It will come as no surprise to any long-term resident that London comes alive in December. As the lights go up and the capital’s luxury hotels fill with glittering Christmas trees, seemingly every bar, restaurant and boutique in the city is also hosting its own drinks party, special shopping event or collaborative pop-up. And, after the last few years, we’re not complaining.
We’ve scouted out some of the best festive events in London in December 2022. Plus, because there is such as thing as too much Christmas, a few which have absolutely nothing to do with Santa or sleigh bells.
The restaurants: Bacchanalia, Penelope’s and Tozi
There is arguably no better time to debut a new culinary offering in the capital than December; accordingly, three new openings are hoping to cash in on Londoners’ festive cheer this month. First up, Mayfair’s Bacchanalia promises what may just be the most lavish dining experience in London (and that’s saying something). Back by Richard Caring’s Caprice Holdings, with a Greek and Italian-inspired menu by Athinagoras Kostakos, the Martin Brudnizki-designed space boasts five Damien Hirst statues, 79 statues dating back over 2,000 years, three Gary Myatt murals and acres of 24k gold leaf. So is the food any good? Probably – but we get the feeling that’s not really the point.
If you’re celebrating the festive season in the West End, meanwhile, Penelope’s promises a fresh take on pre-theatre dining in the heart of Covent Garden. Tucked away within the luxurious Amano Hotel, Turkish-Cypriot chef Fez Ozalgan has devised a menu of eastern Mediterranean small plates complemented by a vibrant drinks list. Don’t miss its monthly Isramani parties where dancing on the tables is practically mandatory.
Finally, if you’re planning on checking out the boutiques over at the freshly refurbished Battersea Power Station, be sure to stop in at Tozi Grand Cafe. The second Tozi outpost in the capital will be located within Art’otel Battersea and feature a classic Italian menu by head chefs Lee Streeton and Maurilio Molteni. Signatures include lobster linguine, beef carpaccio, and baked scallop with nduja.
Bacchanalia is open now, bacchanalia.co.uk; Penelope’s opens on 1 December, amanogroup.de; Tozi Grand Cafe opens 12 December, tozirestaurant.co.uk
The shopping: Choose Love and Kimai
Still searching for those last-minute Christmas gifts? The Choose Love Shop, a unique pop-up co-founded by Dawn O’Porter to raise vital funds for refugees and displaced people the world over, will return to Carnaby Street for its sixth year this December. Celebrity fans include Harry Styles, Dua Lipa and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (many of whom have done a shift behind the till), while everything ‘bought’ – from hot food, to warm coats and emergency housing – will be given to refugees and asylum seekers in the name of your chosen friend or family member.
If you’re in the market for something physical to place beneath the tree, meanwhile, sustainable jewellery brand Kimai has just opened the UK’s first exclusively lab-grown diamond boutique on Chiltern Street. Founded by Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus, expect a dazzling array of thoroughly modern jewels available to browse in beautifully compact and cosy surrounds.
Choose Love Shop, until 24 December 2022, choose.love; Kimai is open now, kimai.com
The theatre: The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty
For many, a trip to see The Nutcracker is an annual festive tradition and the return of this quintessential Christmas ballet to the Royal Opera House is always eagerly anticipated. Reprising the magical production created for the Royal Ballet by Peter Wright in 1984, this year will see principal dancers including Fumi Kaneko, William Bracewell, Sarah Lamb and Yasmine Naghdi take to the stage, while the show will also be broadcast live to more than 700 cinemas globally on 8 December.
For a ballet with a twist, meanwhile, Matthew Bourne’s take on Sleeping Beauty will return to London for a tenth-anniversary production at Sadler’s Wells. Starring New Adventures veterans Ashley Shaw and Andrew Monaghan, along with several principles making their Sleeping Beauty debuts, Bourne’s modern choreography promises to delight with its gothic romanticism. The perfect gift for the theatre fan in your life.
The Nutcracker, 6 December 2022 – 14 January 2023, roh.org.uk; Sleeping Beauty, 29 November 2022 – 15 January 2023, sadlerswells.com
The bar: Florattica
Feel like you’ve been to every bar in London while doing your Christmas catch-ups? Allow us to introduce a new drinking destination opening in the capital this month. For city slickers looking for the hottest after-work drinks spot, Florattica is a new rooftop bar atop the Hilton London City. The views are predictably spectacular but an interior inspired by East London’s textile heritage, and featuring floral patterns designed by 17th Century French Huguenots is equally stunning. That, of course, is if you can tear your eyes away from Serena Carrino’s creative and colourful cocktails.
Florattica opens on 2 December 2022, floratticalondon.co.uk
The festival: Beauty Beat
Bringing together some of the world’s most recognisable cosmetics and skincare brands, Beauty Beat is the first beauty festival aimed specifically at the needs of women of colour. Held across two days, and featuring experts from Nars, Laura Mercier and BareMinerals, as well as a host of make-up artists and beauty influencers, workshops and panels will give attendees insight into the intimidating world of tweakments, lessons in mastering your base and building a routine to give you the skin you’ve always dreamed of.
3-4 December 2022, thebeautybeat.co.uk
The showstopper: Hedonism x Hide x Château d’Yquem
If you’re something of an oenophile, it won’t have escaped your notice that legendary London wine merchant Hedonism is turning ten this year. To celebrate it’s teamed up with sister restaurant, Mayfair’s Michelin-starred Hide, and Château d’Yquem to host a seriously stunning foodie event. Taking place on 21 December, the evening will see a menu of fine far devised by Hide’s chef-owner Ollie Dabbous paired with some of the world’s most revered sweet wines, including the 100 Parker Point 2001, 1959, 1905 1873 and 1811 vintages. There will also be champagne reception, during which Dom Perignon 1990 from the magnum will be served, as well as wines from the revered Cheval Blanc estate. Every attendee will also be given a half bottle of Château d’Yquem and a pair of engraved Zalto glasses to take home as a memento of the evening.
21 December 2022, £7,500 per person, hedonism.co.uk
Read more: The best festive events in the capital
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