Where to eat in Melbourne for Christmas lunch 2014

It takes a lot of planning, organising, time and patience to do a Christmas feast for the family. If you've decided you can't face it this year, get someone else to take care of it for you. We've got a round up of Christmas-day dining so you can sit back and relax.

Hotel glam

The Langham The Langham has you sorted, no matter how you like to celebrate. Pick your lunch. The Ballroom Christmas lunch is $299 for adults and $159 for kids. Choose from West Australian rock lobster, Queensland king prawns, South Australia Pacific oysters as well as the traditional cuts of beef, turkey and ham and a range of desserts. Includes wine, beer and soft drink. The Alto Christmas Day lunch ($325 for adults, $199 for kids) features soup, seafood, salads, vegetarian dishes, traditional meats and more than 10 different desserts.
If that all sounds like too much, you might like to try afternoon tea in the Aria bar and lounge. For $125 for adults and $79 for children, you’ll be treated to classic ribbon sandwiches, scones, roast turkey vol-au-vents and a sweet buffet. Enjoy a glass of sparkling on arrival and all the coffee, tea and hot chocolate you can drink. The Melba Christmas dinner ($249 for adults, $199 for kids, $299/$199 for guaranteed window seats) will feature more than 40 dishes of traditional festive fare from around the world. Expect a visit from Santa too.
1 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, 8696 8888

Places are still available for a buffet lunch in the ballroom at the Windsor Hotel. Lunch is $299 for adults, $125 for kids aged 5 to 12, $215 for 12- to 18-year-olds. Dinner is $125 for three courses with a glass of French sparkling wine on arrival. There's also a separate vegetarian menu if turkey isn't your thing.
111 Spring Street, Melbourne, 9633 6000

InterContinental The Rialto will host a lunch buffet in the Alluvial restaurant and a three-course meal on Christmas night. Choose from a selection of seafood, hot meats and sweet desserts. Vegetarian dishes are also available. $185 per person, includes wine, beer and soft drink; $85 per child. Christmas dinner is $120 per person including beverages.
495 Collins Street, Melbourne, 03 8627 1400

Food with a view

Celebrate waterside at The Point in Albert Park. The buffet menu ($195 for adults; $95 for kids; $50 for teenagers) includes salads, seafood, traditional meats and a range of desserts with wines, beer and soft drinks included. Or opt for the four-course lunch ($250 per person) with a glass of champagne on arrival.
Aquatic Drive, Albert Park Lake, 9682 5566

The Merrywell will do lunch a little differently. Enjoy oysters, grilled fish tacos, and buffalo chicken wings, plus

Go Euro

Bistro Vue will be hosting a Les Miserables-themed lunch ($200 a person) across five "volumes" based on characters from the novel. There'll be barbecued duck skewers, coral trout, roasted spatchcock and a cheese and dessert buffet, all matched with French wine.
430 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 9691 3838

Merchant Osteria Venenta will host a four-course lunch, including cichetti to share and choice of entree, main and dessert. $195 per person, drinks not included.
495 Collins Street, Melbourne, 9614 7688

Matteo's four-course feast is $170 per person, $80 for kids. Only bookings for noon or 1.30pm left so get in quick.
533 Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy, 9481 1277

Pub lunch

The Grosvenor Hotel will be serving a three-course lunch with the chef's tasting plate on arrival. Keep it traditional and choose turkey breast with potato fondant and currants and a good old pud or, start with a prawn cocktail and have barramundi for main. $79 for adults; $35 for kids.
10 Brighton Road, St Kilda East, 9531 1542

Middle Park Hotel is offering a three-course lunch for $130 per person ($65 for kids). There will be four options to choose from for each course; seafood, a range of meats and sweet desserts, plus petit fours.

Newmarket Hotel is hosting a three-course lunch for $130 per person ($65 for children). Keep it fresh and light and choose scallops to start, wood-roasted barramundi for main and finish with passionfruit pavlova. Or keep it traditional with turkey and trifle.

Contemporary

Circa has lunch covered. $195 per person (children $65) will get you a three-course lunch, plus canapes and petit fours. There'll be seafood, traditional meats and a range of desserts. For something more casual, Circa will also be hosting a family share-style lunch on the deck. $115 per person for three courses, $50 for children.
2 Acland Street, St Kilda, 9536 1122

No. 8 by John Lawson is offering a six-course lunch menu for $230 per person, including a glass of bubbles. Start with a crab, peach and green bean salad, followed by Port Phillip Bay snapper, turkey or grass-fed tenderloin with all the trimmings and finish with sorbet and pudding.
8 Whiteman Street, Southbank, 9292 5777