For many travellers to Australia, the most confusing thing is that nearly everything is shut on Christmas day. At the time of writing, more Australians than ever before will be on holiday somewhere in Australia on Christmas. Overall, one of the most common questions at Christmas is where can I eat on Christmas day. Here is a general guide to finding somewhere to dine out.
Image courtesy of PXHERE
I am not listing specific places but if you want some advice for a particular location, post a question with the article, and I am sure someone will have a suggestion.
4 and 5 Star Hotels
Your most basic and reliable option are hotels, usually 4 and 5-star hotels. Their main dining room will be open on Christmas but you have to book in advance for lunch or dinner. These hotels usually cater for both the casual diner looking for a basic meal as well as dining packages that can be several hundred dollars per person.
Christmas Dining Packages in Restaurants
A lot high-end restaurants in and outside of hotels will offer both Christmas lunch and dinner packages. While the buffet might be off the menu (yes, that is a pun), they are likely to include a Christmas-themed set menu. You should be booking your table in advance.
Clubs
A lot of clubs, that is, surf clubs, bowls clubs and so on, will be open for Christmas, especially for lunch. These are great places if your idea of a Christmas meal is steak or a chicken parma. Once again, do ring ahead. For some people, Christmas lunch at the club has become a bit of a tradition. In particular, they are good for a cheap family friend meals for lots of people.
Family run Chinese, Indian and Other Restaurants
Finding a cheap meal on Christmas day can be difficult, especially in regional areas, until you realise that for many Chinese, Indian and other ethnic groups, Christmas doesn't matter. I have lived in some Chinese suburbs in Sydney where half the restaurants are open on Christmas, but on Chinese New Year, you wonder what is going on because everything is closed.
Chinese for Christmas is a great tourist tradition
Your best bet is a small family-run restaurant. Maybe it won't be the greatest meal you have ever eaten, but it will be cheap and filling and you don't need to book in advance. Get a list of restaurants in your area from Google and then ring them on the day to see which one is open.
General Dining Areas
Bondi Beach in Sydney became the Christmas dining precinct for that city. It started because backpackers used to head there on Christmas as everything else was closed. Luckily the NSW government decided to support this and started putting on Christmas day entertainment. Restaurants followed suit and you could just turn up there on Christmas and find a place to eat.
Other major international tourist destinations are also likely to have zones where you can have a meal. I am thinking of downtown Surfers Paradise and other similar spots around Australia. But your smaller regional areas are unlikely to have anything similar.
Self Catering
One of the best options for Christmas lunch or even dinner can be self-catering. You might be thinking that you will be in a hotel without a kitchen or a motel without a lot of supplies and equipment. Luckily the current Christmas tradition, especially for lunch, is cold seafood.
Image courtesy of Nadine Doerlé @ Pixabay
The first problem to solve is getting seafood. The best bet is to book it to order in advance and collect it on Christmas Eve. Prawns are the go-to option for most people but lobster is cheap (thanks to China blocking imports of them from Australia) and Moreton Bay Bugs are worth splashing out on.
The next issue is keeping it cool if you are in a hotel. Maybe the hotel's little fridge won't cut it but you can easily bring a collapsible cooler bag which you can fill with ice the day before. These will keep everything cold for at least 24 hours. You can make it even better by adding extra insulation by wrapping in a blanket.
Pick up other cold food, including salads, roast beef, pork or chicken, hams and dips. Don't forget the Christmas cake, chips and other junk food. You can have a great meal without having to try and win Masterchef.
If you desperately need a shop on Christmas day for something you forgot to buy (isn't that always the case), then in larger cities, try 7-Eleven or other convenience stores, and in regional areas, you might be lucky and find a service station open on Christmas. We have done this to pick up things like chips and soft drink for a Christmas barbecue.
Find a nice shady spot under a tree by the beach, at a lake or just in a park, and enjoy a great Christmas indulgence. Also make sure that if you have kids, give them gifts that they can play with in the park.
Cooking While Travelling
Outside of city hotels, most accommodation in Australia has some cooking facilities. Thanks to Airbnb it is easy to book a house with cooking facilities and more and more hotels are adding kitchenettes, so there should be some ability to cook something where you stay.
Not all kitchens in AirBnBs are the same, or as good as this one
The problem is that you won't know the quality of the kitchen or the cooking equipment. If you are driving, bring some of your own equipment, otherwise, just keep it simple. You know, that oven that heats unevenly, that abused frying pan that stopped being non-stick sometime in 2012, and kitchen knives as blunt as my comment here.
Also, let's not forget that there are so many free barbecues around Australia that this should be considered as a serious option, and it is possible to do much more than just cook a few sausages on a barbecue. I have even cooked a whole snapper on a barbecue (wrap in in aluminum foil, add oil or butter, plus whatever flavours you want, and put it on barbecue, turning it over to cook both sides).
Interesting fact, the chef in this photo is from Frankfurt and made really delicious stuffed mushrooms, but the worst Hamburgers I have ever had (should have let someone from Hamburg make those)
This is a general guide to eating out or when you are travelling on Christmas Day. There are now so many options now for eating out, you can have the cheapest of snacks through to great set meals in beautifully decorated surroundings.
