Christmas dinner deserves more than a list scribbled on the back of an envelope. When the table is set, candles are lit, and the crackers are waiting, a printed menu at each place tells your guests the evening has been planned with care. This Christmas Dinner Menu Template brings the look of a formal holiday dinner party, deep evergreen and warm gold with a garland across the top, to any home table. Your guests will want to take it home.
Evergreen, Gold and a Touch of Red
The menu is designed on US Letter paper, 8.5 x 11 inches, in portrait orientation, with a deep forest-green background from edge to edge. Across the top hangs a pine garland in three graceful swags. Needles in three shades of green are layered over a dark rope, and a red ribbon bow is tied at each point where the swags meet. From every swag hang three ornaments on fine gold threads: two red baubles with a white highlight and, in the middle, a larger gold one.
A fine gold double frame outlines the menu area, with the golden baubles just overlapping its top edge as if they hang in front of it. Inside the frame, the page is centred and calm:
- Christmas in large gold Great Vibes script;
- DINNER in cream Cinzel capitals with very wide letter spacing;
- the date and time in soft italic, Friday, December 25, 2026 · Five o’clock;
- a small gold star between two short gold rules, marking the start of the menu.
Five courses follow. Each has a small gold Cinzel label (FIRST COURSE, SECOND COURSE, MAIN COURSE, DESSERT, TO FINISH), the dish name in cream Playfair Display and a short italic description in a muted sage. At the bottom of the frame, Merry Christmas from the Harper Family is signed off in gold script above our small gold logo. A second garland with red bows runs along the foot of the page, so the menu is framed in greenery top and bottom.
A Course-by-Course Drinks Pairing Guide
If you’d like to add pairings to your menu (there’s room for an extra italic line under each course), these classic matches suit the sample dishes. Swap in non-alcoholic options for younger guests and drivers:
| Course | