The ultimate guide to Christmas parties and dining this year

Photograph: courtesy Mr & Mrs Bund

‘Tis the time of the year for holiday cheer and Shanghai certainly knows how to get you in a merry mood. Here's the big list of Christmas dining events and parties to help you eat and drink your way into a festive food and booze coma.

Extract the QR code for the full list of dining events and deals as it is updated.

Christmas brunches

Festive brunch sets at Mr & Mrs Bund

Photograph: courtesy Mr & Mrs Bund

Bundside French stalwart Mr & Mrs Bund will have holiday brunch sets every Saturday and Sunday throughout December, and on Christmas morning (Wednesday 25). Its Christmas brunch set menus start from 488RMB per person, but for those who want its regular brunch menu, it's still available on all days except on Christmas. Favourites include a luxe selection from eggs, caviar and dill to baba au rhum to le beau chicken and truffle vol au vent.

📍Mr & Mrs Bund, Sixth Floor, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Until 29 Sun. 11.30am-2pm. From 488RMB.

Christmas brunch at Frasca

Photograph: courtesy Frasca

If you think that Christmas is about eating all day long, head to Frasca for its Christmas Day seven-course brunch. The menu includes Italian cold cuts, leafy greens, cheese, tortellini in brodo, confit egg with truffle potato and stracciatella. Choose mains like Italian sausage stew, chicken, beef tongue, French sea bass or wood-fired pizza and finish off with Italy's classic Christmas dessert, panettone with sabayon.

📍Frasca Italian Restaurant, First Floor, The Middle House Residences, 366 Shimen Yi Lu, near Wujiang Lu. Wed 25. 11.30am-10pm. 254RMB.

Tomatito's Christmas brunch

Photograph: courtesy Chope

Enjoy a festive brunch at Spanish tapas restaurant Tomatito of eight dishes for 188RMB per person. The set menu includes some of its most popular bites like Salmon TNT, beef tartare, boquerones, croquetas and more. Add another 118RMB and get a free-flow cava, wine or beer.

📍Tomatito, Third Floor, Unit 08-10, 168 Hubin Lu, near Jinan Lu. Tue 24-Thu 26. 11.30am-2pm. 188RMB.

Bad Santa Christmas brunch at Liquid Laundry

Photograph: courtesy Toa Heftiba via Unsplash

Go to Liquid Laundry in a full Santa outfit for free-flow on the house. The restaurant is extending its brunch hours for Christmas and will be serving up specials along with free-flow (198RMB for those not in costume) daily from Saturday 21 to Wednesday 25.

📍Liquid Laundry, Second Floor, K Wah Centre, 1028 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Donghu Lu. Sat 21-Wed 25. 11am-2.30pm. 198RMB; Free entry (in full santa outfit).

Christmas dinners

Christmas dinner at Table Black

Photograph: Gaby Dyson via Unsplash

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Table Black will have a Christmas menu eight-course meal, each paired with a drink and that includes a welcome glass of mulled wine. The menu includes foie gras, Auckland island scampi, slow roasted baby pig leg and eggnog ice cream.

📍Table Black, Second Floor, Bldg 8, Columbia Circle, 1262 Yanan Xi Lu, near Panyu Lu. Tue 24-Wed 25. 6pm-late. 780RMB.

Christmas Eve menu at Stone Brewing

Photograph: courtesy Stone Brewing

Indulge in some festive feasting at Stone Brewing Tap Room on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This crafted selection will set you back 368RMB for a three-course set. The dinner will start with your choice of creamy pumpkin and chestnut soup or seared tuna fillet with black peppercorn and fennel apple salad. For the main, decide between chef James’s herb-crusted lamb chops or the slow-roasted salmon with sautéed baby squid and saffron prawn sauce. Then end on a sweet note with a gooey, warm chocolate brownie topped with vanilla bean ice cream. Welcome drinks are included for everyone, and for 80RMB more, add on beer pairings tailored to each dinner course.

📍Stone Brewing Tap Room Shanghai, 1107 Yuyuan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu. Tue 24. 5pm-10.30am. 368RMB.

Festive dinner sets at Mr & Mrs Bund

Photograph: courtesy Mr & Mrs Bund

Through the whole of December, enjoy Christmas dinner menus at Mr & Mrs Bund. There are five festive sets for your year-end celebration, with regular à la carte available on all days except Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24), Christmas Day (Wednesday 25) and New Year’s Eve (December 31).

📍Mr & Mrs Bund, Sixth Floor, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Until Wed 1 Jan 2020. 5-10.30pm. From 888RMB.

Christmas dinner at Charcohol

Photograph: courtesy Charcohol

A new restaurant in Feng Sheng Li with excellent cocktails, Charcohol is serving a ten-course Christmas dinner set for two at 1,888RMB that includes smoked Norwegian salmon, fresh seafood, chicken liver parfait, smoked salad, venison tartare, smoked chicken, Atlantic cod, capellini with black truffle and a dessert.

📍Charcohol, 245 Maoming Bei Lu, near Nanjing Xi Lu. Tue 24-Wed 25. 5.30-10pm. 1,888RMB.

Christmas dinner at Colca

Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe

Join Colca for its Christmas sharing menu for two for 688RMB on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25. The multi-course menu includes starters of prawn chowder, sea bass tiradito, venison arepas, mushroom croquettes, josper-grilled octopus and baby squid with portobello mushrooms. The main is beef tenderloin with sautéed spinach and garlic and last but not least, Christmas log and lime tart, followed by petit fours for dessert.

📍Colca, Second Floor, 199 Hengshan Lu, near Yongjia Lu. Tue 24-Wed 25. 5.30-10.30pm. 688RMB.

Taco-xmas at Tacolicious

Photograph: Annie Lin

Tacolicious is holding a Christmas taco party and diners will get to choose between turkey or roast beef varieties as mains with additional sides available too. Wash the tacos down with eggnog, mulled wine and gingerbread margaritas going for happy hour prices at 40RMB.

📍Tacolicious, 1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu. Tue 24-Thu 26. 6-10.30pm. Free entry.

Oxalis Christmas special

Photograph: Todd Trapani via Unsplash

Enjoy Christmas lunch or dinner at Oxalis's new location, with a six-course menu and an optional wine pairing at an additional charge. Choices include amberjack yellowtail carpaccio, butternut squash, duck foie gras and yule log.

📍Oxalis, Fourth Floor, Bldg 2, 388 Shanhaiguan Lu, near Cixi Lu. Tue 24-Wed 25. 11.30am-2pm (lunch); 6-9pm (dinner). From 298RMB.

seul & SEUL Christmas special

Photograph: courtesy Chope

seul & SEUL's Christmas set is a nine-course meal including Gaboriau oysters with apple and caviar, Hokkaido scallops with seaweed rice, grilled lobster with parsnip, congee and Christmas log cake. The restaurant is offering a 100RMB discount on Monday 23 and Wednesday 25.

📍seul & SEUL, Third floor, Room N301, HKRI Taikoo Hui, 789 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu. Mon 23-Wed 25. 5-11pm. 788RMB (Mon 23, Wed 25); 888RMB (Tue 24).

Christmas dinner at BOR Eatery

Photograph: courtesy BOR

Celebrate Christmas at Nordic-inspired restaurant BOR Eatery with a two-person sharing menu (480RMB per person) on Tuesday 24. Start off with cured and smoked salmon on salted crackers, ham salad in a mini tart, beef and truffle toast with confit garlic, breaded and fried sea bass. Then move on to hot smoked salmon with sweet mustard, duck confit leg with sweet prunes, braised pork belly with baked sides and caramelised Danish potato. Last but not least, end on a sweet note with vanilla rice pudding, baked almonds with warm cherry sauce.

📍BOR, Second Floor, 322 Anfu Lu, near Wukang Lu. Tue 24. 6pm-late. 480RMB.

Christmas Eve at Bird

Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe

Looking for an alternative Christmas dinner? Bird is offering a special set menu of six dishes made for sharing at 300RMB per person. Highlights include butter candle bread, Pu’er smoked scallop tartare, barramundi and followed by panettone with maple syrup ice cream.

Apart from Christmas Eve dinner, Bird is also open for a very merry brunch on Christmas Day (Wednesday 25) and Boxing Day (Thursday 26) and on through the weekend as usual.

📍Bird, 50 Wuyuan Lu, near Changshu Lu. Tue 24. 6-10.30pm. 300RMB.

Christmas with a French twist at PHÉNIX

Photograph: courtesy PHÉNIX eatery & bar

Satiate your hunger pangs this Christmas with some old school luxury at PHÉNIX – think fresh oysters, lobster thermidor, warm chestnut soup and yule log prepared by Executive Chef Pierrick Maire and his team. The seven-course dinner is only available on Christmas Eve and three-course lunch on Christmas Day.

📍PHÉNIX eatery & bar, Second Floor, The PuLi Hotel and Spa, 1 Changde Lu, near Yanan Zhong Lu. Tue 24-Wed 25. 6-10pm (Tue), Midday-2.30pm (Wed). From 588RMB (lunch); from 988RMB (dinner).

Christmas parties

Rolling Santa Skate Party at RIINK

Photograph: courtesy 247tickets

At RIINK's Instagramable roller bar, you can skate around with Christmas tunes and holiday vibes for 100RMB, which includes free flow tapas, a drink and a pair of skates. Come in a Christmas outfit or festive accessories to get a free shot.

📍RIINK, Unit 6-103, No 1 Bund Square, 658 Dapuqiao Lu, near Longhua Dong Lu. Sat 21; 24 Tue-Wed 25. 6pm-late. 99RMB. Extract the QR code above to purchase tickets.

Christmas Jam Session at Shake

Photograph: courtesy Shake

Shake presents the Christmas edition of Shanghai's longest-running jam session. This is a great night to hear veteran musicians and up-and-coming talent perform covers, original songs and pure improvisation on a warm sound system. Everyone is welcome to bring instruments, sing or just enjoy the interactive performance. Dinner starts at 6pm and live music from 9.30pm.

📍Shake, Third Floor, 46 Maoming Nan Lu, near Jinxian Lu. Wed 25. 9.30pm-2am. Free entry.

Ugly sweater holiday party at Perch

Photograph: courtesy Perch

Perch believes that not many things can get us in the holiday mood like a good old ugly sweater party, so they are inviting everyone to visit in their brightest, tackiest and ugliest holiday sweaters this Friday (December 20). The party has an all-night happy hour, festive hot drinks and Christmas tunes. Coming in the ugliest sweater will win you the glorious title of Ugliest Sweater and a bottle of wine or prosecco. There will be other prizes and freebies as well.

📍Perch, Room 107, 445 Jiangning Lu, near Wuding Lu. Fri 20. 8pm-midnight. Free entry.

Project X-mas at UP Shanghai

Photograph: FIBOproduction

UP Shanghai's going to celebrate Christmas all night long, offering happy hour deals throughout the event. Come in your best Christmas sweaters and the best ones will win a bottle of Champagne. Music will be produced by DJ OJ and Mick Martinez.

📍UP Shanghai, Second Floor, 688 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Kangding Lu. Wed 25. 6pm-2am. Free entry.

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