Christmas Day lunch in Reading costs £57.95 to £119 at 8 pubs, restaurants and hotels in 2026: children's prices, deposits and payment dates for each.

For Christmas Day in Reading, the lowest published prices are at the White Horse in Emmer Green (£57.95) and the Victoria Cross on Basingstoke Road (£57.99). Toby Carvery at Caversham Bridge is £77.99 and the Griffin by the Thames in Caversham £90, while Malmaison (£119) and the Roseate (£115) are the hotel options. Every entry was checked against the venue’s own site on 2 November 2026.

We have not eaten at any of these for this guide, and nothing here is a review. Each entry gives the price on the venue’s own 2026 Christmas menu, what that includes and what the venue says about deposits and payment, along with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) hygiene rating. One date matters soon: three of these want full payment by 1 December.

Pubs and carveries

1. The White Horse, Emmer Green

The White Horse on Kidmore End Road is the Greene King pub in Emmer Green. Its Christmas Day page links a 2026 menu priced at £57.95 for three courses, with hand-carved turkey and a no-gluten-containing version, and a children’s menu at £27.95 for three courses.

A £10 deposit a head, adults and children alike, holds the table. Menu pre-orders opened on 21 October, and the pub asks for payment in full by 1 December 2026, or at the time of booking after that.

Price Christmas Day 3 courses £57.95, children £27.95
Booking online; £10 a head deposit; payment in full by 1 December
Call 0118 947 3741
Address 9 Kidmore End Road, Emmer Green, Reading, RG4 8SD
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 29 July 2025
Website greeneking.co.uk/pubs/berkshire/white-horse/christmas/christmas-day
Listing Our listing
Good for lowest price, children's menu, no-gluten menu

2. The Victoria Cross, Basingstoke Road

The Victoria Cross is the Hungry Horse pub on Basingstoke Road in Whitley. Its Christmas Day page prices three courses at £57.99 for adults and £22.99 for children.

The deposit is £10 a head for adults and £5 for children. For bookings made on or before 11 December, menu choices and final payment are due that day; for bookings made after that, payment is due by 18 December.

Price Christmas Day 3 courses £57.99, children £22.99
Booking online; £10 adult, £5 child deposit; choices and payment by 11 or 18 December
Call 0118 931 0115
Address Unit B2, 350 Basingstoke Road, Reading, RG2 0NT
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 27 June 2025
Website hungryhorse.co.uk/pubs/berkshire/victoria-cross/christmas/christmas-day
Listing Our listing
Good for children's price, family pub

3. Toby Carvery Caversham Bridge, Richfield Avenue

Toby Carvery Caversham Bridge sits on Richfield Avenue, by the river near Caversham Bridge. Its Christmas Day 2026 page puts Christmas Day dining at £77.99, built around the carvery.

Toby’s deposit page asks £10 a head for every Christmas Day guest, whatever the party size, with full payment and pre-order by 1 December. In the weeks before, the festive menu runs from £15.79 Monday to Friday, £17.79 on Saturdays and £20.79 on Sundays.

Price Christmas Day £77.99; festive menu from £15.79 weekdays, £17.79 Saturday, £20.79 Sunday
Booking online; £10 a head deposit; full payment and pre-order by 1 December
Address Richfield Avenue, Reading, RG1 8EQ
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 8 June 2026
Website tobycarvery.co.uk/restaurants/south-east/cavershambridgereading/menus/christmasdaymenu
Listing Our listing
Good for carvery, festive menu in December

4. The Griffin, Caversham

The Griffin is the Chef & Brewer pub on Church Road in Caversham, beside the Thames. Its Christmas Day 2026 page offers three courses for £90 a head, with a no-gluten-containing menu and a Young Guests menu.

No booking is confirmed until menu choices and a deposit of £10 an adult and £5 a child are in. Payment in full is due by 1 December 2026, or at booking after that, and deposits are non-refundable for cancellations on or after 11 December.

Price Christmas Day 3 courses £90
Booking online; £10 adult, £5 child deposit; payment in full by 1 December
Call 0118 947 5018
Address 10-12 Church Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 7AD
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 11 September 2025
Website chefandbrewer.com/pubs/berkshire/griffin/christmas/christmas-day
Listing Our listing
Good for riverside, Young Guests menu, no-gluten menu

Steak restaurants

5. Miller & Carter Caversham, Kidmore Road

Miller & Carter’s Caversham steakhouse is in the former Grosvenor pub on Kidmore Road. The 2026 menu linked from its Christmas Day page is the “Luxurious Christmas Day Menu” at £109.95 a head, with a sourdough boule to share, starters such as a twice-baked cauliflower and Camembert soufflé, and desserts including a miniature chocolate yule log.

Miller & Carter sets prices per restaurant, which is why the Oracle branch below charges more for the same menu.

