Cardiff has its share of Christmas traditions, from a wander through the city centre after dark to a long lunch that somehow turns into dinner. This year The Ivy is adding something a little more unexpected. Its Christmas campaign is sending a family of four polar bears out on skis, dressed in Ivy knitwear as if they’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere in the Alps and ended up in the Welsh capital.
The bears are part of a display going up across 46 restaurants, with the arrangements varying from place to place. At The Ivy Cardiff in St David’s, the festive programme also gives you a few different ways to make an occasion of a trip into town. You could book a proper Christmas lunch with friends, take the children for breakfast with elves or put aside an afternoon for scones and a glass of English sparkling wine.
What’s on the Christmas menu
The Christmas set menu at The Ivy Cardiff runs from 4th November to 29th December and costs £55 for two courses or £65 for three, per person. Both include one side, a Christmas cracker and a warm mince pie with tea or coffee. The published menu is for groups of up to 12 in the main restaurant, with service from 11.30am on weekdays and 11am at weekends. See the Christmas set menu HERE.
The turkey ballotine comes with an apricot, cranberry and pork stuffing, a pig in a blanket and cranberry chutney. If you already know there’ll be a turkey on your own table in December, there’s plenty of reason to go in a different direction. The pan-fried sea bass comes with caviar and a citrus beurre blanc, while burrata and roasted red pepper linguine brings a little heat from Calabrian chillies. For starters, there’s French onion soup or a twice-baked cheese soufflé with black truffle.
Dessert is where the dining room gets a bit of theatre. The crème brûlée is flambéed at the table, while the Christmas pudding is there for anyone who waits all year for it. On the separate festive à la carte menu, there’s a Chocolate Gingerbread House with sponge, ginger crumb and candied orange. The same menu gives shepherd’s pie a Christmas makeover, putting duck, turkey, lamb and beef under a Cheddar mash.
If you’re organising the annual catch-up, the set menu makes the bill easier to plan. It’s worth settling the choice of two or three courses when you book, particularly if some of the group need to get back to work and others intend to linger over coffee. See the Christmas set menu HERE.
An afternoon tea worth putting the shopping bags down for
The festive afternoon tea has a few surprises tucked between the scones and mince pies. On the savoury side, there are smoked salmon and cream cheese choux buns and little brioche rolls with truffled chicken. The sweet tier brings orange and cranberry éclairs and a pistachio, almond and cherry Battenberg. There’s tea or coffee, with English sparkling wine available if you’re making an occasion of it. Afternoon tea is served daily from 3pm to 5pm and costs £36.25 per person, or £46.25 with a glass of Nyetimber. Advance booking is required. See the festive afternoon tea menu HERE.
The regular festive breakfast menu has its own seasonal dishes, including eggs royale with smoked salmon and caviar, and eggs Benedict with pulled ham and truffle. There’s also an alcohol-free mimosa with orange juice and Wild Idol sparkling white.
A table for tea feels especially well suited to that point in a Cardiff shopping trip when everyone needs to put their bags down. It also gives you something to build the afternoon around if you’re meeting friends coming into town separately.
Breakfast with the Naughty Elves
The ticketed breakfasts run on 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22 and 23 December. Tickets are £32.50 for adults and £27.50 for children, with a £10 non-refundable deposit per person. The elves provide the entertainment and each child gets a gift to take home. The breakfast menu includes choices such as buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a vegetarian cooked breakfast. Check dates and book Breakfast with Elves.
For families, the elves are the main event. There are weekend sittings as well as two dates in the final week before Christmas, so you can choose between making it a weekend outing and saving it for the school holidays.
A festive drink, with or without the tequila
The Bear Colada gives the ski theme a tropical detour, mixing reposado tequila with pineapple, coconut liqueur, cinnamon and white chocolate, then adding Chantilly cream. The Winter Spice Margarita goes in a sharper direction with ginger, hot honey and lime, while the Bear Paloma brings together cherry, cardamom and grapefruit soda. If you’re driving or simply fancy something without alcohol, there’s a version of Santa’s Kir with apple, elderflower, blackcurrant and alcohol-free sparkling wine.
From Boxing Day to New Year’s Day
On Thursday 31st December, The Ivy Collection lists a New Year’s Eve lunch at £34.95 for two courses or £43.95 for three. The separate evening dinner is £97.50 per person, with a glass of Champagne included. Dishes announced for the evening include crab and caviar cornetto, black truffle arancini, lobster and prawn, and grilled fillet steak with brandy peppercorn sauce. There’s a Champagne and Sicilian lemon sorbet for anyone who likes a lighter finish. The Collection also has Boxing Day dining and a New Year’s Day brunch in its festive programme. Check the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve menu and sittings HERE.
If you’re heading into Cardiff for the evening, pick the sitting that fits your onward plans and check transport home before committing to a late table.
Where to book
The Ivy Cardiff is at 69/70 St David’s, Cardiff, CF10 1GA. Book a table at The Ivy Cardiff.
