A new survey has revealed that one in five Irish adults want to dine out on Christmas Day and that 6 in 10 respondents do not expect to pay more in restaurants over the Christmas period.
OpenTable's survey revealed that 40 per cent of Irish adults plan to dine out at least once a week over the period, with Saturday 10 December expected to be the busiest night for restaurants. Currently only 5 per cent of Irish people eat out on Christmas day, however 33 per cent of respondents said they believed more restaurants should open on the day.
71 per cent of adults dining out over Christmas said the reason for doing it was to enjoy time with family while 15 per cent replied that they just wanted to avoid the stress of cooking for a large group. Respondents food preference for Christmas consisted of 51 per cent wanting to eat traditional Irish dishes, 14 per cent wanting Chinese cuisine and 13 per cent looking for Italian food.
Those surveyed said their favourite Christmas foods were turkey and ham at 64 per cent, 31 per cent said roast potatoes, 29 per cent replied stuffing, while 34 per cent said brussel sprouts were their least favourite food followed by pudding at 28 per cent.
Commenting on the survey findings, Adrian Valeriano, vice president global sales and services at OpenTable, said: "We’ve long known that Ireland is a foodie nation and it’s interesting to see that dining out has also become ingrained in modern Christmas tradition. The Christmas period can prove to be stressful, especially if you are catering for a large group, so heading out to a restaurant and spending quality time with your loved ones can really enhance the festive experience. OpenTable is the world’s leading restaurant booking platform and we are committed to connecting Irish diners with the restaurants we know they will love this Christmas season."
