Putting a different kind of star on top of the tree, these Michelin-starred restaurants have cooked up a festive feast for guests to enjoy over the holiday period. Here, we sit down with some of our award-winning chefs and take a closer look at their seasonal menus and favourite Christmas dishes.
St. James’s Hotel & Club, London – UK
Christmas Day Lunch by William Drabble, Executive Head Chef of Seven Park Place
Awarded one Michelin Star and four AA Rosettes, Mayfair’s recently renovated Seven Park Place by William Drabble serves up modern-French dishes using primarily British local and seasonal ingredients. Developing a passion for food as a child when his family moved to Norfolk, William was influenced by his beloved grandmother who was also a cook at Yorkshire’s great estates in the 1930s, while he was also inspired by the quality of ingredients he saw from local farms and suppliers. Elegant Victorian townhouse St. James’s Hotel & Club have partnered with Supper London, a luxury food delivery service, to offer a Seven Park Place takeaway menu to be eaten in the comfort of your own home.
Chef’s Pick: William’s favourite Christmas course is the Slow Cooked Ox Cheek with Mashed Potato – hailing from his grandmother’s native Yorkshire, it’s packed full of hearty flavour, and is the perfect winter dish.
Starter
Seared Scallops, Jerusalem Artichoke Puree
Smoked Haddock Soup with Potatoes and Leeks
Seared Foie Gras, Braised Lentils with Root Vegetables and Madeira Jus
Main
Griddled Halibut, Celeriac and Apple Puree, Roasted Celeriac and Truffle Jus
Pot Roast Guinea Fowl, Sage and Onion Stuffing, Homemade Cranberry, Port and Orange Compote
Slow Cooked Ox Cheek with Mashed Potato
Served With a Selection of Vegetables (Roast Potatoes, Crushed Buttered Sprouts, Braised Red Cabbage, Honey Glazed Roast Parsnips)
Dessert
Homemade Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter
Yule Log
Selection of Three British Cheeses
Mince Pies
The Dylan Amsterdam – Netherlands
Christmas Weekend Menu by Dennis Kuipers, Executive Chef, and Jurgen van der Zalm, Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Vinkeles
Characterised by French-oriented dishes, the cuisine at Restaurant Vinkeles is both traditional and modern. Awarded a Michelin Star in November 2009, the delicate French cuisine offers diners an excellent mixture between classic and contemporary styles, using only the freshest of ingredients. Dennis Kuipers’ style is defined by simplicity, dedicated to product-focused cooking and purity of flavour – “If you work with the best products, you don’t need much else,” where the quality of the products, craftsmanship and presentation forms the foundations of their kitchen. This year’s Christmas menu showcases local Dutch produce, including Zeeuwse oysters, hare from the Kennemer dunes between Amsterdam and Zandvoort, Dover sole from the North Sea, white Krombek beans, a product unique to Lutjewinkel in North Holland, and Jersualem artichoke from Osdorp.
Guests of The Dylan Amsterdam, an elegant former 17th-century theatre situated on one of Amsterdam‘s main canals, are treated to a gourmet getaway of a seven-course Chef’s Signature Menu with effortless wine pairings in an intimate setting.
Chef’s Pick: My favourite dish is the Dover sole, which is really a signature of Restaurant Vinkeles. This dish shows the perfect cooperation between Jurgen van der Zalm as Chef de Cuisine and myself. The classic influence and technique in sauces and cuisson of the fish with the refinement, contemporary layout and fresh tones of Jurgen van der Zalm.
HAMACHI
Pistachio, Jalapeño, coconut, lavender
DOVER SOLE
Fennel, white grapes, beurre blanc
DUTCH CULTIVATED OYSTERS
Poached, sea urchin, Chinese Imperial caviar
WINTER TRUFFLE
White “Krombek” beans, egg yolk, duck fat, Parmesan cheese
BRESSE PIGEON
Preserved blackberries, Forono beetroot “liquorice”, sauce of the bones
HARE “ROYAL”
Goose liver, hare blood, cusco chuncho 100% chocolate
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
Tahiti vanilla, tonda gentile, orange
Palazzo Manfredi, Rome – Italy
Natale 2020 by Giuseppe Di Iorio, Executive Chef at AROMA
Elevating classic Italian dishes, 40-seat AROMA offers Michelin-starred dining with unparalleled views of the Colosseum. Roman-born chef Giussepe Di Iorio has been AROMA’s head chef since it opened in 2010, during which time he has developed a menu which features five different varieties of pasta, and appetisers which showcase lesser known species of fish in keeping with Di Iorio’s sustainable fishing ethos. Enjoy a three-course tasting menu in the Eternal City when booking one of Palazzo Manfredi‘s Junior Suites or Suites overlooking Rome‘s most iconic landmark until the 20th December 2020.
Aperitivo
Pork fillet in bread crust with chicory and bitter cocoa sauce
Antipasti
Twice cooked beef broth with capon ravioli and herbs
Primi
Homemade fettuccine with meat ragù and ricotta cheese
Secondi
Lamb chops, parmesan, plum and courgettes
Dolce
Pistachio Christmas log with hazelnuts and caramel cream