Christmas Eve dinners in Singapore 2019: Where to go for the merriest buffets and festive menus this year

Joy to the world, turkey feasting has come… and there's zero cooking or cleaning up required.

With Singapore's finest culinary elves dishing us up some splendid Christmas Eve dinners, all you need do is sit back and prep your tummy for eclectic twists on turkey, seafood spreads, and decadent desserts.

From all-you-can-eat buffets to lavish set menus, here're the merriest options for your festive get-together.

ASH & ELM

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With three culinary theatres firing up festive delights, you'd best head down hungry to Ash & Elm's Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner.

This airy InterContinental Singapore restaurant is doing European-style revelry right with a succulent spread of whole roast turkeys, coq au vin, turkey-and-cranberry pizzas, and more.

After the savouries, stuff your dessert stomach silly with luscious vanilla Saint-Honore and gingerbread bread and butter pudding, alongside quintessential seasonal treats like Yule logs, fruitcake, and Christmas cookies. Look forward to free flow bubbles and cocktails to really get into the Christmas spirit(s)!

Cost: S$188++ per adult for unlimited Taittinger Champagne, festive cocktails, house wines, beers, soft drinks, and juices; S$148 per adult for unlimited festive cocktails, soft drinks, and juices.

Ash & Elm's Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner is happening on 24 December 2019 from 6pm to 10.30pm, at InterContinental Singapore, 80 Middle Rd, Singapore 188966.

For reservations, call +65 6825 1008 or visit here.

MITZO

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If the prospect of yet another trussed turkey has you yawning, how about turkey with a punch of black pepper and wok hei?

Cantonese restaurant Mitzo breaks the mould with a five-course Festive Set Menu, melding Christmas and Chinese flavours in the most magical ways.

Your feast kickstarts with an Appetiser Platter, featuring a tasty trio of Truffle with Sesame Mayonnaise Prawn, Creamy Pomelo Lobster Claw and crispy Roasted Pork Belly.

The velvety Pumpkin & Scallop Soup with Caviar will have you slurping up every last drop, while the slow-cooked Mitzo's Festive Wagyu Beef Cheek positively melts in the mouth.

The pièce de résistance, however, has to be the Black Pepper Turkey Fried Rice, where the tender turkey is stir-fried to smoky perfection.

Cost: $88++ per person (minimum two to dine). Quote <CITYNOMADS> to get 10 per cent off the Festive Set Menu when making your reservation!

Mitzo's Festive Set Menu is available from 1 December 2019 to 1 January 2020, between 11.30am-2.30pm and 6.30pm-10.30pm, at Grand Park Orchard, 270 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238857.

For reservations, call +65 6603 8855 or email rsvn @mitzo.sg.

MEZZA9, GRAND HYATT SINGAPORE

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Celebrate the sustainable way with mezza9's thoughtfully-sourced spread of international dishes.

There're pleasures for every palate at their Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner, from tender Tom Turkey flavoured with orange to deliciously marbled Mottainai Lamb Shoulder to fragrant Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai (Thai green curry chicken).

Chow down on the poke bowls packed with Norwegian salmon and brown rice for a spot of healthful feasting, all the better to get sinful with dessert - think luscious Gingerbread Crumbs and Organic Coffee Crème Brulée, and more.

Cost: $158++ per adult (food and soft beverages), or $198++ with free-flow alcohol.

mezza9's Christmas Eve dinner buffet is happening on 24 December 2019 from 7pm to 11pm, at Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228211. For reservations, call +65 6732 1234 or visit here.

SEASONAL TASTES

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Perched atop The Westin Singapore, Seasonal Tastes is ringing in Yule with a local flair.

You'll find scrumptious signatures like walnut bread-stuffed Rolled Turkey and butter-poached Beef Tomahawk at their Festive Buffet, alongside Singaporean indulgences like Cereal Prawn with Parmesan Cheese and Wok-Braised Crab soaking in chili crab sauce.

For round two, tackle the ocean-fresh seafood selection, then hit up the dessert table for comforting treats like Ginger Spiced Orange Brûlée and brandied fruitcake. In between plates, take a breather with panoramic views over Marina Bay through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows.

Cost: S$68++ for Christmas Eve lunch buffet and S$108++ for Christmas Eve dinner buffet. Prices vary for other dates.

Seasonal Tastes' Festive Buffet is available on 24-26 & 31 December 2019 and 1 January 2020 for both lunch and dinner, at Level 32 of The Westin Singapore, 12 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 2, Singapore 018961.

For reservations, call +65 6922 6968 or email seasonaltastes.singapore @westin.com.

