Tis the season for...Christmas Feasts

Seeing as Christmas is around the corner (can you believe it....) everyone is hopefully in good spirits and the restaurant specials are plentiful. I thought that I'd dedicate this post to Christmas Feasts....particularly those on Christmas Day - more and more people are going out for Christmas Lunch rather than cooking themselves. And who can blame them? You don't have to do the grocery shopping, the cooking, the preparation and decor, the hosting and most importantly, the clean up afterwards....

So here are a few places that have graciously opened their restaurants to make Christmas an even more magical affair for you :) (If you are considering eating out on Christmas, I'd make my booking fairly soon if I were you)

1. March - Melrose Arch, 011 214 6666

The main restaurant in the Melrose Arch Hotel is offering a wonderful African Inspired menu for their Christmas Lunch.
Price: R450 per person
Includes:

Amuse bouche - Champagne knysna oysters served with fennel and chardonnay salsa  potato and coriander fritter with a chilli konfyt  Starter - Cape Malay pickled Kingklip terrine  (traditional battered and pickled fish, served with a date and prune bread colonial style)  or  Springbok Carpaccio  (smoked springbok carpaccio with grilled peach salad and fynbos honey dressing) or  Bloukrans and Quinoa Salad  (salad of blue cheese, fresh figs, toasted pumpkin seeds, olives, organic quinoa, micro herbs and a citrus dressing) Mango and Mampoer Sorbet Main Course  Walnut crusted Saddle of Lamb  (braised saddle of lamb, crusted and crisped with walnuts, served with a parsnip puree, asparagus and a pinotage jus) or  Turkey Galantine  (traditional rolled turkey with apricot and thyme accompanied with potato dauphinoise and baby vegetables) or  Butternut and Bean Tomato Bredie  (slow cooked butternut and broad bean tomato bredie served with a kalahari truffle samp risotto)  Dessert  Summer Christmas Trifle  (a layered trifle, with sherry sponge, vanilla cream and an splash of rooibos syrup jelly and tangy summer berries) or  Cape Brandy Pudding  (served with a cardamom custard, candied naartjies and Amarula-peanut brittle ice cream) or  Christmas Pudding ice cream  (silky ice cream with traditional christmas pudding bits and an eggnog sauce)  2. The Cradle Restaurant, Cradle of Humankind, 011 659 1622 For a real "lunch-in-the-country" experience, try the Cradle Restaurant. You have a choice of a 5 course sit down Christmas meal at the restaurant, or for something a bit different, they're also offering a colonial picnic lunch under the trees. With items like Cranberry and Camembert Salad, Caramelized Leek and Onion Tart, Merguez Sausage with Saffron Caramelized Onions,  Venison Carpaccio, Lamb Loin wrapped in Potatoe Rosti, Spinach and Feta Canneloni, Chicken Breast stuffed with Cognac Prunes and Pistachios and a buffet of desserts, one can't really go wrong. Please contact the establishment for prices. 3. Maximillien Brasserie, Sandton Square, 011 292 7111 This restaurant is wonderful - I've been there a few times myself. Black and white checked floors, brass bar, pressed ceilings, it's the epitome of old school brasserie chique. They are offering a fabulous Christmas lunch at the reasonable price of R385.00 per person. 4. Avianto, Muldersdrift, 011 668 3000 Avianto is also having a Christmas Lunch, which might be nice for a lazy Sunday drive into the country, followed by a sumptuous lunch. Prices are R375.00 per person, R155 for kids under 12 and babies under 2 are free. The menu is too large to detail everything here, so please contact them for more info - it looks really yummy though :) 5. Aurelia's, Emperor's Palace, 011 928 1908 Needless to say, doing Christmas lunch in a casino doesn't exactly scream class to me, but there may be people out there who have loads of family and may require a larger booking.... so this one would be for you. Also, whilst Aurelia's is technically part of the Casino, it's more in the hotel area so it's not bad at all. Price is R345.00 per person, kids under 12 are R140 and those under 3 are free. Their menu is also huge, so I've trimmed it down to give you a few examples: Freshly opened oysters on crushed ice with black pepper, Tabasco and lime Steamed salted prawn tower with a trio of dips and lime cheeks  Smoked turkey on grilled pineapple wedges with home made Peppadew chutney  Mussels Rockefeller tossed with crispy bacon, leek and mini rye bread croutons  Clove Studded Gammon with Pineapple and Apricot Glaze served with apple sauce and mustards Citrus Marmalade Basted Roast Turkey with Savoury chestnut stuffing served with Cranberry Jelly Pepper rubbed roast Strip loin with caramelized onion served with horseradish cream and mustards Rolled leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic Honey Brush served with Mint Sauce Individual Christmas pudding with Cinnamon Custard, Festive Fruit Platter with Creamy Vanilla Ice-cream, Raspberry cream in chocolate cups, Vanilla poached pears, Chocolate almond cake, Choc dipped meringue fingers, Croquembouche, Assorted Fruit Tartlets, Baked Cheesecake with poached fruit There is PLENTY to choose from. 6. Fairlawns Boutique Hotel, Sandton, 011 804 2540/1/2/3 The restaurant at Fairlawns guarantees a very elegant and sophisticated affair. They are offering a Christmas Day buffet lunch on the Terrace at R450.00 per person. It includes the following, to mention only a few: Mosaic of tomato and fennel with Goats cheese, Calamari, Roast Leg of Lamb, Honey-glazed Gammon, Sage and Chestnut Turkey, Butternut Tortellini, Apple Crumble, Chocolate Log Pudding, Pecan Pie, truffles and tea & coffee. 7. Byzance, Lonehill Shopping Centre, 011 465 5735 Another one of my personal favourite restaurants. They don't have a special menu for the day, but their regular one is so good, it really doesn't matter. It's a la carte for Christmas at Byzance and that is awesome. Expect delicious mediterranean cuisine.