Christmas dinner on Christmas day - anywhere open?

inisboffin

My folks might come down to visit for a couple of days at Christmas, the whole cooking thing is complicated for a few reasons, and we are renting, so may not be able have full run of the kitchen here!

Anywhere ye'd recommend that does Chrismo dinner? Hotel or even restaurant that might be open? Galway Bay hotel do a 3 or 4 day package, but it is pricey and we only need a day or 2, and accommodation is probably sorted. They don't serve the dinner to non residents.

I'd be open for anything, like Indian, Chinese food etc, but I think the folks want the traditional grub.

Thanks!

MattKid

If The Clayton are open and doing it I'd recommend them, bloody good food at decent prices

The Freeman

i used to work in the raddison hotel restaurant and they do a marvellous buffet but it aint cheap for both christmas day and the days before and after, where i work out by balybrit ind estate is a restaurant that does good food called ya ya's the manager told me that there is gonna be a buffet for christmas day, not a plush place but the food will be good i tell ya;)
i'm sure other places aroubd toen have options for ya aswel hust shop around, hurry on though cos there's alot of others with the same idea as yourself dude

hope it helps

sgthighway

I'd second the Raddison hotel. Whereever you book make sure you ring back and confirm a couple of weeks before Christmas. I know someone who organised the raddison hotel for 3 families and it fell through - raddison hotel had a problem and had mis-placed the customers number. They found out 3 days before

herbieflowers

You don't want a buffet on Xmas though, you go to a restaurant to be served by someone!

The Freeman

herbieflowers wrote: »

You don't want a buffet on Xmas though, you go to a restaurant to be served by someone!

not making sence there herbie....

inisboffin

Thanks! I will email the Raddison and ask for their menu for the buffet, seems to be about 75 smackers, which is kind of the norm. I'll have a check out of YaYa's too, thanks! Clayton seems like lovely food, but if we go with a hotel, the folks would probably prefer closer to town.
Will keep checking though, and appreciate any more tips.
To further complicate things - one of the group is semi-vegetarian (they do fish).
Thanks!

padi89

The Freeman wrote: »

not making sence there herbie....

Buffet is usually stand in a line and lob your own nosh on your plate, i think he means he'd rather have some dishy bird(oh the sexism) serve it to him;)

Tetra

The Harbour Hotel has a nice Christmas menu

inisboffin

Yeah, loads of lovely menus that friends have recommended, but most 'Christmas Menus' don't extend into Christmas Day.
The House, for example is completely closed for food
I will give the Harbour a buzz to check though, thanks!

Jeapy

I know its about 30 miles away, but on Christmas Day in Ballindine (just over the Mayo boarder) theres a Dinner on in Ellie McGuires in aid of West of Ireland Alzeihmers. Its 100euro a head for 5 courses with wine. Ive never had a bad meal there and would def recommend. Its for charity too so itd make the 100euro a little better!

forbairt

padi89 wrote: »

i think he means he'd rather have some dishy bird(oh the sexism) serve it to him;)

Don't be silly ... how on earth would they get Turkeys serving dinner

inisboffin

Jeapy wrote: »

I know its about 30 miles away, but on Christmas Day in Ballindine (just over the Mayo boarder) theres a Dinner on in Ellie McGuires in aid of West of Ireland Alzeihmers. Its 100euro a head for 5 courses with wine. Ive never had a bad meal there and would def recommend. Its for charity too so itd make the 100euro a little better!

Sounds lovely, and I would very much consider it except for the daft fact that not ONE of the four of us can/is able to drive!
Walking distance is the thing!

epkdub09

forbairt wrote: »

Don't be silly ... how on earth would they get Turkeys serving dinner

:pac::pac:

inisboffin

Jaysus, this thread was dragged from the dust!


Last year we ended up at the Raddisson btw. The hotel decor and the rooms were grand and festive, but the dinner experience wasn't the best at all. It was like a factory line with the food. Little things like crackers missing from the table, no drinks arriving, running out of bread and MASH! Have to say the staff were lovely and did their best but they were being micromanaged very poorly.

This year we were minus parents and weren't stuck to traditional menu..got home way too late last night to be worrying too much about potatoes
Happy days!

epkdub09

inisboffin wrote: »

Jaysus, this thread was dragged from the dust!


Last year we ended up at the Raddisson btw. The hotel decor and the rooms were grand and festive, but the dinner experience wasn't the best at all. It was like a factory line with the food. Little things like crackers missing from the table, no drinks arriving, running out of bread and MASH! Have to say the staff were lovely and did their best but they were being micromanaged very poorly.

This year we were minus parents and weren't stuck to traditional menu..got home way too late last night to be worrying too much about potatoes
Happy days!

