Nine Restaurants Offering Last Minute Reservations for All Your Festive Meals This Season
Just because you left the planning late doesn't mean you can't still party.
Nine Restaurants Offering Last Minute Reservations for All Your Festive Meals This Season
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Just because you left the planning late doesn't mean you can't still party.
Anyone who has ever tried to organise an office Christmas party will know it's ideal to lock that thing in months in advance. By the time September rolls around and the smell of summer is on the horizon, it feels like it's too late. Trying to make a booking in actual December? You're dreaming. So, what to do when you decide late in the game that you want to get the gang together, share some eggnog and spread the Christmas cheer? Well, luckily the Merivale team has you covered with a whole bunch of restaurants offering last minute reservations for all your festival meals this December. Here are some of the best.
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Nothing lets you know it’s Christmas time in Australia quite like the smell of sunscreen, sand and seawater. And what better way to celebrate the festive season than to take in the beautiful views of Sydney’s Northern Beaches with a spritz in hand? Head to The Collaroy and you’ll get just that. One of Merivale’s newer offerings, The Collaroy is a beachside eatery reminiscent of the group’s famous Coogee Pavilion, but on the other side of the bridge. The pub’s menu splits itself evenly between a generous offering of Vinnie’s Pizzas and fresh seafood — oysters, Aussie prawns, rainbow trout and cuttlefish are all on offer.
Image: Kopper Finch.
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Broaden your Christmas fare horizons this year and get your dim sum on in the beautiful courtyard at Queen Chow in Enmore. All your favourites will be there: xiao long bao, barbecue pork buns, pork and prawn shumai, chicken and chive dumplings and a whole lot more. It’s not a Christmas lunch without a juicy serving of roast meat to share among family and friends, so get your hands on the delicious roast duck with plum sauce ($40 for half, $75 for whole) or go the extra mile and get peking duck with pancakes ($48 for half and eight pancakes, $90 for whole and 16 pancakes). Queen Chow will be open for lunch seven days a week throughout December, and if the courtyard is full, you can dine at The Smelly Goat or Zebra Bar that sit within the venue (a little more intimate and perfect if you’re looking to impress that special someone).
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Coogee Pavilion has cemented itself as a seaside dining and drinking destination in Sydney. Its beachside location, just metres back from Coogee Beach, makes it the perfect place for a post-dip Chrissy drink with family and friends. Downstairs is no fuss and perfect for family get-togethers, with a games corner featuring ping pong and giant magnetic Scrabble that will keep any kids in the group entertained long enough for the grown-ups to scoff down some pizzas and drinks. Head upstairs to the rooftop if you’re feeling a little more grown up and take in the sweeping seaside views while sampling the Mediterranean-inspired menu.
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If you’re wanting something a little more upmarket for your Chrissy do, head to Fred’s. Head chef Danielle Alvarez’s kitchen will be open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday in December (it’s usually only open for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and for dinner Tuesday to Sunday, so there is ample time to sample the fresh, sustainable produce being served up. Start yourself off with the wild kingfish tartare or perhaps the corn and goat’s curd cappelletti, before moving on to the array of mouthwatering mains on offer. Fish enthusiasts can choose between steamed Murray River cod with basil butter or grilled swordfish with bullhorn peppers and olive tapenade; meat-eaters can order the grilled beef tenderloin, confit Taluca Park pork neck or a succulent grass-fed T-bone steak; and vegetarians are well looked after with a fried polenta, broccoli and late-season spring veggies dish.
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It’s probably not the first thing that jumps to mind when you think ‘Christmas food’, but trust us on this one; sushi can make for the perfect festive meal with friends. Grab a seat at sushi e‘s marble bar and watch on as the talented sushi chefs — headed by Michael Fox (who recently took on the role after two years as chef de cuisine at Carbone in Hong Kong) — whip up some of the finest sushi and sashimi dishes in Sydney. The chef’s signature sashimi is unmissable, with hiramasa kingfish, pink snapper, Tasmanian salmon and tuna tataki all on offer. Enjoy a long lunch then stay for a drink at cocktail bar Hemmesphere after, where DJs will be spinning tunes from 2pm on Fridays throughout December.
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If you’re after a place that’s full to the brim with celebratory vibes this December, Ms.G’s is key. Merivale darling and executive chef Dan Hong has developed the menu here, which serves up delicious dishes from across Asia plus Asian-inspired drinks, too. And it’s open every day in December for lunch and dinner. Grab your group, order the banquet and prepare for hours of fun with the ever-evolving cocktail menu. Get around the Aloe Vera (vanilla vodka, lemon and aloe vera foam) the Mr Miyagi (gin, sake, peach liqueur and a lemon twist) or Ms.G’s Famous Yuzu Slushee (vodka, yuzu juice, orange bitters and lemon). The $69 banquet will see you dining on chicken katsu mini banh mi, sticky sweet and sour pork ribs, the famed cheeseburger spring rolls and plenty more. Oh, and of course the meal will finish with the Stoner’s Delight, now in its third iteration.
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If you’re after that cosy white-Christmas-in-a-London-pub vibe this December, look no further than The Paddington. One of Oxford Street’s trendiest pubs (and there are many), The Paddington is the pub/restaurant/cocktail bar hybrid that Christmas festivities call for. Executive chef Ben Greeno and his team will keep you well fed with some of the best roasts Sydney has to offer (they’ve got succulent rotisserie chickens, for crying out loud). Grab a group and dine out on the banquet menu ($50 per person on Monday–Thursday for lunch or $65 per person), which features roast chook, burrata with sultana compote, fried polenta and the delicious rhubarb fool with ginger crunch, among other things. If your gang fancies themselves trivia whizzes, head there on a Wednesday.
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The sun-soaked dining room at Woollahra’s Hotel Centennial is a summery spot for a long lunch with friends this December. Kick things off with a cocktail in the front bar, then move to the dining room, replete with plush lounges and a grand piano, and settle in for a meal. The menu is jointly curated by Danielle Alvarez (Fred’s) and Ben Greeno (The Paddington) and highlights local produce in Mediterranean-style dishes. Kick things off with a wood-fired flatbread to share, before moving on to succulent mains like clam and prawn pappardelle or whole flounder with seaweed salsa verde and roasted lemon. The wine list is extensive, to say the least, and will keep even the most educated oenophiles happy.
Image: Katje Ford.
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A long lunch by the pool is exactly what the doctor ordered after a big 2018 full of hard work. Grab your colleagues and head to the ivy’s rooftop to settle in at Italian restaurant Uccello. The menu, designed by head chef Ben Sitton (ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill and The Savoy Grill, London) is fresh and flavoursome, bringing together some of Italy’s best dishes in a relaxed Australian atmosphere. There are antipasti aplenty, with offerings ranging from a house-made buffalo ricotta with asparagus and basil to split Yamba prawns. Pasta lovers will find solace in the spaghettini with clams and mussels and potato gnocchi with tomato, stracciatella and basil. The restaurant’s stone oven is put to good use in cooking New England lamb saddle with white asparagus and salsa verde and Burrawong chicken with salt-baked heirloom carrots and pistachio.
So you’ve left it to the last minute to book that Christmas get together. Never fear; book one of these Merivale spots to remedy that situation right quick.
Top image: Steven Woodburn.
