Planning a Christmas Meal in Eltham? Why the Weeks Before Christmas Are the Best Time to Go Out 

Christmas Day gets all the attention, but when I think about the festive meals people talk about afterwards, a lot of them happen in the weeks before it. It is the dinner with the friends you only manage to see properly once a year, the lunch with family who will be with the in-laws on the day itself, or the evening out with your partner once the presents are finally wrapped. Nobody has to cook or wash up afterwards; you can just sit back and enjoy each other's company. 

Christmas Day here is already fully booked this year, so if you were hoping to eat with us over the festive season, the run-up to Christmas is what I would recommend. Our downstairs gastropub serves a festive menu from Wednesday 25 November right through to Christmas Eve, and having run the barn since I reopened it in 2009, I can tell you that a building from 1525, with its old beams, twinkling fairy lights and historic charm, doesn’t need much help to feel like Christmas. 

Lunch or dinner? 

The festive menu is served at both lunch and dinner, so the first thing worth deciding is what kind of meal you want it to be. 

A lunch tends to suit families, particularly if you have grandparents who would rather be home before it gets dark or little ones who will not last until nine o'clock. It also means you can walk off your Christmas pudding afterwards in the Well Hall Pleasaunce, which is the 13 acres of parkland that surrounds the barn. 

An evening booking is better if you want the meal to turn into a night out. On the nights when one of our shared Christmas party nights is running upstairs in the Tudor Gallery, you can book a table downstairs from 7pm and, once you have eaten, go up and join the DJ and disco from 9.30pm. Everyone at the table needs to have ordered from the festive menu for this, and our shared nights this year run from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 December, Thursday 10 to Saturday 12 December, and Thursday 17 to Saturday 19 December. If that is what you have in mind, mention it when you book and the team will confirm that a party night is running on your date. 

Finding a meal that suits everyone at the table 

The hardest part of organising a Christmas meal for a group is rarely the date. It is usually that one person wants the full turkey dinner, another does not eat meat, and someone else has already had three Christmas dinners at work and cannot face another one. 

That is why we keep our usual à la carte menu running alongside the festive menu, so you can choose whichever suits you on the day. On the festive menu itself, the turkey and honey mustard glazed gammon comes with pigs in blankets and all the trimmings, but there is also a cumin, butternut squash and lentil Wellington that is vegan and served with vegan gravy, a herb crusted salmon fillet, a roast porchetta, and an 8oz Denver steak for a £5.00 supplement. Every dish on the menu is marked if it is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or contains nuts, and our allergens page has the full details. 

The festive menu is £29.95 for two courses or £37.95 for three, and you can download the full menu from our festive menu page to share with your group before you book. 

Making an occasion of it 

If it is a celebration rather than a quiet catch-up, there are a few ways to make more of it. Our spiced mulled wine and festive cocktails all feature as part of our December dining offering and for tables that want to really let their hair down, you can add bottomless drinks to the festive menu, which gives you 90 minutes of fizz, Coors, Aspall cider or soft drinks! 

Organising a bigger table 

If you are the one pulling the group together, my advice is to collect everybody's food choices as early as you can. For tables of 11 or more, we ask for a small deposit and a pre order one week before your booking, so that the kitchen has your table's order before you arrive. Chasing twelve people for their starter choices the night before is nobody's idea of festive. And if your group is large enough that you would rather have a space of your own, or it is turning into the work Christmas party, have a look at our Christmas page, where you will find our shared and exclusive party nights. 

A few practical things 

We are open Wednesday to Sunday and closed every Monday and Tuesday. From Wednesday to Saturday we are open from 11am until 11pm, with food served until 9.30pm. On Sundays we serve our Sunday roast rather than the festive menu, and through the winter we are open from 11am until 8pm with food served until 6.30pm. Because we also host private events, there are occasional dates when the gastropub is closed to the public, so it is worth checking our private closures page before you set off. 

You will find us in Well Hall Pleasaunce on Well Hall Road, Eltham, SE9 6SZ, and parking is available along Kidbrooke Lane. 

Frequently asked questions 

When is the festive menu available at Tudor Barn Eltham? 

From Wednesday 25 November to Christmas Eve 2026, every Wednesday to Saturday, at both lunch and dinner. 

How much is the festive menu? 

Two courses are £29.95 and three courses are £37.95. The 8oz Denver steak carries a £5.00 supplement, and sides are charged separately. 

Can some of us order from the normal menu instead? 

Yes. Our à la carte menu is available alongside the festive menu. 

Is there a vegan Christmas dinner? 

Yes. The cumin, butternut squash and lentil Wellington is vegan and is served with vegan gravy, and there are vegan options for the starter and dessert too. 

Are you open on Christmas Day? 

Christmas Day lunch is fully booked for 2026. The festive menu is available every Wednesday to Saturday up to and including Christmas Eve. 

Can we carry on dancing after dinner? 

On nights when a shared Christmas party night is running upstairs, diners booked from 7pm who have ordered from the festive menu can join the DJ and disco from 9.30pm. Ask the team when you book and they will confirm which nights this applies to. 

To book a table, visit our book a table page, call us on 0800 433 2351 or email restaurant@tudorbarneltham.co.uk. I look forward to seeing you downstairs by the fire this Christmas.