So we’ve had Italian and Latin American Christmas dinner menus, but now it’s time to go traditional. Though traditional comes with a twist when you are enjoying a sunny view of a swimming pool with your Christmas turkey. No, I hadn’t been flown to a sun-filled paradise for my final Christmas dinner review – I was in the rather excellent Lido Cafe in Brockwell Park. Part of the distinctive 1930s Art Deco Lido building, the cafe has been open since 2009, attracting lots of good reviews and a place on several ‘Best of’ restaurant lists in that time.

It’s a lively place for Christmas dinner, all around us crackers were being pulled, party hats were being worn and cracker jokes were being told – there was a queue at the door full of hopeful looking faces (I was very glad we’d booked!) The staff were knowledgeable about the menu, chatty and great fun – we were having a good time even before the food turned up.

The two-course Christmas menu is £24.95 or you can have three courses for £29.95 and there’s a nice mix of traditional and slightly more unusual choices. We feasted on starters of smoked salmon – so good I thought it must have come from Ireland, but no, it was Scottish – and chestnut, celeriac and parsnip soup, deliciously flavoured. And of course it had to be turkey for main course, the slices came wrapped in Serrano ham, served with a tasty chestnut stuffing and proper gravy. There were roast potatoes, braised red cabbage and a big dish of roasted carrots and parsnips, plus a lovely fruity cranberry sauce. My companion had the salmon, served in flaky pastry, which is a nice twist on Christmas dinner for non meat eaters. Dessert was a spicy Christmas pudding served with salt caramel ice cream – a non traditional pairing but one that really worked.

And we pulled crackers and wore hats and enjoyed the lovely sunshine shining on the outdoor pool and admired the resilience of the people eating their dinner sitting beside it – the outdoor terrace has plenty of tables and chairs for diners, I just hadn’t expected them to be full in December! But if you keep your coat on, it’s a great way to enjoy your Christmas dinner outdoors. The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch Wednesday to Sunday, and for evening dinner Wednesday to Saturday. It’s a buzzing and popular spot and, if you don’t want to join those eating Christmas dinner outside, it’s best to book in advance at 0207 737 8183. Visit the website at www.thelidocafe.co.uk.

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