More and more people are choosing to eat out this Christmas and I can’t say I blame them. For those of us who cook all year round for our families, the thought of spending the festive period stuck in the kitchen is pretty undesirable. It would be lovely to relax, enjoy the day and let others take care of the catering. It is hard to get the timing right for all the different dishes on the go at Christmas and everybody has different tastes. It’s hard to please everyone and remember who likes what and who is allergic to such and such. Who can’t stand sprouts and did someone become a veggie this year? It gives me a headache just thinking about it.
The cost of Christmas food for a family gathering is also staggering. Then you’ve got to store it, prepare it, probably waste half of it and then do all the washing up. It’s no wonder then that many families are booking a restaurant to celebrate their festive feasting. Reservations are up by 45% from the same time last year which shows that this is a very popular choice indeed.
Of the growing number of families choosing to dine out over the Christmas period 25% went for the traditional roast with all the trimmings, 15% chose an Indian or Asian restaurant, 11% opting for Italian with the remainder going for French or Modern European. Christmas dining doesn’t have to be traditional at all and if you’re a big fan of Italian then why not spend your money on eating food that you know you will enjoy. So why not say ‘Buon Natale’ this Christmas at a Dublin Italian Restaurant?
Dublins Italian Restaurant scene is pretty large but then the food scene in the city as a whole is quite impressive. There are top riverside pubs, Michelin-starred restaurants and atmospheric cafes. New eateries have been popping up all over the place and so you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice.
Letting someone else take the strain of cooking is very tempting indeed. There is no need for the stress and recriminations and feelings of abject failure when your dinner doesn’t look like the one in the glossy magazines. There is also less temptation to keep picking at the leftovers as there won’t be any. We all eat too much at this time of year and the most exercise many of us will get is a trip from the sofa to the fridge to pick at something else, just because we don’t want it going to waste. Save your waistline and eat out this year.
Eating out also gives you a sense of community and sociability that sitting at home just can’t achieve. Christmas is a time of cheer and many people do start talking to people at the next table in a way that they just wouldn’t at any other time of the year. It’s fun and hopeful and really brings out the best in folk.