Explore some of the best restaurants in the UK participating in the StreetSmart campaign by booking on OpenTable today and give back to those most in need this Christmas.
Support the UK’s most vulnerable every time you dine out this festive season by choosing restaurants that partner with StreetSmart
For romance, eclectic cuisine, and bags of character – book a table at Duck Soup in Soho, London
The weekly-changing menu at Duck Soup serves only the very best of seasonal produce, with an eclectic array of dishes inspired by travels around the world. Sample dishes include crab mayonnaise with purple sprouting broccoli, pistachios and chilli, pumpkin gnocchi with sage brown butter and parmesan, and roast duck with radicchio, figs and boudin noir. Whatever’s on the menu, you can be sure it will combine delicious flavours with simple cooking. The wine list is full of character and sourced from independent and natural winemakers who place the same love and care into their production as the chefs do. There’s always something new to try at this cosy and intimate restaurant, with classic vinyl for you to browse and play while you dine. Support the homeless by adding £1 to your bill this winter at Duck Soup.
For a contemporary take on classic British cuisine in gorgeous Grade II listed surroundings – visit Simpsons in Edgbaston, Birmingham
A true Birmingham icon, Simpsons in Edgbaston has numerous accolades under its belt as testament to the quality of the food, service, and surroundings. These include a MICHELIN star, alongside culinary awards such as Chefs’ Chef of the Year for chef-patron Andreas Antona, and Midlands Chef of the Year for head chef Luke Tipping. All set in an exquisite Georgian villa Grade II listed building, with exposed stone walls, blonde beams and bi-fold doors opening onto the garden in summer. Try the Prestige tasting menu to make the most of your experience – think seabass and spinach poached in goat’s cheese butter, highland venison with woodland mushrooms, pickled blackberries and a pumpkin puree, and Orkney scallops with black garlic and nasturtium oil. Add a discretionary £1 to your bill in support of StreetSmart this winter.
For an outstanding MICHELIN-starred tasting menu – treat yourself at BEHIND in Hackney, London
A foodie paradise offering an intimate fine dining experience, BEHIND is one of London’s best-kept secrets. Seating just 18 people around the kitchen table for lunch or dinner, booking is essential. The fish-focused tasting menu comes from MICHELIN-starred chef Andy Beynon, with fresh seafood highlights that change with the seasons. Choose from a six-course lunch menu or a ten-course dinner menu, with optional wine pairings to truly appreciate every morsel. Start with seasonal hors d’oeuvres and then sample some of the most succulent seafood expertly prepared. The vibe is friendly and warm – you’ll often find Beynon wandering about chatting to the guests and pouring drinks, and once you’ve eaten, there’s a relaxed wine bar attached so you can continue your evening. And this Christmas you can also give something back, with an optional £1 surcharge to directly support StreetSmart’s work with the homeless.
For a local vibe with French-inspired menus – check out 64 Goodge Street in Fitzrovia, London
One of the best new kids on the block from Woodhouse Restaurant Group, 64 Goodge Street is just around the corner from other beloved restaurants in the group in London’s Fitzrovia district. The custom-designed dining room aims to become an oasis of calm and tranquillity in the capital, with top-notch customer service from people who genuinely care about your experience. Chef Stewart Andrew delivers a menu in the true Woodhead spirit – French cuisine from an outsider’s perspective. Showstopping menu highlights include chicken liver parfait with brioche fingers and grape, raviole de bœuf bourguignon en bouillon, monkfish and squid ragoût du pays basque, and fallow deer with beetroots, rowanberry and sauce Grand-Veneur. And this winter, you can enjoy all this and more while giving £1 to the homeless through the partnership with StreetSmart.
