London will be eerily silent on Christmas Day because many shops, restaurants and transportation services will be closed.
Planning is therefore essential if you need to buy something or eat in the capital. However, all royal parks (which includes the majority of the big ones in London) are open, affording the ideal opportunity for a brisk winter stroll.
However, parks aren’t the only places that are open on Christmas Day. Here is our guide to everything we know that is open on December 25.
What restaurants are open on Christmas Day?
Restaurants open on Christmas Day are likely to have limited opening hours so it’s worth double-checking with them directly. Here is a list of the places that will be open:
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Sofra, Turkish, various locations
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Strada, Italian, various locations
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Bella Italia, Italian, various locations
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Cinnamon Club, Indian, Westminster
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Tayyabs, Indian, Whitechapel
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Le Vacherin, French, Chiswick
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Gaby’s Deli on Charing Cross Road, Middle Eastern, open from 12pm for lunch
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Orrery, French, Marylebone
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JOIA, Battersea
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The Broadcaster, White City
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Duck & Waffle, Liverpool Street
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Penelope’s, Covent Garden
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Zoom East, Aldgate
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Bluebird, Chelsea
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Riding House, Fitzrovia
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Cadogan Arms, Chelsea
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Tyburn Kitchen, Paddington
What pubs are open on Christmas Day?
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The Owl and Pussycat, Shoreditch
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The Pilot, North Greenwich
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The Abbeville, Clapham
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The Anchor Bankside, Southwark
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Audley, Mayfair
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The Bull’s Head, Barnes
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The Canonbury Tavern, Islington
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The Flask, Hampstead (12-4pm)
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The Swan, Hammersmith
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Wetherspoon pubs, Various locations
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Founders Arms, Southwark (12-5pm)
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The Hope Pub, Wandsworth
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Horniman at Hays, London Bridge
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The Queens Pub and Dining Room, Crouch End
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The Roebuck, Richmond
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Spaniard’s Inn, Hampstead Heath
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Spread Eagle, Camden Town (until 4pm)
What hotels are open on Christmas Day?
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Charlie’s at Brown’s, Mayfair
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The Ritz, St James’s
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Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Mayfair
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RAILS Restaurant and Little Bar, King’s Cross
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Sycamore Vino Cucina, Covent Garden
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The Lanesborough Grill, Belgravia
The tube, buses, TfL Rail, DLR, Overground, trams, river buses, Emirates Air Line and National Rail are all not running on Christmas Day.
Taxis, private hires, and Dial-a-Ride will be the only modes of transportation available.
Unfortunately, these are unlikely to be open anywhere in the capital.
What supermarkets are open on Christmas Day?
Major supermarkets including Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Co-op, M&S, Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury’s are all closed on Christmas Day.
However, smaller shops may be open to help those in need of last-minute items. Your best bet is likely to try a local corner shop.
Some of the major brands do keep their smaller stores (like Sainsbury’s Local or Tesco Express) open for limited hours on Christmas Day. Those details haven’t been confirmed for 2024 just yet but we’d expect them to come in the next few weeks.
The online food delivery service is running throughout the Christmas period. However, it’s worth noting that fewer riders might be out and about, so leave yourself plenty of time when ordering.
Christmas occurs on a Wednesday this year, which means that all post office outlets in the UK will be closed.
Some branches will open on Wednesday, December 28.
Here is a list of the main hospitals in London that are open 24 hours, but hours may differ:
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Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road
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University College Hospital, 235 Euston Road
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St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road
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Guy’s Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London Bridge
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Homerton University Hospital, Homerton Row
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Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road
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St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield
You can get an urgent appointment with a GP in north-east London from 8am to 8pm on Christmas Day. This includes practices in Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Hackney and the City of London.
If you have an urgent but non-life-threatening medical need, visit NHS 111 online or call 111.
Christmas Day services will be held at a large number of churches and cathedrals in the London area, including St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square also hosts a Christmas Day service.
The heated pool will be open to daring souls who want to take a plunge. Make sure to reserve your tickets in advance.
Brockwell Lido, in south London, also traditionally opens so people can have a Christmas Day dip in its (freezing cold) waters. Details for 2024 are yet to confirmed.