have to work on Christmas day' then you will have a bad day, but if you go to work thinking “okay, it’s Christmas day, I’m going to work”, and are happy pleasing the guests, then at the end of the day you will be in a good mood.”
The Waterside Inn is open on Christmas day for lunch, and it is then closed from the December 26 until the January 29 for their annual holiday. Diego said: “People go out on Christmas day for the food and the company. So I make sure the atmosphere is very relaxed and open, like at home, so the guests feel that they are not at a restaurant but at a home.
“We are actually fully booked for Christmas a year ahead, the same people come back every year, I know some people who have been coming for Christmas lunch for the last 30 years.
“We have Christmas hats on the table, Christmas crackers, chocolate coins, the lucky coin in the Christmas pudding, Christmas trees all over, so it is more like being in a big family. I make sure my service is a bit more relaxed, but still very efficient. Christmas day should not be a rush.”
The restaurant gets very busy over the festive period, with lots of Christmas parties and meals being booked from November onwards. Diego said: “The last three weeks before Christmas the volume will go up about 20/25%. We use our private dining rooms and the restaurant is fully booked every day, as is the hotel. The team obviously are very relaxed as they have been here on average four to eight years, so they know what to do and how to do it well.”
However not all restaurants are at their busiest at this time of the year. The restaurant manager at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Stephanie Little, explains that the Christmas period doesn’t really affect business at the restaurant, and that Restaurant Nathan Outlaw’s annual leave is December 20 to January 30, so they miss the Christmas rush.
She said: “In our little restaurant we don’t really have any Christmas parties, as the tables only sit a maximum of six, so even in winter it is more birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions.
“We may be able to extend next year and offer little parties because we are relocating to Port Isaac, Cornwall.”
Bar Boulud though is open for both Christmas and New Year, with staff being given a choice over which day to work.
Paulo de Tarso Chanes, the senior Maître D’ at Bar Boulud, said: “The hours we work don't really change but the restaurant is busier and nonstop since we are open all day. We all enjoy the pace, it's a good energy.” Bar Boulud is keen to celebrate the holiday spirit, with the toasts, hugs and kisses tradition being carried out on New Year’s Eve.
Paulo said: “We love our team and without them we are nothing. The Christmas spirit is something that brings everyone together, and hard work and team effort pays off.”
By Samantha Wright