Price Christmas Day £109.95
Booking online through the restaurant's Christmas page
Address 109 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 7NH
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 16 October 2025
Website millerandcarter.co.uk/restaurants/south-east/millerandcartercaversham/menus/christmasdaymenu
Listing Our listing
Good for steakhouse, vegan dessert

6. Miller & Carter at The Oracle

The Oracle branch of Miller & Carter is on the Riverside, overlooking the Kennet. Its Christmas Day page links the same 2026 “Luxurious Christmas Day Menu” as Caversham, priced here at £114.95 a head.

The restaurant’s Christmas page also lists a festive menu and festive sharers for the weeks before.

Price Christmas Day £114.95
Booking online through the restaurant's Christmas page
Call 0118 950 9961
Address R5-6 The Riverside, The Oracle, Reading, RG1 2AG
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 18 March 2026
Website millerandcarter.co.uk/restaurants/south-east/millerandcarteroracle/menus/christmasdaymenu
Listing Our listing
Good for town centre, riverside, festive menu in December

Hotels

7. The Reading Room at The Roseate, The Forbury

The Reading Room is the restaurant of the Roseate hotel on the Forbury. Its Christmas Day lunch, as listed by Visit South East England for 25 December 2026, is a five-course festive tasting menu with Champagne and canapés on arrival, finishing with tea, coffee and mince pies, from 12pm.

The listing gives guide prices of £115 an adult and £57.50 for a child under 12. The hotel’s own site showed no Christmas price we could read, so confirm when you book.

Open Christmas Day from 12pm
Price Christmas Day £115, children under 12 £57.50 (guide prices, Visit South East England)
Address 26 The Forbury, Reading, RG1 3EJ
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 29 November 2024
Website roseatehotels.com/reading/thereadingroom
Good for tasting menu, Champagne on arrival, vegetarian options

8. Malmaison Reading, Station Road

Malmaison occupies the former Great Western Hotel opposite the station, and serves Christmas Day in its Chez Mal brasserie. The 2026 Reading brochure describes “four indulgent courses with all the trimmings”, including Champagne or a children’s mocktail and crackers.

Adults are £119, children aged 5 to 11 £65 and under-5s free, with seating from 12.30pm to 3pm. Pre-booking is essential, and the brochure asks for a 50% non-refundable deposit at booking.

Through December a three-course Celebrations menu runs from £39.95.

Open Christmas Day seatings 12.30pm to 3pm
Price Christmas Day £119 including Champagne, children 5 to 11 £65, under-5s free; Celebrations menu from £39.95
Booking essential; 50% non-refundable deposit
Call 0118 334 1331
Address 18-20 Station Road, Reading, RG1 1JX
Hygiene rating 5, Food Standards Agency, 25 October 2024
Website malmaison.com/locations/reading/christmas
Good for by the station, Champagne included, under-5s free

How we chose

These are the places people search for when booking Christmas dinner in Reading and Caversham. We chose them on the public record, not on taste: each one publishes a 2026 Christmas Day price, all but one on its own site, and each has a Food Standards Agency hygiene rating of 5. Some well-known names are missing because we could not find a 2026 Christmas Day price on 2 November 2026: the Outlook on Kings Road had no Christmas Day page, Village Hotel Reading is not in Village’s Christmas listings, and we found no Christmas Day menu for the Fisherman’s Cottage, the Crown in Caversham or Hilton Reading. Thames Lido’s festive menus run from 23 November to 30 December (lunch £30 Monday to Wednesday) but its Christmas page lists no Christmas Day lunch. Prices are as published on 2 November 2026; Christmas menus usually need a deposit and a pre-order, so check the terms when you book.

Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@readingdaily.co.uk. Taken a good photograph of any of these places? Email it to newsdesk@readingdaily.co.uk and we will add it with your name as the credit.

For more on Christmas locally, see the Reading Christmas market, the Christmas lights switch-on, Christmas at Basildon Park, New Year’s Eve in Reading, Christmas trains and travel, Christmas bin collections and what’s on in Reading this month. For the rest of the year, see things to do in Reading and the pubs in our Reading business directory.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I have Christmas dinner in Reading on Christmas Day 2026?

Eight places on this list publish a 2026 Christmas Day price. The lowest are the White Horse in Emmer Green (£57.95 for three courses) and the Victoria Cross on Basingstoke Road (£57.99). Toby Carvery Caversham Bridge is £77.99 and the Griffin in Caversham £90. Miller & Carter is £109.95 in Caversham and £114.95 at the Oracle, the Reading Room at the Roseate is listed at £115 and Malmaison on Station Road is £119 with a glass of Champagne.

How much is Christmas Day lunch for children in Reading?

Published children’s prices are £22.99 at the Victoria Cross, £27.95 for three courses at the White Horse, £57.50 for under-12s at the Roseate (as listed by Visit South East England) and £65 for ages 5 to 11 at Malmaison, where under-5s eat free.

When do I have to pay for Christmas Day lunch in Reading?

Toby Carvery wants full payment and pre-orders by 1 December, and the White Horse and the Griffin want payment in full by 1 December 2026. The Victoria Cross wants menu choices and final payment by 11 December for bookings made by then, or 18 December for later ones. Malmaison takes a 50% non-refundable deposit at booking.