Christmas (and Boxing Day) Dinner is served!
There is so much to be loved about the traditional Christmas dinner, and of course its Boxing Day sequel, which can be a rerun of the main event or a day-long graze of leftovers…preferably sandwiched between two slices of bread. The gravy, thick and luscious, covering those crispy-on-the-outside-soft-in-the-middle roast potatoes; Brussels sprouts which, even if you wouldn’t go near them during the rest of the year, are mandatory on a Christmas dinner plate; and succulent turkey (or whatever floats your Christmas boat). Add to this all sorts of sauces and condiments and all the little extras like moreish pigs in blankets and maybe even a Yorkshire pudding or two (perhaps not for the purists…), and you’ve got a meal that is going to last for hours, if not days…
The only downside to this mammoth fabulous festive feast is making it. There is a lot of effort that goes into creating so much delicious food and, when you just want to be enjoying the fun with everyone else, it can sometimes feel as though you’ve drawn the short straw.
This year, why not do something different? Why not shun the kitchen and spend your precious hours socialising and drinking fizz instead of peeling spuds and sprouts? A great idea – and one that’s becoming evermore popular – is to book yourself and your family into a gorgeous Kentish restaurant where all the hard work will be done for you. It’s a memorable and indulgent way to spend Christmas Day, and insideKENT has the ultimate Christmas and Boxing Day dinner guide for you. All you need to do is turn up and eat…
The Dog At Wingham // Wingham
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Crown Prince squash soup, Jerusalem artichoke crisps, pumpkin seeds and white truffle
Main: ballotine of turkey, duck fat sautéed potatoes, sprouts, carrots and black cabbage
Dessert: green cardamom chilled rice pudding with pear and brandy sorbet
Price: £110 per person.
The Bull // Wrotham
Sample menu choice:
Starter: smoked kipper paté, pickled fennel, sourdough bread
Main: turkey with all the trimmings
Dessert: chocolate hazelnut brownie, orange sorbet
Price: £25 per person.
Tudor Park Marriott // Maidstone
www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/tdmgs-tudor-park-marriott-hotel-and-country-club
Sample menu choice:
Starter: poached and smoked salmon, tiger prawns, crab cocktail,
smoked assorted fish
Main: roast sirloin of beef with traditional Yorkshire pudding from the carvery
Dessert: Christmas pudding with brandy sauce
Price: £89 per adult, £44.50 per child (5-12).
Frasers // Egerton
Sample menu choice:
Starter: beetroot-cured salmon, pickled fennel, wasabi
Main: Frasers Estate game casserole, Kentish blue cheese croute, Chapel Down nectar infused pear
Dessert: pear and almond frangipane tart, spiced damson and apple compote, amaretto ice cream
Price: £32.50 (3 courses), £26.50 (2 courses).
Eastwell Manor // Ashford
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Muscat pumpkin soup, parmesan crouton
Main: free-range turkey with all the trimmings
Dessert: coffee and mince pies
Price: £42 per person.
The Kings Arms // Westerham
www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pubs/kent/kings-arms
Sample menu choice:
Starter: duck and fig terrine
Main: trio of wild Scottish venison medallions
Dessert: lemon and stem ginger brûlée cheesecake
Price: £62.99 per adult, £21.99 per child.
Royal Wells Hotel // Tunbridge Wells
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Blacksticks blue cheese and walnut soufflé
Main: roast turkey breast and thigh
Dessert: luxury boozy Christmas pudding
Price: £69.95 per adult, £35 per child.
The Mulberry Tree // Maidstone
Sample menu choice:
Starter: wild mushroom bruschetta, melted truffled Brie
Main: pan-fried monkfish, crispy cod cheek, tempura fennel, mussel and prawn fish sauce
Dessert: glazed lemon tart, blackcurrant sorbet
Price: £110 per person.
Rocksalt // Folkestone
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Rocksalt prawn and crab cocktail, Bloody Mary rose sauce
Main: maple-and-mustard-glazed ham, charred hispi, crushed swede and apple
Dessert: Ada Sargeant’s Christmas pudding with brandy custard
Price: £125 per person.
Chilston Park Hotel // Lenham
www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/chilstonpark
Sample menu choice:
Starter: carpaccio of British beef, shaved fennel and avocado cream
Main: roasted Norfolk turkey breast, sausagemeat stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, vegetables
Dessert: mocha opera cake, kumquat compote, vanilla mascarpone cream
Price: £130 per adult, £60 per child.
The Swan // West Malling
Sample menu choice:
Starter: confit and smoked chicken terrine, fig and date jam
Main: roast breast and stuffed leg of Norfolk bronze turkey, pigs in blankets, cranberry and port sauce
Dessert: chocolate brownie and salted caramel
Price: £95 per adult, £47.50 per child (5-12), £15 per child (under 5).
