Christmas szn is back, baby! Well, nearly. With the days getting alarmingly colder and shorter, the festive holiday is right around the corner and this year we are pledging to celebrate Christmas bigger and better than ever before because we could really do with some of that Christmas cheer. And where better to do it than in the capital?
London comes alive in the run-up to Christmas. Each winter, the capital is alight with magical light displays, sparkling bauble-adorned shop-fronts, tons of festive attractions and enough mulled wine to fill the Thames.
And because we’re so excited about it, we’ve compiled a handy selection of all the festivities London has to offer; from afternoon tea to ice-skating and every festive happening in between.
Despite the cost of living crises rumbling on, there are plenty of ways to ring in the festive period on a shoestring budget (with plenty of free festive activities thrown in too), so you can celebrate Christmas in all its glory, whether you’re flying solo, looking for group activities or need something fun to do with the kids, whatever your budget this year.
Here are the best Christmas things to do in London this year:
What to eat in London
Festive Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s
Available until 2 January, 2024, Claridge’s Festive Afternoon Tea includes delights such as salmon, lemon and dill finger sandwiches, black forest Christmas tree pudding, a gingerbread tart and Claridge’s Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
Feeling the festive cheer already for 2023, Browns Covent Garden is the place to dine this December. From it’s £45 three-course festive menu, including maple and cinnamon glazed pork belly and salted caramel profiteroles, to its festive afternoon tea and gluten-free menus, there’s something for everyone. It’s also open for dining on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve to prolong the Christmas spirit.
Christmas Afternoon Tea at Royal Lancaster London
Relax and enjoy an irresistible assortment of delicately crafted sandwiches, warm baked scones and deliciously Christmassy sweet treats that will be served in the hotel’s beautiful Hyde Café, accompanied by a selection of the finest Camellia’s Tea House teas and fizz.
Hotel Café Royal is the magical place to experience Christmas and New Year right in the heart of London by Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus and the brilliant light displays. The Grade II listed Oscar Wilde Lounge will also be serving up a decadent and musical Festive Afternoon Tea, complete with award-winning patisseries and a live pianist. Throughout the festive holiday the hotel will also be hosting an array of family-friendly activities in its Children’s Club to keep the little ones entertained, from cookie decorating to bauble making.
Christmas Afternoon Tea at The Ritz
The Ritz’s iconic Christmas Afternoon Tea is making a return for 2023 from the 18 November until the 1 January. Seatings will take place every two hours from 11.30am to 7.30pm each day, with every adult receiving a glass of Ritz champagne on arrival and every child receiving a Ritz teddy bear. If you book on Christmas Day, you’ll be lucky enough to get a visit from Father Christmas himself.
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