LDNGuide
12 Exciting Things To Eat, Do, & Buy This December
Ho ho ho, merry christmas, and a happy new year to all. If you just said ‘shut up, it’s definitely still September, leave me alone’, then same. But despite the bone-crushing cold and the state of that sale-email-abyss that was once your inbox, December also offers plenty of opportunities for joy. And festive sandwiches. And eating cranberries. And buying people socks because 2021 has been hard and all of our tired little tootsies deserve to be warm.
Read on for the best ways to make the most of the festive season in London, from comedy nights to DIY mince pie kits.
Get Your Hands on a Festive Doughnut
We’re not trying to panic anyone, but if you haven’t tried Gunpowder’s ‘special’ mince pie doughnut then you’re getting dangerously close to finishing the year without experiencing it. They’ve got a history of making excellent doughnuts, and this particular one is fried, rolled in cinnamon sugar, then filled with custard and mince meat, and gold flakes, because… Christmas. Head to their new Soho restaurant to get your fancy mince pie fix.
Eat Naan Melts & Shop at This Indoor Market
Everyone loves a food market this time of year, but we’d also love to keep the sensation in our toes while we eat. And Camden’s new indoor market is the place where you can do both. There's a bunch of delicious options including deep fried pizza from A‘Do’RE fritto, Pakistani naan melts from Khaao, and Afghan dumplings from 2 Lads Kitchen. You can eat with a roof over your head while the DJs blast music until 7pm from Wednesday to Sunday.
Bake Flor’s Mince Pies
Flor’s brown butter cakes regularly feature in our dreams. So does Adam Driver but that’s a conversation for a different time. The point is, this exceptional London Bridge bakery and restaurant is doing bake-at-home traditional mince pie kits. FYI the ‘traditional’ bit means that there is actual meat in these bad boys. You can get your mince pie ingredients delivered directly to any London address, or if baking is just so not your thing, check out Flor’s new bakery at the Spa Terminus food court in Bermondsey, opening December 11th.
Treat Yourself to Some Tooting Laughs
Christmas is all fun and games until you’re in John Lewis crying to Jane the maternal sales assistant because they’re out of green ribbon and your entire wrapping scheme is ruined and suddenly you find yourself saying ‘Jane, I really just need to learn to trust again’. We’ve all been there… right? Anyway, if your December could use a good old fashioned laugh, then head to The Tooting Tram on December 16th for a night of comedy. Tickets are £12 and the line-up includes Michael May, Jamie Oliphant, and Ariella Souma as the MC.
Forget Winter Wonderland, Go to a Winter Yurt
Surely there is no sexier word in the English language than yurt. Except perhaps perineum. Yes, we really do know how to get a festive party started, thank you for asking. This year, instead of dragging yourself to Hyde Park, head to oh-so trendy King’s Cross hotel, The Standard for wholesome festive fun. They’ve transformed the Double Standard terrace into a cabin-inspired yurt and are serving classic winter warmers alongside a limited-edition snowball slushy. Plus, over on their other terrace at Isla you’ll be able to order s’mores for the table and roast them over your own cosy fire pit. Winter Wonderland could never.
Try Caravan’s Festive Pottery Class
What do you give the person who has everything? Why, your own dodgy and self-indulgent pottery of course. We’re joking, hehe ho ho ho. On Tuesday December 14th, DIY pottery legends Sculpd are taking over Caravan in Fitzrovia for a night of smokey negronis, pottery wheel antics, and music from their in-house DJ. You’ll get the chance to craft your own vases and candlestick holders, as well as a goodie bag with paints and extra clay so you can carry on the fun at home. Spaces are limited, so grab your tickets here.
Check Out the King’s Cross Christmas Market
Drinking mulled wine and feeling mighty fine. There you go, we’ve sorted your Instagram caption out for when you go to this market in King’s Cross and get merry on mulled wine circa 5pm and buy your mate a knitted bonnet ‘lol’. The Christmas Canopy Market is running all the way to Christmas Eve with festive treats, indie designers, handmade gifts, and, importantly, lots of twinkly lights. There’s also a curling bar and an installation called The Prism Tree, which sounds both mythical and exactly like the kind of thing you’re going to attempt to climb after too many clementine gins. Make us proud.
Eat a Pigs in Blanket Bao (!) in an Old Church
Amazing Grace is a brand new, big-deal music venue in London Bridge. Mr Bao is a little Taiwanese spot in Peckham that makes the best bao in London. Put them together and you’re in for an excellent meal. To mark the Season of Santa, Mr Bao will be serving turkey Christmas bao, stir-fried brussels sprouts with Chinese sausage, and - deep breath - pigs in blanket bao at this big converted church. Available throughout December, we should also mention that the space at Amazing Grace is really quite something and totally perfect for a late-December mini-Christmas with mates.
Partake in Our Favourite Festive Ritual, Eating Sandwiches
Please contact our humble colleague Jake Missing for a definitive ranking of this year’s Christmas supermarket offerings. Then if you’re feeling spicy send him an 80-page email detailing why Sainsbury’s turkey and trimmings sub is far superior to Tesco’s yule hog wrap. Happy Christmas Jake, don’t say we never get you anything.
Alternatively, head to Dom’s Subs for their hotly-anticipated annual Christmas offering. This year they’ve gone big with a hefty overnight pork shoulder with orange, pecan mole, bread sauce, pickled red cabbage, cranberry, and roast pineapple. For more festive sandwich intel, sign up to our newsletter to be the first to receive our Christmas sandwich guide, which yes, will be written by Jake.
Watch the Holiday on the Big Screen
Was Cameron Diaz robbed of an Oscar for her supremely rousing performance of Mr Brightside? Maybe. Who cares, this film involves Jude Law’s smile and Kate Winslet’s deeply relatable reaction to motorised blinds and that’s enough to make us use the words ‘cinematic masterpiece’. Catch evening viewings of The Holiday in The Exhibit’s cinema room throughout December. Or, if Nancy Meyers films aren’t your vibe, you can watch Nightmare Before Christmas at the Greenwich Peninsula or opt for one of The Prince Charles’ festive pyjama parties.
Give the Greatest Gift This Christmas
… love. Just kidding. We’re obviously talking about gifts from restaurants in all of their delicious glory. Grab a bottle of red wine, take a big old glug, and get clicking add to basket on the following:
The very 2021 Fuck Sourdough T-shirt from Max’s Sandwich Shop
A bottle of quality mezcal from Kol
Hacha’s unbeatable mirror margarita, bottled and ready to pour
The Female Chef cookbook by food writer Clare Finney ft. many of London’s best cooks
Snazzy ceramics from Pophams
Big Mamma’s cookbook, including the Gloria carbonara recipe
Secret-Santa-ready £5 panettone from Lina Stores
Congratulations. You’ve completed your Christmas shopping. Proud of you.
Sack Off Christmas, Eat Fondue Instead
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, so much fondue that I required Rennie, falalala la la la. This is our vague interpretation of ‘an alternative Christmas’. Basically, this time of year can be absolutely trash for anyone who is grieving, sick, in the middle of a break up, or has a family that doesn’t even mildly resemble the Marchs. That’s a Little Women reference, please do keep up. But if you’re hoping to dodge anything too SANTA IS COMING, then just lean into the cold winter nights with The Cheese Bar’s Fondue Thursdays. Throughout December they’re teaming up with ramen legends, Bone Daddies, for some seriously cheesy and hearty winter fun. Book your spot here.
