Christmas lunch is booking out fast
FRESH competition in the Cairns hospitality scene has not stopped local restaurants from filling up fast in the leadup to Christmas.
Crystalbrook Collection’s Riley hotel has already been booked out at both its Paper Crane and Rocco restaurants, the latter of which opens on December 20.
Riley marketing manager Belinda Danks-Woodley said the Christmas bookings exceeded their expectations.
“We have had fantastic support from our in-house guests and the locals have put great trust in us for a special day on their family calendar,” she said.
“We will have great entertainment around the hotel, in the lead-up to Christmas and on the day itself, including children’s entertainment, a kids’ chill-out area and maybe a visit from the man himself.”
The Rocco Christmas Day event is sold out, after which there won’t be any restaurant bookings until New Year.
Ms Danks-Woodley said bookings were still available for the Riley banquet rooms if diners got in fast.
The Chambers operations manager Leith Wilson said there were only had a few spaces left for Christmas.
“We’ve been open months – this is our Christmas,” she said.
“We didn’t know what to expect, but the response from locals has been great and we hope we can keep impressing them and hope they enjoy everything we produce.”
The Chambers restaurant SoMa will have a set menu and Christmas cocktails at the bar, while the cafe will have Christmas-themed pastries specially made by the in-house chef.
Director of Dundee’s restaurant Tina Wort said the venue was completely booked four first out for Christmas a couple of weeks ago.
Dundee’s has been running its special Christmas Day lunches for the past 11 years and is still reliably filling up.
“This year it felt like it filled up faster than usual,” Mrs Wort said.
“The chef tweaks the main menu every year, but people still love it. We’ve had some guests who’ve been coming every year since it first started.”
Dundee’s Christmas lunch menu this year starts with a choice of three entrees, followed by a taster platter for the main, with eye fillet steak, chicken roulade and pork belly.
Mrs Wort said the Cairns hospitality industry had benefit greatly from many residents living far from their family home at Christmas.
“I believe people have started to realise now, especially when everyone (lives) so far away from home, ‘why worry about shopping and washing dishes when we can go out and let the chef do it?’” she said.
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