The Old Gate Inn // Canterbury
www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants/south-east/theoldgateinnbridgecanterbury
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Parma ham with honey and rosemary-roasted pear
Main: 7oz fillet steak served with beef dripping sauce, dauphinoise potatoes, thyme-roasted tomato and a fresh leaf and horseradish salad
Dessert: raspberry and white chocolate Eton mess
Price: £68.95 per adult, £29.95 per child.
Hempstead House // Sittingbourne
Sample menu choice:
Starter: carrot and coriander soup
Main: slow-braised lamb shank
Dessert: cranberry and orange cheesecake
Price: from £24.50 per adult, £12.75 per child.
The Bell Hotel // Sandwich
Sample menu choice:
Starter: yellow split pea soup
Main: baked barramundi fillet
Dessert: rich chocolate mousse
Price: £79.95 per adult, £39.95 per child.
Bartellas // Meopham
Sample menu choice:
Starter: gravlax of salmon with dill mustard dressing and beetroot foam
Main: salmon and fennel fish cakes, poached egg, green beans, dill butter sauce
Dessert: traditional Christmas pudding, mince pie, brandy butter, custard
Price: £32 per person.
Hythe Imperial // Hythe
Sample menu choice:
Starter: monkfish goujons in panko breadcrumbs served with a rich tomato
and chorizo chutney, and lobster mayonnaise
Main: traditional beef Wellington served with garlic-roasted mashed potato, caramelised shallots, roasted root vegetables and a rich red wine jus
Dessert: dark chocolate caramel tart served with homemade raspberry ripple ice cream
Price: £85 per person.
The Oak On The Green // Bearsted
Sample menu choice:
Starter: house pâté
Main: slow-roasted belly of pork
Dessert: baked vanilla cheesecake
Price: £28.95 per person.
The George & Dragon // Speldhurst
Sample menu choice:
Starter: venison terrine, pistachios, tarragon, red onion marmalade and toasted sourdough
Main: beef fillet, foie gras, wild mushrooms, potato dauphinoise and buttered hispi cabbage
Dessert: apple tarte tatin, vanilla crème Chantilly
Price: £85 per person.
The Fighting Cocks // Horton Kirby
www.fightingcockshortonkirby.co.uk
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Devon Tickler mature cheddar bake with Harry Sparrow cider chutney and sweet balsamic baby onions
Main: Mr Parker’s Three Little Pigs Pie: shoulder, belly and loin with a crackling crust and apple sauce
Dessert: winter fruit crumble: mulled wine fruits of the forest with pecan crumble and custard
Price: £25 per adult, £18 per child (under 12).
King Charles Hotel // Gillingham
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Atlantic prawn and smoked salmon timbale
Main: roasted breast of Kentish turkey and ham
Dessert: blackberry and apple ice cream sundae
Price: £65 per adult, £32.50 per child.
Kathton House // Canterbury
Sample menu choice:
Starter: celeriac soup
Main: pork loin in parsley crumb served with sweet potato puree and crispy kale
Dessert: Christmas pudding with crème Anglaise
Price: £60 per person (two courses), £65 per person (three courses).
The Black Pig // Tunbridge Wells
Sample menu choice:
Starter: butternut squash, sweetcorn and red pepper soup with fresh bread
Main: turkey escalope with chestnut mash, peas and bacon in a white wine sauce
Dessert: chocolate praline, winter spiced ice cream, mulled cranberries
Price: £24.50 per person (two courses), £29.50 per person (three courses).
Bromley Court Hotel // Bromley
Sample menu choice:
Starter: creamy mushroom casserole, chives and crispy bacon
Main: seared fillet of salmon, tomato and basil velouté
Dessert: homemade Christmas pudding with brandy sauce
Price: £24.95 per person (two courses), £26.95 per person (three courses), £12.45 per child (two courses), £13.95 per child (three courses).
The Captain Digby // Broadstairs
Sample menu choice:
Starter: cured meat board – salted beef, salami and oak-flamed chicken served with homemade chutneys and crusty bread
Main: roast Kentish turkey served with roasted and new potatoes and all the traditional trimmings
Dessert: chef’s own sherry trifle
Price: £62.95 per adult, £31 per child.
The Kings Head // Bessels Green
www.kingsheadbesselsgreen.co.uk
Sample menu choice:
Starter: Cornish lobster and crab ravioli
Main: packed fillet of wild turbot served with pomme mousseline, champagne pearls, crab beignet, sea aster, oyster mayonnaise and purslane oil
Dessert: cranberry financier with tarragon
Price: £79.95 per person.
