The Chalet, York and Albany ★★★★★

Kick off the festive season with a booking at Gordon Ramsay’s new Winter Chalet at the York & Albany restaurant, which returns due to popular demand. Nestled on the edge of Regent’s Park, the chalet is available for exclusive hire only, and can cater for groups of up to twelve.

Guests are served from a delicious menu of indulgent snacks and cocktails made uniquely available to the chalet. Wrap up in one of the blankets and tuck into a delicious seasonal sharing platter.

The festive snack board features offerings of cheesy raclette to put visitors in mind of alpine skiing holidays, along with hearty offerings of venison kromeski (in layman's terms, croquettes), served on a bed of beetroot ketchup. In pride of place is a crispy cone filled with a rainbow trout and horseradish mousse: all of it beautifully presented and surprisingly filling.

To accompany the festival food York & Albany’s have created their own unique cocktails just for the chalet, including a Winter Spiced Old Fashioned with home-infused vodka or a Chilled Mulled Cider topped off Prosecco and accompanied with apple-flavoured ice to keep the taste alive as it melts in the warmth of the firelit surroundings.

To round off the experience they offer some sweet dishes including a delectably rich chocolate fondue with marshmallows for dipping, coconut and lychee snowballs and a light and fluffy and light baked alaska.

The luxuriant interiors of the cabin, cosily reminiscent of a mountain chalet with thick rugs and animal skins, a glowing fire, candles and lanterns, ski boots and ice skates complement the wintry menu perfectly. Perfect for an intimate date or a christmas party, a lot of thought has gone into the chalet, and it's definitely worth as Christmas draws ever closer.