For modern British cuisine with unparalleled views – take in the sights from 20 Stories Restaurant in Manchester
Recently awarded Best Restaurant in Manchester at the 2024 British Restaurant Awards, 20 Stories Restaurant is fast becoming a Manchester icon. The rooftop terrace is a sight to behold, with two-storey-high trees against a panoramic backdrop of the cityscape from up high. Choose the menu to suit your occasion – a la carte, bottomless brunch, Sunday roast, pre-theatre and seasonal festive menus throughout the year. Highlights include braised pork cheek with chicory, apple and smoked paprika aioli, grilled spatchcock poussin with roast Piccolo parsnip and carrot, and celeriac Wellington with wild mushrooms and parsley cream. For your festive celebrations, book the private dining room for up to 18 guests, for a set menu or canapes and cocktails with a view. You can also book half the restaurant for larger parties of up to 40 people. Don’t forget to add £1 to your bill in support of StreetSmart this Christmas.
For MICHELIN-recommended Peruvian fine dining – don’t miss Chakana in Birmingham
Birmingham’s first and finest Peruvian restaurant, Chakana is featured in both the Good Food Guide and the MICHELIN Guide. Headed by award-winning chef Robert Ortiz, expect fine dining in casual surroundings with a wide range of dishes to cater to all dietary requirements. Relaxed and welcoming with a touch of magic on every plate. At Chakana, you can experience the delights of the vibrant and soulful Peruvian style of cookery. Try the tasting menu to sample as much as possible – think yellowfin tuna in Nikkei sauce with pickled radish and toasted sesame, roasted suckling pig pekines with hispi cabbage and algarrobina syrup, and hot crab causa with Andean potato and yuzu. And help the homeless this festive season with a small £1 donation to StreetSmart added to your bill.
For natural wines and freshly prepared baked goods – check out Jolene Newington Green in Stoke Newington, London
There’s nothing quite as sumptuous as the smell of freshly baked bread. At Jolene Newington Green, you can bask in that delicious aroma as you dine. Part bakery, part restaurant, and part natural wine cellar, Jolene focuses on flavour, provenance and creating a relaxed, local neighbourhood vibe. The menu changes daily, so you never quite know what you’re going to get; however, you do know it will be cooked with care and served with love. Sample dishes include spinach casarecce with courgette, lemon and crème fraiche, lamb skewers with rigatelli peppers and mint yoghurt, and red mullet marinated in peach and herbs. The absolute maximum table size here is six people – best for intimate nights out with a few close friends. This winter, support StreetSmart by adding a discretionary £1 to your bill when you pay.
For a British country kitchen experience in charming surroundings – visit The Farmhouse at Redcoats in Hitchin, Hertfordshire
Award-winning country house dining at its best, The Farmhouse at Redcoats is a two-rosette restaurant specialising in farm-to-fork dining. Nestled in an exquisite country location in Hertfordshire, the views alone are worth a visit. The 15th-century farmhouse is brimming with quirky character, with stylish interiors packed with historic charm. The menu changes regularly as the focus is on working with local farmers and an in-house organic garden to create zero-mile dishes wherever possible. Sample dishes you may encounter depending on the season include Staithe Smokehouse salmon tartare with crispy sushi rice, Herefordshire beef carpaccio with picked wild mushrooms and sprout slaw, and pan-roasted loin of local venison with slow-cooked haunch cottage pie, mulled wine, poached pear and Jerusalem artichoke. And this festive season, you’ll be offered to add £1 per order of bread from the menu.
For a theatrical culinary experience from a MICHELIN-starred chef – try Pavyllon in Mayfair, London
French chef Yannick Alléno is renowned not only for great cooking, but also for his lust for life. Pavyllon is the British expression of this passion, bringing multi MICHELIN-starred dining to Mayfair. Enjoy an exclusive private dining experience, take in the show with seats around the live open kitchen, or in summer dine al fresco on the terrace. After your meal, head for drinks in the vibrant Bar Antoine, with live music, DJs and other entertainment alongside an impressive array of cocktails and other drinks. Push the boat out with an upmarket surf ‘n’ turf – Wagyu beef mille feuille with blue lobster tail served with choron sauce and caviar. Or for something a little less fancy but no less delicious, perhaps try the Cornish lamb cutlet with shiso coulis, or the confit monkfish with parsley butter and meat jus. Support the homeless with StreetSmart this winter by adding a discretionary £1 to your bill.
