The Mayfair Restaurant You Need On Your Radar This Festive Season

We love Christmas food as much as the next person, but it’s easy to tire of pigs-in-blankets, turkey roasts and mince pies. Which is why, this December, we’ve got our eye on a seasonal feast at Mediterranean restaurant Gaia Mayfair, an upscale spot which brings a Greek twist to traditional festivities. Here’s everything you need to know.

Gaia Mayfair: What To Expect

The brainchild of restaurateur Evgeny Kuzin and British-Nigerian chef Izu Ani, Gaia landed in prime position on Mayfair’s Dover Street in December 2023 following successful launches in Dubai, Monte Carlo and Doha. It proved similarly popular in its new London postcode, quickly garnering a loyal following – and attracting a string of famous faces, from Emma Raducanu to Tom Cruise.

Spread across three floors (with the bottom housing a snazzy new members’ club, NYX), Gaia is huge, and quite the spectacle. It’s renowned for its ultra-luxe interiors, which epitomise Grecian glam with whitewashed walls, blue furnishings, domed arches, high ceilings, Hellenistic statues and marble galore. Think Mykonos meets Dubai, with touches of London glam thrown in for good measure.

But, crucially, the food is just as impressive, helmed by Ani alongside Peloponnese chef Orestis Kotefas. The menu features decadent takes on Greek fare with a big focus on seafood – much of which is shown in a display piled high with the daily catch of lobsters, oysters, seabass and turbot. Luxurious ingredients are commonplace here – truffle, caviar, octopus – and dishes are served theatrically, with a lot of tableside action. The signature dish, for instance, is a showstopping sea bream carpaccio on the bone, sliced to mimic fish scales, and served with three oils on the side, designed to be enjoyed as a ritual one by one (demonstrated by your waiter).

Christmas Day At Gaia

This glitzy space is certainly fitting for special occasions; it’s the perfect place to visit for Christmassy dates or family get-togethers over the festive season, with a stylish tree erected in the centre, and red baubles dotted around the space. Gaia is also open on Christmas Day itself, with the ultimate celebratory menu to boot. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted with a glass of Louis Roederer champagne ahead of a lavish nine-course meal. First up is a choice of either chicken or lentil soup, before the signature Greek salad made with mountain tomatoes, barrel aged feta and pickled olives. Next comes the raw course – bluefin tuna, yellowtail, scallops – before mains including oxtail meat pie, lobster pasta, Mediterranean sea bass and slow cooked baby goat served with basmati rice.

Quite the feast, but it doesn’t stop there: of course Christmas Day lunch includes dessert. Instead of yule logs and Christmas pudding, you’ll be treated to either a tower of frozen yoghurt with caramelised walnuts (a Gaia signature) or baklava ice cream with a selection of mini desserts, like peanut tart and cheesecake. 

All this can be paired with fine wine from across Europe, including prestigious bottles like Château Latour and Petru, as well as Greek-inspired cocktails – favourites include the Santorini Spritz, a mix of Ketel One, lychee, rose water and prosecco. 

New Year’s Eve Party

This Mayfair hotspot also fits the bill for NYE. On 31 December, Gaia is getting into the party spirit with a night of live entertainment and fine dining under the theme of Opaline White. Diners are invited to don formal opaline white attire and wide brim hats, and settle in for a specially crafted menu featuring oyster and caviar platters, rooster pasta with truffle juice, and puddings of warm apple tart and silky chocolate mousse. Where better to ring in 2026?

BOOK IT:

Christmas Day menu is £350pp, and available from 12pm until 5pm. The restaurant is located at 50 Dover St, London W1S 4NY, gaia-restaurants.com