Four festive UK city getaways for shopping, eating and exploring

Looking for a quick festive getaway which combines unique shopping with delicious food? Discover the most festive city getaways across the UK, then check out our guide to the UK's best boutique hotels for food lovers and farm stays for food lovers. Or find your new favourite neighbourhood in our top foodie neighbourhoods in 11 UK cities.

Bath

Milsom Street and around, Bath

A Unesco World Heritage site, Bath is a festive stunner. Behind its Georgian facades, moreover, you will find incredible shopping that should cover all gift buying needs. Names like Kiehl’s, Russell & Bromley, Aesop and Lakeland cluster in and around Milsom Street, alongside notable Bath indies, such as shoemaker Chanii B or Gabucci Menswear. Foodie stops include cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield, chocolatier Neuhaus, Green Street butcher and, for wine and spirits, Amathus. In the new Shires Yard (previously Milsom Place), you will find Coret coffee, classes at The Cookery Studio and an outpost of Bristol chef Josh Eggleton’s muchpraised, veg-led restaurant, Root.

Elsewhere in Bath, other tasty options include:

Corkage

Handsome bottle shop, bar and dining room offering up to 60 wines by the glass to accompany seasonal sharing plates of, say, beef shin croquettes with capers and mustard, or salt-baked celeriac, burnt apple, black winter truffle, vanilla, pecorino and mint. corkagebath.com

Magari

Impressive fresh pasta kitchen in Shires Yard. High-quality Italian and British ingredients (Amalfi lemons, Mutti tomatoes, Cacklebean eggs, Sussex Charmer cheese) underpin competitively priced dishes of sausage ragu, pesto, carbonara and such. magaripasta.co.uk

Chez Dominique

A short walk from Milsom Street. Modern French and European cooking that delivers in mains of, for example, roast cod, butter beans, chorizo and tapenade, or onglet, wild garlic butter and pommes frites. chezdominique.co.uk

Beckford Canteen

Modern British restaurant which, since 2022, has taken Bath by storm in well executed dishes such as onion squash soup with hazelnut and sage; venison, celeriac and blackberries; and plaice in café de Paris butter. beckfordcanteen.com

Norwich and Oxford

Norwich Lanes, Norwich

Remote enough to feel like a genuine getaway, Norwich is a city of fantastic food, fab indie shopping and endless historic layers. It also looks – check the Insta-perfect cobbled Elm Hill – particularly picturesque in winter.

These features come together in Norwich Lanes, a colourful, walkable neighbourhood of streets and alleys, many home to Georgian and medieval buildings, that sits between the River Wensum and the Guildhall. Stylishly festooned at Christmas, Jarrolds independent department store is legendary. Start your gift shopping there before delving into the Lanes’ hundreds of boutiques, from sustainable slow-fashion store Atwin, Elm homewares or Lisa Angel jewellery, to Bowhill & Elliott, makers of luxurious house slippers since 1874.

The Lanes are also abundant with good food and drink. Refuel at bakery Bread Source, brunch spot JC Pinto or burger joint Bun X. Later, after pre-dinner cocktails at The Drawing Rooms, pick from:

Benedicts

A much-loved modern British restaurant in which chef-patron Richard Bainbridge makes memorable use of regional produce in, as Christmas nears, dishes such as a spicy game pâté en croûte or a festive version of his GBM-winning Nanny Bush’s trifle. restaurantbenedicts.com

Yard

Fresh pastas, fastidious sauces and on-point cocktails are the draw at this buzzy walk-in only spot. Try the pappardelle with 12-hour beef shin ragu or the sausage and fennel rigatoni. yardnorwich.com

L’hexagone

Modern French bistro cooking from chef Thomas Aubrit. Expect dishes such as soupe à l’oignon, boeuf bourguignon and a stand-out crème brûlée. hexagonebistrofrancais.com

Brix and Bones

This attractive live-fire restaurant is a hit for next-level steaks (aging sides of beef are displayed in several gorgeous fridges) and chef George Wood’s modish dishes of, say, sesame pork toast with black bean emulsion or aged mutton, fermented celeriac and nasturtium. brixandbones.com