Chapter One // Locks Bottom
www.chapteronerestaurant.co.uk
Sample menu choice:
Starter: duck liver and sauterne terrine, celeriac and apple salad, brioche
Main: Steamed John Dory stuffed with Cornish crab and scallop, étuvée of leek and chive cream sauce
Dessert: warm Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and brandy butter
Price: £115 per person.
Donnington Manor Hotel // Dunton Green
www.donningtonmanorhotel.co.uk
Sample menu choice:
Starter: warm black pudding Scotch egg on a bed of fine leaves, herb sweet potato rosti and grain mustard dressing
Main: venison Wellington with celeriac puree, braised red cabbage, wild berry and dark chocolate sauce
Dessert: passionfruit and lemon posset and ginger biscuit
Price: £69.95 per adult, £32.95 per child (7-12), £12.95 per child (under 12).
81 Beach Street // Deal
Sample menu choice:
Starter: a seafood taster of smoked salmon roulade, mini prawn cocktail and mackerel pâté on toast
Main: roasted crown of free-range turkey with roast potatoes, sage and onion stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets, root vegetable puree, honey and mustard roasted parsnips, buttered sprouts, cranberry sauce, jugs of turkey gravy
Dessert: Mint parfait and chocolate rum truffle
Price: £79 per adult, £35 per child (under 8).
The Bullfinch // Riverhead
Sample menu choice:
Starter: leek and truffle soup
Main: roast halibut with buttered new potatoes, spinach, white wine and chive cream
Dessert: boozy trifle
Price: £69.95 per adult, £35 per child (under 12).
The Wife Of Bath // Wye
Sample menu choice:
Starter: crispy duck’s egg, Jerusalem artichoke, cucumber, basil
Main: roast Kelly bronze turkey, pork and morcilla stuffing and all the trimmings
Dessert: dark chocolate tart, Folkestone sea salt, Sevillano olive oil
Price: £95 per person.
The Hand & Sceptre // Southborough
Sample menu choice:
Starter: pan-fried scallops with minted peas, tomato and crispy pancetta
Main: roasted turkey breast with fluffy beef-dripping roasted potatoes, chestnut and cranberry stuffing ball and a Cumberland and red onion pig-in-blanket. Served with gravy, bread sauce and a mini cranberry pie
Dessert: brioche bread and butter pudding with an apricot glaze and vanilla custard
Price: £75.95 per person.
Hadlow Manor // Hadlow
Sample menu choice:
Starter: treacle-cured salmon, orange aioli with a cucumber and grape compote
Main: roast butternut and spinach Wellington with a garlic cream sauce
Dessert: caramel tart and butterscotch sauce served with honeycomb ice cream and a hazelnut garnish
Price: £69 per adult, £29 per child (5-12), £10 per child (2-4).
The Goudhurst Inn // Goudhurst
Sample menu choice:
Starter: pressed ham hock, fennel and orange with mustard mayonnaise and sourdough
Main: pan-fried stone bass, confit potato, wilted kale, lobster and mussel bisque
Dessert: raspberry and chocolate profiteroles, dried raspberry crumble,
with shaved white chocolate
Price: £70 per adult, £35 per child (under 12).
The George & Dragon // Chipstead
www.georgeanddragonchipstead.com
Sample menu choice:
Starter: wild mushroom arancini with grated parmesan and roasted garlic aioli
Main: traditional roast turkey with pigs-in-blankets, stuffing, roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables
Dessert: traditional flamed Christmas pudding with brandy butter and fresh cream
Price: £28.95 per person for dinner, £24.95 per person for lunch.
The Granville // Canterbury
www.thegranvillecanterbury.co.uk
Sample menu choice:
Starter: fish duo – smoked trout tartlet and seared king scallop on curried cauliflower puree topped with pea shoots
Main: three bird roast – slow-roasted turkey, duck and pheasant, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, served with glazed carrots, roasted parsnips, garlic and rosemary puree, almond buttered Brussels sprouts, pigs-in-blankets and red wine jus
Dessert: rich salted caramel and chocolate fondant with coconut and cinnamon ice cream
Price: £75 per person.
The White Hart // Brasted
Sample menu choice:
Starter: thyme-roasted portobello mushrooms in a creamy chestnut sauce topped with goat curd and served with rustic toast
Main: homemade British beef burger with grilled chorizo, smoked Irish cheddar, crispy onions, tomato relish, sweet potato fries and aioli
Dessert: chocolate orange parfait with orange curd, Belgian chocolate sauce and garnished with a strawberry and mint salsa
Price: £26.95 per adult, £11.95 per child.