Hi -- sorry, I didn't notice the date of the last post.
Glad to hear you had a good time despite the shortcomings of your dinner experience. Running out of food is definitely unacceptable!

quantumpet

I'm dragging this one up again! It'll probably pop up every year. Does anyone know of any restaurant in Galway open to serve Christmas Lunch / dinner, other than the Radisson and preferably not buffet?

alibabba

quantumpet wrote: »

I'm dragging this one up again! It'll probably pop up every year. Does anyone know of any restaurant in Galway open to serve Christmas Lunch / dinner, other than the Radisson and preferably not buffet?

Why dont you wait until Dec
Look out for ads in papers, hotels will def be doing dinner on Christmas Day

biko

You have plenty time now to ring and ask the restaurants you'd like to visit.
Or simply go in and ask next time you're in the city.

inisboffin

From past experience, it is a lot harder to find places than you'd think. There are a few places out of town that do it sometimes, but for the most part it is hotel packages on offer. If there are enough of you, why not try approaching a restaurant and offer to make a booking with deposit? this would probably work only with say a group of 10 or more.
A lot of 'ethnic' restaurants, close, whether the owners celebrate Christmas or not. Part of this is pure economics though. When I lived in the States I had two of the tastiest Christmas dinners with friends at our local Indian restaurant.
If you are willing to skip the traditional dinner, you may have more luck.

quantumpet

Thanks! Ya there are a few of us, just wanted to try something different this year by going somewhere for lunch. The restaurants I have called to ask whether or not they are open on Christmas day, greet me with either disgust or disbelief and quickly get off the phone before their manager or owner gets wind of people asking. The radisson were very nice when I called today, seemingly they have been taking bookings for months now!! But a very pricey buffet at 80 pp!!! No drink included, looks like it may be a Christmas Eve dinner instead

For a christmas eve meal just find a Polish household - they traditionally keep a place at the table and food for any potential stranger who knocks on the door...

inisboffin

Deleted User wrote: »

For a christmas eve meal just find a Polish household - they traditionally keep a place at the table and food for any potential stranger who knocks on the door...

Ya but probably not a gang of hungry strangers!:D

I think that's in a lot of cultures. When I was in College and didn't venture home, there were always great 'orphan' Christmas offers. Usually ended up all the orphans clubbing together, generally a few strangers!

JohnCleary

Who the **** would want to work, serving happy familes, on XMas Day?

Seaneh

JohnCleary wrote: »

Who the **** would want to work, serving happy familes, on XMas Day?

A muslim, Hindu, Jew or sikh who doesn't celebrate a christian tradition and would rather have another days wages?

JohnCleary

Seaneh wrote: »

A muslim, Hindu, Jew or sikh who doesn't celebrate a christian tradition and would rather have another days wages?

Those things don't exist, stop talking jibberish!

inisboffin

JohnCleary wrote: »

Who the **** would want to work, serving happy familes, on XMas Day?

I've done it in the past. Money was double, and had great craic at work! Often people who work Chrismo do really short 4 hour shifts, so they have time to go have a proper holiday as well.

Mrs OBumble

JohnCleary wrote: »

Who the **** would want to work, serving happy familes, on XMas Day?

Someone who wants an excuse not to hang out with their own dysfunctional family that day.

Someone without kids whose partner is working anyway (nurse, guard, prison-officer, etc), is is happy to get the extra pay.

A tourist whose family are all overseas.

Someone who's unemployed, and happy to take any work that's offering.

I've never done it (my mc-jobs days were in places that closed on Christmas Day), but people who have tell me that it's usually great craic: the customers feel sorry for you having to work, and everyone's usually very generous.

Madame Razz

I know that they used to do dinner in the Great Southern but I'm not sure if the Meyrick has kept up the tradition.

dec25532

I know that the Galway Bay Hotel are doing Christmas dinners but not sure if it is only part of a package for two or three days stay over. Ardilaun doing similar I think. The Radisson are the only ones who are really advertising their Christmas Day dinners. It would cost a small fortune to book an individual restaurant to stay open on Christmas Day for a group of 10 or so.

Meemars

Courtyard by Marriott on Headford Road, they're open Christmas Day as well. Again, I don't know what price for just dinner on the day, all I could find was an offer including accommodation, but give them a call. Been advertised for many weeks by now. Fa La La!

thebackbar

on a some what similar note does anyone know of a place that does catering for xmas dinner, ie pick up the food on xmas eve, then on Christmas day just pop it into the oven. I have read else where that Marks & Spencer's provide this type of service, has anyone used them here in Galway ? Something similar to this Dublin outfit would be ideal

http://www.thebutlerspantry.ie/Food_Christmas_Dinner.aspx?id=123

Cheers