The best Christmas lunches in Durban

If your idea of a festive feast involves Italian flavours rather than the traditional turkey-and-trimmings affair, Lupa Osteria is worth considering. The restaurant focuses on authentic Roman dining, with a menu built around fresh ingredients and recipes made from scratch.

Expect wholesome pizzas, handmade-style pastas, seafood and secondi, alongside a selection of wines. With branches in Durban North, Westville and Umhlanga, there's a little Italian hospitality within easy reach of several parts of the city.

• Where: Durban North: 6–12 Swapo Road | Westville: 124 Jan Hofmeyr Road | Umhlanga: Shop 4, Lighthouse Quarter, 14 Chartwell Drive
• Contact: Durban North: 031 941 1181 | Westville: 031 266 8793 / 031 266 5877 | Umhlanga: 031 940 6689
• Website: lupa.co.za
• View Menu: lupa.co.za/festive-set-menus/

For a Christmas lunch with all the bells and whistles, Coastlands Skye Hotel is offering a festive buffet with a welcome drink, live entertainment, and Christmas crackers. The menu is extensive, so arrive hungry.

Starters include asparagus and lamb macon vol-au-vent, prawn and shrimp trifle, assorted sushi and three-cheese arancini. There's also a cold buffet, fresh salads and a hot selection featuring traditional roast turkey, Coastlands lamb curry, a seafood boil and roast lamb roll with mint and pistachio stuffing.

And then there's dessert. Think mini Christmas wreath cakes, death-by-chocolate cake, peppermint tart, summer berry trifles, baked rocky road cheesecake and a croquembouche sugar tower.

• Where: Coastlands Skye Hotel, Umhlanga
• Time: 12.30pm–3pm
• Price: R1 350 per adult | R675 per child
• Contact: 031 100 1130
• Website: coastlands.co.za
• Reservations: 031 100 1130 |sales1@coastlandsskye.co.za | sales2@coastlandsskye.co.za
• View Menu: HERE

The Riverside Grill at The Riverside Hotel is serving a festive buffet with familiar favourites and a few Durban-inspired additions.

The menu includes glazed gammon with pineapple, roast chicken, leg of lamb, traditional Durban lamb curry, vegetable breyani and dhall, plus prawn skewers. There'll be plenty of sides, too, from roast potatoes and honey-glazed carrots to creamed spinach and green beans with almonds.

Save room for dessert, with Christmas pudding, malva pudding, peppermint crisp tart and assorted mini desserts on the menu. Live music and focus-area massages will add to the relaxed festive atmosphere.

• Where: The Riverside Grill, The Riverside Hotel, 10 Kenneth Kaunda Road, Durban North
• Time: 12.30pm–3.30pm
• Price: R695 per person
• Bookings: WhatsApp 063 593 2337 or email fbman@riversidehotel.co.za
• Website: riversidehotel.co.za
• View Menu: HERE

If you're planning to make Christmas lunch a really special occasion, The Oyster Box offers a very luxurious setting overlooking the Umhlanga coastline. The celebrated hotel is hosting festive dining in two of its restaurants: the elegant Grill Room and the Ocean Terrace.

Both offer a chance to enjoy Christmas Day in one of Durban's best-known seaside hotels, with seasonal ingredients, polished service and those signature coastal views.

• Where: The Oyster Box, 2 Lighthouse Road, Umhlanga
• Time: 12pm–4pm
• Price: Grill Room: R3 950 per adult | R2 950 per child U12 | Ocean Terrace: R3 450 per adult | R2 450 per child U12
• Website: oysterboxhotel.com
• Full Menu: HERE

Fancy swapping the coast for the countryside this Christmas? The historic Nottingham Road Hotel, affectionately known as Notties, is inviting guests to celebrate with a festive feast in the heart of the Midlands.

The Christmas menu includes roast beef, rolled turkey, vegetarian Wellington, and glazed gammon, followed by a tempting selection of desserts, including Christmas pudding, cheesecake, and mince pies. It's a good excuse to turn lunch into a KZN Midlands escape, with the hotel's pub and countryside setting offering plenty of reasons to linger.

• Where: Nottingham Road Hotel, Nottingham Road,
• Price: R700 per adult | R325 per child under 13
• Bookings: reservations@nottieshotel.co.za
• Website: nottieshotel.co.za
• Full Menu: HERE

Set among the rolling greenery of the KZN Midlands, Rawdons Hotel and Country Estate is another option for a Christmas lunch away from the city.

Its festive spread starts with cold-smoked trout, followed by a generous cold table featuring peri-peri chicken livers, chilli garlic and lemon prawns, Asian-style barbecued line fish, rare roast beef and a selection of salads.

The traditional carvery offers roast turkey with sage, onion and apricot stuffing, honey- and mustard-glazed gammon, and roast leg of lamb, accompanied by classic festive sides. A Christmas cheese table and a dessert selection that includes pavlovas, cheesecake, chocolate tart and mince pies round things off.

• Where: Rawdons Hotel and Country Estate, Nottingham Road
• Price: R900 per adult | R200 per child aged 6–12 | R150 per child U6
• Contact: 033 266 6044 or 083 406 4968 (WhatsApp/SMS)
• Email: hotel@rawdons.co.za
• Website: rawdons.co.za
• View Menus: HERE

For a Christmas lunch surrounded by the natural beauty of the Midlands, Karkloof Safari Spa is hosting a festive buffet on 25 December.

The menu includes slow-roasted leg of lamb, gammon, chicken and seasonal sides, alongside a selection of salads and desserts. It's a relaxed countryside option for families looking to enjoy a festive meal in a scenic setting.

• Where: Karkloof Safari Spa, Ottos Bluff Road, Chase Valley, Pietermaritzburg
• Time: 11am–3pm
• Price: R400 per adult | R295 per child aged 7–12 | Free for children U7
• Bookings: Call or WhatsApp 078 565 2678
• Tickets and Menu: Quicket

If you're heading up the KZN North Coast for Christmas, La Montagne in Ballito is offering a festive lunch with a welcome drink and a selection of seasonal treats.

The resort promises a spread of Christmas favourites, with cheesecake, mince pies and cherry and chocolate trifle among the sweet treats.

It's a family-friendly option, with the resort's beachfront location, pools and other facilities making it tempting to turn lunch into a full day out.

• Where: La Montagne, 100 Compensation Beach Road, Ballito
• Price: R520 per person | R250 for children under 12 | R470 for private club members
• Contact: 032 946 2121 or 031 717 7660
• Email: lamontagnereception@firstgroup-sa.co.za
• Website: firstgroup-sa.co.za