The undisputed daddy of the swanky places to eat in central Oxford, it's difficult to imagine many folk shelling out £70 to eat here on Christmas Day.

Should you do so, the selection includes a cocktail of scallops, lobster and langoustines followed by turkey, turbot or dry-aged beef as a main course, with veggies being offered artichoke and goat's cheese in a winter truffle dressing. The desserts are fairly mundane - Christmas pudding, rice pudding or Black Forest gateau.

However, the normal Malmaison menu is a better bet - why not try potted duck, followed by chorizo-crusted cod and clam risotto, then poached plums with clotted cream? That would come to about £25, plus a 'discretionary' 10 per cent service charge.