The holiday season is one of the busiest seasons in the Philippines, if not around the world. Whether you’re caught up in last-minute holiday shopping, jam-packed traffic during peak traveling hours, or errands given at the last possible moment, your Christmas Day and Christmas Eve meals should never be rushed.

Metro Manila has no shortage of great buffet stops for families or groups of friends looking to spend Christmas at their own leisurely time, perusing course after course. To help you narrow down your choices, here’s a quick list of hotels to consider in your hunt for the perfect holiday all-you-can-eat:

Cafe 1228

New World Makati Hotel, Esperanza St. cor. Makati Ave., Ayala Center, San Lorenzo, Makati

Café 1228 puts their chefs’ skills front and center with five custom cooking stations designed for diners to see exactly how their orders are being prepared. Their Christmas buffet features oven-roasted turkey stuffed with prunes and chestnuts, native lechon, marinated rib eye, and gingerbread-centered desserts. The Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch and dinner are priced at P2,998.

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Marriott Café

GF Manila Marriott Hotel, 2 Resorts Drive, Newport City, Pasay

Aside from all-day dining that features local and international fares, Marriott Café has a grab-and-go bakery you can visit after you’ve gone through its seven buffet stations. The bakery also has gourmet coffee and freshly baked pastries, perfect for a caffeine and sugar rush while waiting for your family’s gifting ceremony to start. Dinner buffets are priced at P3,300 per person. Guests, especially young kids, are also encouraged to keep watch—Marriott Manila invited Santa Claus for a special photo opportunity during Christmas Day.

*Photo courtesy of Manila Marriot Hotel*

Kusina Sea Kitchens

3F Hilton Manila, 1 Newport Blvd., Newport City, Pasay

Kusina Sea Kitchens offers holiday dinner buffets that run the whole month of December, as well as a Christmas Eve dinner buffet(P3,500 per person) and a Christmas Day lunch buffet P3,000). Their holiday series of buffets features roasted turkeys, honey-cured ham, slow-roasted beef, and assorted Filipino desserts like puto bumbong and bibingka.

High Street Café

2F Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

For the perfect modern fusion food for Christmas, indulge in High Street Cafe’s Noche Buena buffet that you can avail from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 24. The café has different “neighborhoods” that serve specific cuisine, as well as a seafood and raw bar, rotisserie, and a fresh salad bar. The Noche Buena buffet is priced at P2,600.

*Photo courtesy of Shangri-La at the Fort*

The Lobby

The Peninsula Manila, Ayala Ave. cor. Makati Ave., Urdaneta, Makati

The Lobby will be offering two buffets for Dec. 24—an afternoon tea buffet (situated at the upper lobby) and the Noche Buena buffet which runs from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Noche Buena buffets highlight a grand dessert display that features French pastries, whole cakes, porcelain dishes, and Filipino-inspired pastries. Regular rates for the afternoon tea buffet is P2,300 for adults and P1,150 for children under 12 years old, while rates for the Noche Buena buffet is P4,500 for adults and P2,250 for children.

Header photo courtesy of Mariott Hotel Manila

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