For fine local seafood and panoramic coastal views – try Rocksalt in Folkestone, Kent
Floor-to-ceiling windows gazing over the English Channel, two-Rosette award-winning seafood and an ethos of simplicity, seasonality and locality, Rocksalt is a Kentish coastal dream. Take in panoramic sea views while you dine on the freshest, locally caught seafood in surroundings designed to encourage complete relaxation. Dine in the restaurant and then kick back in the elegant wine bar or soak up the sun in the garden. While the menu changes to reflect the seasons, you might encounter dishes such as Rocksalt fish soup with a traditional garnish, duck liver parfait with fig jelly and toasted brioche, or Folkestone crab with a pink grapefruit, fennel and dill salad. And that’s just for starters – entrées may include Rye Bay skate wing with shellfish sauce and coastal greens, free-range chicken with whipped truffle cauliflower or a hot seafood platter featuring razor clams, Rockefeller oysters, mussels, prawns and fresh samphire. With a £1 donation added to your bill, you’ll be sure to give back to those in need this festive season.
For a natural and sustainable wine and food menu – book a night out at Crispin in Spitalfields, London
Head Chef Lewis de Haas has designed a seasonal menu inspired by European flavours at Crispin, working with small-scale local producers and independent growers. An all-day restaurant and wine bar, pop by for drinks in the glass and zinc pavilion or on the garden terrace, or a theatrical dining experience around the open kitchen in the main restaurant. The wine list is all-natural and curated by sommelier Alexandra Price, while the food menu has a heavy emphasis on sustainability. Sharing is almost a must here, as you’ll want to sample everything. Perhaps start with a Cobble Lane charcuterie board with cornichons before moving on to mussels in Café de Paris butter with sea purslane or baked figs with gorgonzola. Next, try the bacon chop with grape must butter and the ink linguine with Portland crab and chilli, and don’t forget to order some delicious bread to go with it – you’ll be offered to add £1 per bread order in support of StreetSmart in December.
For vibrant quayside dining with a MICHELIN recommendation – pay a visit to Dobson & Parnell in Newcastle
The North of England Tourism Awards recently voted Dobson & Parnell the “Taste of the Northeast”. One of the most stunning dining areas in the region, situated right on the quayside of Newcastle, combining old-school glamour with modern elegance. The seasonal menu represents excellent value, with famous Sunday roasts making a second visit worthwhile. The menu changes regularly to showcase the best of seasonal produce. From the festive menu, highlights include Yorkshire game terrine with pistachio and pear chutney, salt-aged Hereford beef tartare with smoked egg yolk, and roast venison loin wrapped in pancetta and served with roast parsnips and sauce au poivre. Finish with a signature festive cocktail – the gingerbread espresso martini is a must-try – and don’t forget to contribute just £1 to StreetSmart to help the homeless when you pay.
The festive season is all about coming together to celebrate with loved ones, whether that’s for cosy cocktails, a seasonal afternoon tea, a three-course dinner or a Christmas party. Whatever you choose to do this Christmas, give a little back to those that need it most by choosing a restaurant that partners with StreetSmart. You’ll be invited to add just £1 to your bill to support the homeless this winter and be part of something bigger.
Book yourself a table at a participating restaurant with OpenTable and give something back to those most in need every time you dine out this Christmas.
Explore more great restaurants and bars with festive menus and seasonal cocktails across the UK this winter with these great guide
- 12 of the most festive restaurants to visit in the UK in 2024
- 13 magical restaurants for celebrating Christmas in London
- 10 of the best restaurants for private dining in Glasgow for any occasion
- 15 of Birmingham’s best restaurants for special occasions
- The 11 best bars in Manchester for your next round
