They spend all year coming up with tasty recipes and mouthwatering menus, but how do top chefs spend Christmas Day? Judging by the head chefs at Quaglino’s, Avenue, Sauterelle, Le Pont de la Tour and Plateau, yet more cooking and some much-needed family fun...

“On Christmas Day the restaurant is closed so we will be up very early to open presents (we have two primary school-aged children). Once presents are open I will go into the garden, light the fire pit, sit beside it with a warm glass of mulled wine and smoke a Cohiba cigar. That is my moment to myself, my Christmas treat. The rest of the day will be a full English followed by a traditional roast turkey lunch and an evening spread of cold meats, cheese and pickles with my glazed ham as king of the table, plus the odd beer and glass of champagne or two.

Darron Bunn, Quaglino’s head chef

“Christmas is my time to recuperate and relax. I like to invite friends over to celebrate. I usually prepare before the big day by cooking a Christmas ham, which I serve with with homemade mustard, homemade cheese and rye bread. I also make traditional Finnish dishes, such as slow-cooked leg of pork, different pickles and rollmops (pickled herrings). As my partner is Thai, on Boxing Day we make great Thai cuisine, from curries to beef salad and tom yum kung – seafood prawn soup. This year to top it all off we will be moving house, which will add some excitement for us. I hope Santa can still find us.”

Mikko Kataja, Avenue head chef

“My Christmas starts off with a little local traditional craziness. We jump into the icy Irish Sea at a place called the Forty Foot in Sandycove, where literally hundreds of people of all ages jump in and out and award themselves with a hot brandy. Then it’s off shivering to do the rounds of popping in to family and friends to wish them a happy Christmas, sharing a toast of champagne and oysters and some smoked salmon on my now-famous Guinness soda bread. Before you know it, by noon we are all as drunk as the night before.”

Robin Gill, Sauterelle head chef

"This Christmas I'll be serving lunch at Le Pont de la Tour, so the perfect Christmas Day is everything going according to plan. My proper Christmas will be going to see my family and stay with my brother, niece and nephew. I'll cook them a Christmas meal. The kids like to come in the kitchen and see me cook. Last time I showed them how to make sausage rolls, which they loved."

Tom Cook, Le Pont de la Tour head chef

“I try to spend the big day in as relaxed a way as possible. We know we will be up early with our three children, all of them being boys as well. They love this time of year because of all the surprises, and because it's all about them. I will prepare a simple lunch of smoked salmon with a couple of drops of lemon juice, roast turkey and most of the trimmings. You will never see Brussels sprouts on the menu at home as I can't stand them, to be honest. Dessert will always be a quality Christmas pudding served with double cream - I've never really understood brandy butter as it is always very grainy. After lunch, it will be an afternoon in front of the telly or seeing any family that we didn't see in the morning.”

Allan Pickett, Plateau head chef

Further information:

Find out more about Quaglino's and see its Christmas menus.

FInd out more about Avenue and see its Christmas menus.

Find out more about Sauterelle.

Find out more about Plateau and see its Christmas menus.