What with present buying, entertaining and sprucing up the home in time for the big day, when Christmas finally comes around the last thing one wants is the stress of cooking to curtail all your own fun. Thankfully, Dubai’s restaurants and hotels are on hand to help. We have the list of the best places to let the pro do the cooking for you and deliver it to your door.

H Hotel The crate of Christmas grub delivered to your door by The H Hotel is so big it requires two men to carry it. Inside, cooked and ready to dish out to ten guests, is a wonderfully juicy turkey, fragrant cranberry sauce and the biggest sprouts we’ve ever seen. You also get spuds, herby stuffing and carrots. The Christmas pudding was moist and rich and the mince pies had a beautiful flaky pastry top. The best bit? You keep the crate.
H Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Dhs995 (10kg turkey). Tel: (04) 5018612. h-hotel.com

Lafayette Gourmet Classic, festive dishes and a few quirky alternatives are available on large platters for in-store collection or home delivery. They’re doing whole roasted turkey, roast prime rib with Yorkshire pudding, beef Wellington and Canadian lobster thermidor, a smoked salmon platter and poached lobster. Hungry yet?
The Dubai Mall, Dubai, Sun and Wed 10am to 10pm, Thur and Sat 10am to midnight. Tel: (04) 3399933. Metro: Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa. galerieslafayette-dubai.com

Address Dubai Marina The Kambaa lounge is offering a jam-packed takeaway turkey hamper to feed between four and eight hungry people. Inside this box of delights you’ll find rich chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes, roast root vegetables, buttered brussel sprouts, chicken sausages in  blankets, gravy and cranberry sauce.
Address Dubai Marina, Dubai, 7am to midnight, Dhs800 (6 to 7kg turkey). Tel: (04) 4367777. Taxi: Dubai Marina. theaddress.com

Dunes Café The chefs here can prepare a traditional butter-basted turkey for up to 14 people. It includes roast potatoes, chicken sausages, glazed chestnuts plus turkey gravy and cranberry sauce.
Shangri-La Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Dhs750 (5 to 6kg turkey), Dhs799 (6 to 7kg). Tel: (04) 4052703. Metro: Financial Centre. shangri-la.com/dubai

Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach Whether you’re hosting Christmas dinner for 12 or a more intimate gathering, Mövenpick have plump turkeys in varying sizes ready to go, with homemade stuffing and all the trimmings.
Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, Dhs510 (5 to 6kg) Dhs650 (6 to 7kg) or Dhs950 (10 to 11kg). Tel: (04) 4498888. movenpick-hotels.com

Citymax, Al Barsha Their sensibly-sized Turkey Box contains a roast bird, chipolatas, roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce and gravy.
Al Barsha, behind Mall Of The Emirates, Dubai, Dhs180 (3kg turkey), Dhs250 (5kg). Tel: (04) 4098000. Metro: Mall Of The Emirates. citymaxhotels.com