’s not the kind of thing you’re going to make at home.
The roast turkey breast is present and correct, or there’s dry-aged beef fillet with black truffle and roast sea bass with pumpkin sauce and gnocchi. There’s no Christmas pudding, but with a Valrhona chocolate cremeux, panettone bread & butter pudding, apple crumble trifle or a really well-chosen cheeseboard (complete with quince and chutney), that’s not really a hardship.
The price: £125 for adults, £54.50 for kids, and under 5s eat free.
The veggie option: A choice of two starters followed by creamy lentil stuffed squash for main.
Find it: Malmaison, 1 Swinegate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4AG.
Village Hotel
Both Leeds branches of The Village are opening their doors on Christmas Day, so take your pick of Headingley or Morley and forget all about arduous cooking and cleaning for one sweet day. The menu is yet to be finalised, but you can expect the likes of a classic prawn cocktail for a traditional way to start your meal.
After that, there’ll be turkey and the works, a beef dish to choose from, fish and a veggie option, such as mushroom tortellini. For dessert, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – Christmas pud with brandy sauce is the way to go. Kids can have half portions of what the grown-ups have, or can enjoy their own menu.
The price: £72 for adults, £35 for kids, and under 2s eat free at the Headingley venue. £80 for adults, £40 for kids, and under 2s eat free at the Morley venue. You can save 10% with a 2 adult, 2 child family ticket.
The veggie option: The menu is yet to be finalised, but there’ll be veggie starters and a main, for example, a mushroom tortellini.
Find it: Village Hotel Leeds, 186 Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 5PR & Capital Boulevard, Tingley, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS27 0TS.
Browns
The serene surroundings of Browns makes it a lovely, relaxing place to enjoy Christmas day lunch in Leeds, without you having to worry about the dog stealing the pigs in blankets. You can keep it trad with smoked salmon followed by turkey or go off-piste for a duo of duck then pan-seared halibut with mussel bouillabaisse.
There’s plenty of choice, from festive salads to hearty vegetable soup, while the other turkey alternatives include a beef wellington, duo of lamb, and portobello mushroom, chestnut & lentil wellington. With a pick of five desserts, including everything from crumble to a chocolate trio, followed by a round of coffee, truffles and mince pies, you’ll be leaving happy.
The price: £100 for adults, £50 for children.
The veggie option: Two starters, then a vegan mushroom, chestnut lentil wellington for the main event.
Find it: Browns, 70-72 The Headrow, The Light, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 8EQ.
The Roundhay Fox
The Fox is a gorgeously atmospheric pub in a storied building, and the roaring fires reassure you that you’re in the right place for a festive feed. Kick back without the stress of getting everything cooked at the same time while indulging in a crispy duck salad or the smoked salmon & king prawn trio.
The turkey breast with pigs in blankets, Yorkie and all the trimmings is exemplary but, if you’re turkeyed out, how about rolled pork belly, noisette of lamb or black Angus beef loin with crispy beef shin croquettes? Can’t pick a pud? The Christmas chocolate trio is made for you.
The price: £80.95 for adults, £38.50 for kids.
The veggie option: Two starters and a parsnip & cranberry flaky pastry parcel for your main course.
Find it: The Roundhay Fox, Princes Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS8 2EP.
The Fox
Credit: The Fox at Menston
Crackling fires, cosy nooks and a delicious menu – Christmas Day dinner in Leeds doesn’t get much better than this. The Fox opens with baked seafood Thermidor or cured salmon tartare and then a comforting range of mains, from turkey to duck, halibut to braised beef.
Their chocolate bomb, rich with Amarena cherry, brownie and vanilla ice cream, may be enough to tempt you away from the Christmas pudding, but that’s not the only option for the sweet toothed. Our tip? Book early and ask for the window nook table.
The price: £94.95 for adults, £50.95 for kids.
The veggie option: Two starters and a sweet potato, butternut & chestnut roast main course.
Find it: The Fox, 129 Bradford Road, Menston, Ilkley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS29 6EB.
