Langdon Hall
1 Langdon Dr., Cambridge, 519-740-2100
Torontonians have been flocking to Langdon Hall for years, and ever since chef Jonathan Gushue took over the kitchen (in November 2005), it has turned into a must-visit restaurant for discriminating foodies. The Hall’s award-winning dining room serves a three-course prix fixe menu ($72 per person), and though Gushue presents a small menu, with quality in mind, decision making can be torturous. To wit, appetizers offer a choice between pumpkin and parmesan bisque with winter-truffle foam, and equally tempting goat cheese ravioli with leek broth, chorizo chutney and Leblanc olive oil. Mains include a seared striped bass with sweet corn and spring onion risotto, as well as herb-roasted turkey with the traditional accompaniments.

Windsor Arms Hotel
18 St. Thomas St. (at Bloor St. W.), 416-921-2921
To list all of the items available on the Windsor Arms buffet dinner menu ($60 per person) would be a fool’s errand; suffice it to say that if you don’t find a few things you like, you’re too picky to eat anywhere. The chilled seafood selection and charcuterie alone include oysters, Dungeness crab and prosciutto di Parma. There are also salads, cheeses, Asian dishes, and a pasta and risotto section. Mains include prime rib-eye that’s been dry aged 28 days, Pommery mustard–rubbed leg of lamb, and herb– and butter–roasted turkey.

Senses Bakery
SoHo Metropolitan Hotel, 318 Wellington St. W. (at Blue Jays Way), 416-961-0055
Though Senses Restaurant is closed through the Christmas season, the bakery is open and serving brunch until 3 p.m. on Christmas Day. Less a bakery than it is a casual resto for the sophisticated gourmet, Senses has a prix fixe menu ($38 per person) that pairs traditional brunch fare (eggs Benedict with smoked salmon) with tantalizing entrées (pan-seared pork chops with vanilla-scented parsnips and sweet potatoes, among others). You don’t have to wait until Christmas to visit the bakery, though: Senses is already stocked with holiday treats of every variety, from Parisian macaroons to handcrafted cookies to mini-cakes.

Hemispheres Restaurant and Bistro
Metropolitan Hotel, 110 Chestnut St. (at Dundas St. W.), 416-599-8000
Hemispheres, one of the Metropolitan’s two elegant eateries (dim sum palace Lai Wah Heen is the other), serves up an elegant twist on the traditional holiday dinner. Entrées include pan-seared porcini crusted black grouper, as well as venison chops. The dessert options (of note, baked apples with amaretto crunch and crème anglaise) further the illusion that this is just a simple holiday dinner put on by a family member, albeit one with culinary gifts. As a capper, Hemispheres offers turkey to go at $15 per kilogram; though takeout may be convenient, splurging for the full meal is recommended ($70 per person; $50 on Christmas Eve).

The Old Mill Inn Dining Room
The Old Mill Inn & Spa, 21 Old Mill Rd. (at Bloor St. W.), 416-236-2641
For some, eating at the Old Mill Inn on Christmas Day is as much a tradition as trimming the tree. Every year, families travel to Toronto’s west end in droves and, as expected, the restaurant has seen little reason to change its textbook buffet dinner ($47 per person, $23 for children six to 12). Seafood and smoked fish are abundant, as are salads, and domestic and international cheeses. Mains include maple mustard–glazed ham, roasted beef strip loin and, of course, a Christmas turkey with all the fixings. There is already a waiting list for reservations.