MARRIOTT CAFE

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Yule revelry doesn't get much more opulent than Marriott Cafe's Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner.

Indulge in a whole sleigh full of more than 110 items on their festive menu, from roast turkeys and premium charcuterie to chutney-paired Pan-Fried Duck Foie Gras and Beef Brisket deliciously rubbed with coffee and chermoula.

The buffet spread is also swimming in seafood gems, including Grilled Scallops with zesty salsa verde, piquant Crayfish with Chili Herb Butter, and Lobster Thermidor. And since it's Christmas, you won't need to resist the lure of sweet treats like Raspberry Crumble with Rum-Infused Fruits and brandy-infused chocolate pudding.

Cost: $160++ per adult, inclusive of free-flow sparkling wines, reds and whites, beer, juices, and soft drinks.

Marriott Cafe's Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner is happening on 24 December 2019 at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238865.

For reservations, call +65 6831 4605, visit https://www.singaporemarriott.com/christmas/ or email mhrs.sindt.fb.reservations @marriotthotels.com.

THE KITCHEN TABLE

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All we want for Christmas (besides good grub) is a spot of R&R, and the kitchen table is the perfect place for both.

Oozing whimsy and laidback charm, this Sentosa Cove buffet haven has quite the fusion feast to offer this season.

Meaty highlights include Smoked Wagyu Pastrami and Foie Gras & Figs Pate from the Deli, lobster and Hokkaido scallops hot off the grill, Singaporean Chili Crab paired with crisp mantou, and a live carving parade of wagyu prime turkey and stuffed turkey.

Pile your plate with black gold from the Caviar Bar, then indulge your sweet tooth with no less than six flavours of Yule Log and some spicy Mulled Wine Brownies.

Cost: $138++ per adult, or $178++ including bubbly, wines, premium cocktails, and fizz.

the kitchen table's Christmas Eve Dinner is happening on 24 December 2019 from 6pm to 10pm, at W Singapore - Sentosa Cove, 21 Ocean Way, Sentosa, Singapore 098374.

For reservations, call +65 6808 7268 or email thekitchentable.singapore @whotels.com.

THE GUILD

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They say those who eat together stay together, so round up your nearest and dearest for The Guild's family-style feast.

Feeding six to eight people, this merry spread brims with spruced-up festive favourites, from Pork Knuckle Ham to Butter Roasted Chicken brightened with scallion and ginger citronette.

For sumptuous soul food, look no further than the ever-popular Mac N' Cheese, or the Fett'unta, grilled garlic bread generously slicked with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil.

Cookie monsters rejoice: there's a luscious chocolate and peanut butter cookie for dessert, best washed down with one of The Guild's excellent stouts.

Cost: $290, for 6-8 pax

The Guild's festive feast is available from 1 to 31 December 2019 at #01-01, 55 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089158.

For reservations, call +65 9042 3900.

BASQUE KITCHEN BY AITOR

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Christmas cheer gets exotic at Basque Kitchen by Aitor, as Chef Aitor brings the Santo Tomás festivities of his native Basque Country to our shores.

His six-course dinner for two is a love letter to the charms of traditional Basque produce - think chorizo, talo (a popular corn flour flatbread), cheese, and much-beloved booze like cider and txakoli.

Your feast will be paired with four acclaimed wines from the region and its surrounding Iberian Peninsula.

No worries if you're too stuffed for dessert - you'll get to take home a fluffy Homemade Panettone, inspired by the recipe of celebrated Catalan pastry chef Oriol Balaguer.

Cost: $450++ for two persons.

Basque Kitchen by Aitor's festive dinner is available from 23 to 31 December 2019, at 97 Amoy St, Singapore 069917.

For reservations, call +65 6224 2232 or email info @basquekitchenbyaitor.com.

MAG'S WINE KITCHEN

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Freshly ensconced in its snug new space along Keong Saik, Mag's Wine Kitchen celebrates its first Noel there with a lavish French-style Christmas Menu.

Savour the likes of Foie Gras sweetly accented with cherry gel and griottine, Chestnut Emulsion adorned with white truffles, and the classic Stuffed Turkey Breast served with grilled little gem lettuce.

Round off your revels with a mouthwatering Sherry Trifle, featuring creamy layers of sponge cake studded with caramel-coated almonds and seasonal berries.

Cost: $128++ per pax.

Mag's Wine Kitchen's Christmas Menu is available on 24 December 2019 from 5pm onwards, at 55 Keong Saik Rd, #01-06, Singapore 089158.

For reservations, call +65 6438 3836 or visit here.

This article was first published in City Nomads.