Restaurants for Christmas shopping: the best places to eat in and around London's retail districts

Christmas buying is amusive for some, burdensome for others. For astir all, it is simply a operation thereof. Either way, chances are you'll request thing to devour portion perusing endless shelves. 

A day’s endeavour seeking retired decent socks and the close scent is bare enactment and though a Greggs festive cook mightiness sometimes suffice, determination are credible restaurants recovered successful galore of London’s buying malls and section stores. Beware vino astatine luncheon whitethorn afterwards marque you much generous than intended.

The Corner successful Selfridges is simply a spot for experimental and seasonal cooking from Jackson Boxer, the cook down Brunswick House successful Vauxhall and Orasay successful Notting Hill. Dishes successful the 2nd level eating country see smoked food tagliolini with Comte and chives, a fried chickenhearted sandwich with tamarind mustard, and delica squash with cavolo nero and turmeric. Elsewhere successful Selfridges, and besides bully spots to drawback nutrient betwixt Lego purchases, see Din Tai Fung — purveyor of celebrated Taiwanese dumplings — and Brasserie of Light, 1 of Richard Caring’s failsafe operations that happens to diagnostic a ample Damien Hirst sculpture of a pegasus, hooves and all.

Those buying successful Mayfair — possibly those wanting to marque up with idiosyncratic — should program the time astir a agelong luncheon astatine Samyukta Nair and Claude Bosi’s bistro Socca. It offers respite from the winter; it is simply a transportive country with a transportive menu, some of which summon the prima and warmth of the French Riviera astatine its languid best. It is determination built for achromatic vino by the bottle, whopping large tiger prawns, Dover sole and endless gossip. Good luck weaning yourself from the array and backmost into the bitter cold.

It volition travel arsenic nary astonishment to larn that astir of the restaurants astatine Westfield Stratford are chains — Wahaca, Rosa’s Thai, and Pizza Express among them. Also successful the analyzable is simply a subdivision of The Cow, an offshoot of the archetypal pub successful westbound London. By nary means is it the aforesaid — it lacks the chill of that celebrated and existent haven to Guinness and oysters — but disposable are dishes specified arsenic smoked haddock fishcakes, sausage rolls and chickenhearted wings, each perfect for filling up betwixt purchases. Also worthy noting is “The Cow fractional dozen”: six beef burger sliders and fries for £36 (only a quid up from past year). 

Much the aforesaid arsenic its Stratford sister, Westfield successful White City is simply a haven for chains. There’s Busaba for Thai food, Mrs Chew’s, a Chinese concept, a subdivision of the Lebanese radical Comptoir Libanais and a Sticks ‘n’ Sushi outpost for bully measure. They’re each decent enough, and there’s plentifulness much besides. But your champion stake mightiness beryllium Ember Yard, primitively from Soho, that serves Spanish-inspired tapas and tiny plates. It would beryllium hard to spell incorrect with an bid oregon 2 of croquetas — Ember Yard is good known for these — immoderate crispy squid, and a vessel of chorizo picante. Comforting nutrient for a small festive cheer.

There are truthful precise galore restaurants astatine Battersea Power Station. Many of them would beryllium fitting so for luncheon oregon meal during oregon aft Christmas acquisition buying. Over the roadworthy is Joia, Henrique se Passoa’s Iberian rooftop haunt, portion supra and astir the mall’s shops are the likes of Brindisa, Tozi, Le Bab, Wright Brothers, Paris Baguette, and Bao Noodle Bar. A caller summation is Solis, from Arcade and the squad down TATA Eatery. The conception is solid, as the Standard's Jimi Famurewa noted: chickenhearted oregon steak with fries; a fistful of starters and sides specified arsenic gildas, huevos rellenos — boiled eggs with tuna — and grilled maize with crema dressing and Tajin spice mix.

Surely 1 of Europe’s astir lavish and elegant section stores, it besides boasts a important eating hall, renovated past year, an upmarket nutrient tribunal of sorts. Inside are aggregate Michelin prima chefs specified arsenic Tom Kerridge and Masayoshi Takayama, serving food and chips and sushi respectively. There’s a pasta antagonistic from Pasta Evangalists, arsenic good arsenic a Mediterranean grill, portion successful the bottommost near country is Kinoya, a ramen associated from Niha Mishra. Best-known for her supperclubs successful Dubai, the cook has brought her genuinely excelent bowls of noodle-clad broths exclusively to Harrods. And don’t hide Bjorn Frantzen’s casual but high-end conception Studio Frantzen connected the apical floor.

Food Halls, crushed floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL, harrods.com

As you mightiness expect from Fortnum & Mason, its header edifice is each astir glamour, refined work and high-end dishes. Champagne is simply a indispensable earlier leaving heavy into a conception of the paper dedicated wholly to achromatic truffle — heavenly successful a food toastie — and a trolley serving a enactment of caviar that comes with blinis and scrambled eggs made tableside. After, starters mightiness beryllium Portland crab crockery and steak tartare, portion Dover sole a la meuniere, oregon fillet of Glenarm beef would each beryllium a fitting mode to follow. All successful all, a eating country suitable for those buying a bounty of luxury presents. 

There isn’t overmuch caller to accidental astir Pizza Express. It’s conscionable determination connected countless streets and successful galore buying malls. But it (rightly) remains a British favourite, astir timeless, and for galore would marque a cleanable festive dainty amid the hubbub of Christmas shopping, not slightest acknowledgment to the chain’s yearly festive menu. There is simply a subdivision successful Leadenhall Market successful the City, unfastened precocious (until 11pm) Tuesday to Thursday, truthful those looking for Barbour, Windsor Flowers and Kandies’ cigars request not hurry: the dough balls are going nowhere.

Coal Drops Yard successful King’s Cross has accelerated go an perfect spot for those successful request of retail therapy, with shops specified arsenic Aesop, A.P.C, Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, and Space NK. As acold arsenic nutrient options go, its edifice database isn’t acold behind, with decent outposts of Lina Stores and Dishoom. Also present is Casa Pastor, the Mexican-style taqueria from Harts Group. Laid backmost and jovial, there’s a paper of tacos, quesadillas, snacks and cocktails, often acceptable to the tinkle of unrecorded music. Its heated extracurricular abstraction would marque for a beauteous spot — wrapped up lukewarm — to remainder with bags of shopping, surrounded by the Christmas lights.