Freestyle festive feasting

Tinselled and turkeyed out? Let olive inject the spice of variety into your seasonal dining, from intimate hideaways to hot party spots

- TONY NAYLOR

We all need a varied diet, right? And, over the holiday season, the 24/7 routine of mince pies, turkey sarnies and mulled wine can get a bit much. If you crave something different, take inspiration from olive's hit list of venues, from food halls to ambitious restaurants, where Christmas is a mindset not a menu plan, and cranberry sauce is largely conspicuous by its absence. However, you eat your way through December, have a blast and a fantastic 2023.

HOT TICKET St Bart's, London New from the team behind Nest and Fenn, this 15-course Smithfield restaurant pays tribute to exceptional seasonal, artisan UK produce. The aim, says executive head chef, Johnnie Crowe, is to show respect for "the natural environment, the incredible produce that comes from it, and everyone in the process". Snacks of house-cured mangalitsa pork or oyster and pea with lovage granita precede dishes which, showcasing one or two prized ingredients, use progressively more interventionist techniques to platform them, from raw preparations to open-flame cooking. Expect foodies to flock. Dinner from £120pp; restaurant-stbarts.co.uk

HIP FOODIE SPOT Heron, Leith Modish spot amid Leith's waterways, offering exacting food and a relaxed vibe. Deft use of Scottish produce in dishes such as barbecued langoustine with home-cured lardo or venison with pickled, foraged blueberries and potato terrine, has won twenty-something chefs Tomás Gormley and Sam Yorke a sterling rep. December tasting menus from £65pp; heron.scot