10 Tokyo Christmas feasts

Ordering a Tokyo turkey in time for Christmas isn’t as difficult as you’ve been led to believe, but chances are you’ve already left it too late. The less organised amongst you would do well to book in for one of the following feasts (which we’ve handily ordered from most expensive downwards). Christmas cheer to one and all!

Michelin merriment
Michelin-starred Keisuke Matsushima is not the only bright light at this tastily-priced culinary extravaganza, running in the final days before Christmas. Also present is French songstress Clémentine, who will be performing for diners as a kind of Yule bonus. However, for the purposes of this write-up, we’ll turn our attention to Matsushima, the 33-year old celebrity chef who hit big with his eponymous restaurant in Nice, France. His menu this Christmas includes Tai flan, smoked salmon, scallops and breaded beef veal, all of which you can expect with a festive flourish. While the evening meal is strictly adults only, the lunch sittings - considerably cheaper - are open to kids, who can chowdown Michelin-style for a relatively friendly 3,000 yen per head.
Clémentine & Keisuke Matsushima, Christmas lunch and dinner show. Lunch, 7,000 yen per person; dinner, 22,000 yen per person. First seating, (lunch) 11.30am; (dinner) 6.30pm, December 23-25. Le Hall Togo, Jingu-Mae, Shibuya-Ku (03 3401 7197)

Hawaiian holidays
Ostensibly dinner with a tropical twist, though the promised kindling-cooked oysters suggest something a bit more snug. The festive bird may be absent from the menu, but the duck looks like a sure-fire alternative. It’s also the cheapest option on a pricey menu that includes Iberian pig (pata negra, should you dig the lingo), and beef fillet served with lobster tail. Round it off with the chef’s homemade Christmas cookies and you’ll be just about ready to settle down for a long winters’ nap. Good job you’re in a hotel, then.
Christmas Cruise. Starting from 12,600 yen per person. 5pm-10pm, December 22-25. Trader Vic’s, New Otani Hotel, Kioi-Cho, Chiyoda-Ku (03 3265 4707)

Chestnuts and cheeks
There are two big holiday menus at ekki Bar & Grill this Christmas, though we have our eye on the cheaper one (not that we’re skinflints or anything). Roasted quail is already birdy enough for our Yule needs, but smother it in chestnut purée and caramlised apple and you can consider the job done; the grilled yellow tail, braised cheeks (cow, in case you were wondering) and chocolate mousse are all just icing on an already impressive cake.
Christmas Dinner. 12,500 yen per person. First seating 5.30pm, December 17-25. ekki Bar & Grill, Tokyo Four Seasons Hotel, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku (03 5222 5945)