Christmas Day restaurant bookings are on the rise – but would you swap a home-cooked lunch for dining out?

Would you choose a restaurant for the Christmas Day meal just to avoid the inevitable mountain of washing up? Or is there nothing that can tempt you away from lunch at home and your own perfectly crisp roast potatoes? For an increasing number of us it's the former that most appeals, according to a recent OpenTable survey which showed that restaurant bookings on Christmas Day have risen by 240 per cent in the last five years. Between 2016 and 2017, reservations jumped by 14 per cent, and they are expected to increase again this Christmas. British cuisine is the most popular choice for a meal out, with 19 per cent of people heading out for traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, but Italian restaurants are also a firm favourite for Christmas Day, counting for 12 per cent of bookings. For many Telegraph readers the choice to eat out is a simple one when faced with the prospect of cooking for a crowd (or, indeed, spending more time than is necessary with certain members of the extended family), as it takes the stress out of prepping the food as well as the clearing up afterwards.  “My family have gone out for Christmas Day dinner for the last few years," says Natalie Richardson, from Leeds. "It reduces the hassle of ordering ingredients and the hours spent preparing the food, giving us more time to enjoy the day,” she explains. “We often go to a local pub which does three-course offer. Once, we went to our local curry house and had chicken korma for Christmas dinner.” Electing to gather at a restaurant also means that the cook of the house isn't left out of the celebrations. "For me, it means no stressing in the kitchen while everyone else gets to relax, chat and enjoy a drink," says Abigail Theodosiou, from Sanderstead in Croydon. "We tend to have a lovely easy breakfast (Waitrose frozen croissants and scrambled eggs), get ready, go out, and then head home as soon as the meal is finished to relax in a tidy(ish!) house and open our presents, followed by cheese and chocolates." Theodosiou is one of a number who choose a country-style pub over a restaurant; "with lovely big fires, they're cosier." And there's no doubt that it takes the pressure off catering for different dietary requirements. "With a mix of meat-eaters and vegetarians, we can order whatever we like." At a glance | The top cuisines booked for Christmas Day dining last year But for The Telegraph’s award-winning cookery writer Diana Henry, to book a table out is to lose something of the essential spirit of Christmas. “I’ve only been out for Christmas lunch once – when my parents had builders in, so the kitchen was out of action – and it was a disaster. The entire family just muttered about how much better it was at home. I think something is really missing in restaurants – you have to be quieter, so you can’t have that unbuttoned bonhomie and largesse that is part of Christmas." The cost of eating out might be another reason to host at home, she reasons. “You can open another bottle of wine without considering how big a bill you’re racking up; you can have seconds; you can tell risqué jokes. Things are just a little more sedate in a restaurant. Plus, no matter where you go outside the home, a Christmas dinner will always taste kind of institutional away from it. Roast potatoes that have been hanging round for an hour or more just don’t cut it." Get cooking | Diana Henry’s latest recipes Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay agrees, and suggests the chief cook of the house simply enlists helpers for the washing up, to minimise the pressure. “Eating out is a great option if you find the whole meal a massive stress fest, but don’t kid yourself that it’ll be the same as hanging out at the family table," she says. "Few restaurants offer second helpings, and if you want a sofa to stagger to after lunch, you may need to book a table at a hotel with a decent lounge area. Prices will, quite properly, be inflated – the staff will need a hefty bonus to justify coming in to work." For many people, having the whole family descend on the house for an unending supply of food and drink is simply unthinkable – especially if space is tight. "I love going to parties but I wouldn't want to host one myself," says the award-winning travel blogger Sofie Couwenbergh. "My home is my safe space, plus it's far too small!" It's always worth checking before splashing out, says Xanthe Clay. “If you are booking the big dinner out to give the cook a rest, do check it’s actually what they want – not just a way to alleviate your own guilt for not manning the kitchen yourself. They may complain, but lots of home cooks actually love the opportunity for a bit of culinary muscle flexing. Bear in mind that their Christmas wish may be as simple as appreciation in ladlefuls, and all the washing up done well into the New Year.” Ultimately, it depends on the nature of the gathering, says Diana Henry. “In a restaurant you don’t get those golden moments when the entire family gather round the oven looking at the turkey saying ‘Do you think it’s cooked yet?’. The whole meal is an event that you all take part in.” Should you still prefer the idea of rocking up to a reservation, heading off on a walk and coming home to a kitchen that doesn’t look like the scene of a crime, here are some of our favourite restaurants across the country taking bookings for Christmas Day itself... Our pick of the best | Restaurants taking bookings on Christmas Day 2018