A feast with the famiglia
A table lined with carb-heavy dishes is Christmas tradition and if you’re looking to fill up on flavourful eats with your nearest and dearest, then Italian Street Kitchen in West Village is a primo place to perch. You can expect to devour Italian-inspired street food elevated with some modern twists with the likes of traditional Sardinian gnocchetti with pork-and-fennel sausage, light-and-crispy pizzas (with dough risen over a 48-hour period), panzerotti (fried pizza dough folded and filled with mortadella, buffalo mozzarella and Sardinian pecorino cheese), porchetta, and slow-cooked beef meatballs ready to impress. Match your meal with a wine or a cheeky spritz and you’ll be cheerier than a kid around the Christmas tree.

A cheeky brunch with the gals
Nothing says the silly season more than mimosas with your best friends over brunch. Hit up the group chat and plan a pre-Christmas meet up at Picnic at West Village, which boasts a huge range of Asian-inspired brunch and lunch options. You’ll be able to stick a fork in to bites like pork bulgogi Benedict with mushroom, leek and potato croquettes, and the Spice Bae chicken burger. Come a little later and make your brunch a boozy one – you and your festive friends can sip on cracking cocktails like the Biscoff Martini (milk, Irish cream, coffee liqueur, Biscoff spread, Lotus crumbs and whipped cream), Pretty In Pink (pink gin, rose prosecco, pomegranate and lemonade) and Lychee Crush (lychee, vodka, guava, mango, coconut, passionfruit and ice).

Date night done different
Forget the mistletoe – up the romance this Christmas with a visit to Beirut Bazaar, West Village’s go-to spot to savour traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s here where you can fill your belly with mountains of mezze, succulent shawarma and raki-infused cocktails. The mouth-watering menu features salivation-inducing picks like haloumi salad, kebbi nayeh (raw minced lamb with burghul and spices) aranabeet (fried cauliflower pieces), and larger plates such as chicken and lamb shawarma, and Lebanese fish and chips. We suggest wearing your stretchy pants for this decadent date night.

Lunch with the colleagues
Want to catch up with your colleagues before the end-of-year craziness takes over? Head to Cheeky Poké Bar West Village and level up your lunch break with some tastebud-tantalising fare. Hungry clock punchers can dig in to poke bowls (think sashimi salmon, wagyu beef, octopus, prawn, pork gyoza and more) nori- and wonton-shell tacos, soul-warming soups, wagyu-beef tataki, and sashimi tasting plates. Those thirsty can wet their whistle with both boozy and non-alcoholic drinks – in case you’ve still got some work to do when you head back to the office.

Something fast and flavoursome
Those in need of some sweet relief from stuffing stockings and playing Santa can snack and sip to their heart’s content at Ichiban Sushi in West Village, where a bounty of killer katsu, heavenly nigri and great gyoza awaits. The sushi train is brimming with sizzling eats like seared salmon aburi, chicken teriyaki rolls, tempura prawn tamaki rolls and lobster salad ships, while the a la carte menu is where Ichiban’s signature sushi rolls, side dishes (deep-fried gyoza, chicken karaage, okonomiyaki and agedashi tofu), curries, donburi bowls, bento boxes, salads and set meals can be found. You can even have an afternoon nip in the form of Japanese and local brews – it is the silly season after all. 

This article was written in partnership with our friends at West Village.