Break out your ugly Christmas jumpers, it's time to eat, drink and be merry.
Dozens of restaurants, cafes and bars across Dubai are organising Christmas Eve packages, complete with sumptuous festive dinners featuring cuisines from all over the world.
Here we compile some spots where you can bring Christmas in with friends and family on the evening of December 24.
Mama Zonia
The Pier 7 restaurant will offer a three-course menu for Christmas Eve. Festive tunes will ring out across the jungle-themed venue, while diners enjoy seasonal dishes including a Christmas turkey, striploin and jumbo prawns.
7pm-11pm; from Dh275; Pier 7, Dubai Marina; 04 240 4747
The Bay
Those who fancy a Christmas Eve dinner on the beach can head to this Mediterranean-inspired brasserie in Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai. On offer is a three-course, sharing-style festive menu, featuring mouthwatering dishes such as lobster and prawn tortellini, and Scottish trout meuniere — all to be enjoyed amid an airy seaside setting with stunning views of the Arabian Gulf.
6:30pm-11pm; Dh380 for two adults; Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 777 2233
Billionaire Dubai
A lavish party awaits guests at this dinner-show venue at Taj Dubai in Business Bay. Creative director Montse More will put together an avant-garde show with singers, dancers, acrobats and aerialists from around the globe. The menu spans Italian and Asian cuisine, with dishes such as salt-crust-baked wild sea bass, sweet chilli Wagyu fillet, as well as a selection of pizza and sushi.
9pm-3am; a la carte menu; Taj Dubai, Burj Khalifa street; 04 510 3100
Taiko
The Sofitel restaurant will serve contemporary Asian fare to diners heading here on Christmas Eve. The special multi-course menu will feature miso saffron black cod, Japanese Wagyu, mango koi and, of course, traditional turkey with all the trimmings. Enjoy a selection of three starters, two mains and two desserts even as a DJ sets the mood.
7pm-11pm; from Dh488 for adults, Dh180 for children; Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, Wafi Mall; 04 281 4010
Brasserie Boulud
Authentic French cuisine will be on offer at this Sofitel restaurant. Prepared by chef Nicolas LeMoyne, the Christmas Eve dinner will feature truffle-crusted veal loin, poached Oman shrimp tartare, pan-seared and truffle-crusted sole, and a chocolate Christmas log with cherry filling and whipped cream. The set menu includes one amuse-bouche, an appetiser, a main and a dessert.
7pm-11pm; from Dh425 for adults, Dh180 for children; Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk, Wafi Mall; 04 281 4020
MasterChef, the TV Experience
The Millennium Place restaurant will offer a three-course set festive menu for Christmas Eve, while diners can also enjoy a live performance from swing and jazz singer Ciaran Fox. The menu features seasonally inspired dishes, including tiger prawns with garlic and olive oil, Josper-grilled tenderloin and chocolate mousse.
7pm-midnight; from Dh299; Millennium Place Hotel, Dubai Marina; 04 550 8111
The Blacksmith
Meat-focused and Texan-influenced, that is the promise of this Business Bay smokehouse. The sharing-style Christmas Eve brunch menu will feature seasonal meats, including pulled turkey and smoked lamb ribs, plus Brie cheese croquettes, all accompanied by live music.
7pm-10pm; from Dh199, children get 50 per cent off; The First Collection Business Bay; 04 407 8873
Le Guepard
The 20th-century-inspired French brasserie in Alserkal Avenue is offering an exclusive private-dining experience for Christmas Eve. Mouth-watering food aside, the venue features the elegance and glamour of a 1930s European home, with interiors inspired by the likes of design masters Madeleine Castaing and Henri Samuel.
The menu, prepared by chef Yanis Yahoui, will feature classic French favourites with a creative twist. Think gold egg with butternut veloute, Chilean sea bass with caviar and roast turkey stuffed with truffle.
10am-7pm; price upon request; Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
TakaHisa
The Japanese hotspot in Bluewaters will offer a festive menu with premium, seasonal ingredients. Sushi masterchef Takashi Nemkata will source the produce straight from Tokyo's famous Toyosu Market. On the limited-edition menu is a Kobe beef hand selected by Wagyu masterchef Hisao Ueda. Other dishes include crab risotto and crab shabu-shabu.
December 16 to January 7; 3pm-2am; from Dh2,500 per person; 04 556 6688
The M One
At this Millennium Place restaurant, diners will enjoy a performance from a live Cuban duo, while relishing a festive culinary experience. On offer will be traditional dishes such as roast turkey, braised lamb leg, roast duck and all the trimmings. There will also be live cooking sessions featuring seafood, lobster and tempura, while kids enjoy their own buffet. The desserts will also be festive-themed, with gingerbread cookies and a Christmas cake on offer.
7pm-10:30pm; from Dh239 for adults, Dh95 for kids; Millennium Place Barsha Heights Hotel; 04 438 1111
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