London's The Table Cafe has launched its much-anticipated Christmas menu for the 2025 festive season, but a recent visit by our reporter revealed a dining experience that struggled to deliver consistent quality despite moments of genuine promise.
An Unpromising Start
The evening began on a disappointing note when journalist Jacob Antigha was seated in what he described as a "cramped corner" away from the main dining area. The unfortunate positioning created an immediate sense of isolation that contradicted the togetherness typically associated with Christmas celebrations.
Service issues compounded the initial disappointment. Nearly fifteen minutes passed before any staff member acknowledged the table, making for a frustrating beginning to what should have been a special festive meal. For an establishment that places such emphasis on communal dining through its name, the table service fell surprisingly short of expectations.
Mixed Results Across Courses
The culinary journey began with canapés that set the tone for the evening's inconsistency. While the chestnut falafel bites earned genuine praise for their enjoyable flavour and texture, the pigs in blankets disappointed, tasting suspiciously similar to frozen alternatives available at supermarkets.
Starters continued this unpredictable pattern. The smoked duck breast presented beautifully with thick, fresh slices, but suffered from a disappointingly flavourless sauce that left the dish feeling incomplete. Meanwhile, the chicken liver and brandy parfait leaned more toward a festive biscuit spread than a restaurant-quality starter, despite pleasant flavours and crisp vegetables.
Highs and Lows of Main Courses
The Christmas roast brought both triumphs and disappointments. The roast turkey wrapped in bacon with chestnut stuffing and sausage represented a strong return to form, impressing even a self-professed turkey sceptic with its moist, flavourful quality. Roasted vegetables also shone, delivering genuinely homemade flavours that paired beautifully with gravy.
However, the potatoes failed to meet the same standard, lacking crispness and tasting more boiled than roasted. The herb-crusted salmon never quite justified its place in a festive lineup, falling flat compared to earlier salmon courses despite support from broccoli and butter sauce.
Surprisingly, the vegetarian option emerged as a standout. The veggie Wellington featured perfectly flaky pastry and generous roasted vegetable filling that challenged traditional Christmas dinner expectations.
Desserts and Drinks Divide Opinion
The meal concluded with similarly divided results. The sticky toffee pudding proved disappointingly firm and overwhelmingly rich, while the eggnog trifle delighted with its creamy, flavourful character, though it suffered from structural issues as the layers became too liquid.
Festive cocktails also missed the mark, with one offering dominated by an overpowering cinnamon flavour that overwhelmed other elements. The Bailey's Oreo milkshake, ordered subsequently, provided a more successful festive experience.
Final Verdict
Ultimately, The Table Cafe's Christmas menu, available from November 2025, presents as a collection of promising ideas undermined by inconsistent execution and service issues. While genuine highlights like the roast turkey and veggie Wellington demonstrate the kitchen's potential, enough missteps occurred throughout the evening to prevent the full embrace of festive spirit.
For a Christmas meal intended to feel warm, inviting and cohesive, The Table Cafe still has considerable ground to cover before its seasonal offering truly fulfils its potential. The experience serves as a reminder that successful festive dining requires consistency across all elements, from initial seating to final course.