East Oxford

A historic gem of dreaming spires and ancient streets, Oxford is an evocative festive destination. Nearby attractions, including Blenheim Palace with its Great Court skating rink and seasonal light trail, seal this wonderland deal. But beyond this cute backdrop a different Oxford is doing its thing. East of the city centre, around Cowley Road, hip young Oxford is at play: browsing vinyl at record shop Truck, catching movies at the indie Ultimate Picture Palace and shopping at boutiques such as Scandi lifestyle store Löfgrens, and vintage clothing hub The Retro Room. Pick up foodie treats at Hamblin Bread, coffee roaster Missing Bean, health food store Wild Honey and, every Saturday, East Oxford Farmers’ and Community Market.

Later, get a taste of the local scene at The Chester Arms (home of a legendary steak platter) or at these varied picks:

Arbequina

With its long zinc bar and lively vibe, Arbequina riffs winningly on Spanish tapas culture in plates of, for example, onion tortilla, aubergine, whipped feta, molasses and pomegranate, and ibérico de bellota pork tenderloin with mojo verde. Exciting news alert! Arbequina co-owner Rufus previously ran the acclaimed Oli’s Thai with his wife, chef Ladd Thurston, which they recently relaunched on boho Magdalen Road. Go, go, go. arbequina.co.uk

Taste Tibet

Spruce, stripped-back neighbourhood hang where Yeshi Jampa’s Tibetan dishes (beef momos, various curries, flatbreads, sides such as fermented mooli) have an enthusiastic following. tastetibet.com

The Magdalen Arms

For 16 years this gastropub has won hearts with its homemade focaccia, fresh pastas, classic cheese soufflé and feasting sharing dishes such as a seven-hour cooked lamb shoulder with dauphinoise and pickled cabbage. magdalenarms.co.uk

Bigfoot

With a neat line in DJs, margaritas and tacos, Bigfoot’s short menu includes taco toppings like miso oyster mushrooms, jalapeño crema and spring onion, or braised pork, pickled red onion and pineapple. bigfootoxford.com

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Southside, Marchmont and Newington

Britain’s most Christmassy city? It is hard to look past Edinburgh which, around its central Princes Street Gardens, offers shopping galore and diversions, from ice skating to a Hogmanay torchlight procession as part of the city’s winter festival. After that excitement, chill in Edinburgh’s foodie neighbourhoods, such as Stockbridge, Leith or the simmering Southside, around Marchmont and Newington. Bordering the green Meadows and Holyrood Park (home of Arthur’s Seat) and close to the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill nature reserve, the Southside boasts restorative walking country on its doorstep and cultural hotspots – notably, Summerhall Arts and music and comedy venue The Queen’s Hall.

Ace places to eat include casual faves such as bakery-café Kate’s, Mara’s Picklery, contemporary sandwich shop Alby’s, and NY-inspired slice joint Sear’s Pizza. Also, these four zingers:

Argile

Ten-seat chef ’s counter, where engaging chef Jack Montgomery and team imaginatively deploy superb Scottish ingredients. Stand-out dishes include a slow-cooked egg (63C for 63 minutes) presented in a 96-hour cooked pressed onion broth, garnished with salted trout roe, togarashi and ibérico fat. argilerestaurant.co.uk

Pomelo

Chef-owner Jun Au’s modern Asian venue is loved for its cosy warmth, hand-ripped noodles and the vibrant creativity of its sharing dishes. Think roast cauliflower, Cantonese curry and spelt risotto, or scallop carpaccio, gordal olives and chilli crisp. pomelocafe.co.uk

Nàdair

Modish Marchmont restaurant where chefs Sarah Baldry and Alan Keery treat foraged and seasonal Scottish produce with distinctive Scandi-adjacent élan: including the likes of beautifully plated cured trout with spruce, smoked crème fraîche, pickled apple and sorrel. restaurantnadair.com

Condita

From individual hand-drawn menus to specialist ingredients cultivated on its owners’ Borders allotment, intimate candlelit Condita is a special experience. Chef Tyler King’s tasting menu takes the Scottish larder on a global tour in detailed dishes awarded a Michelin star in February. condita.co.uk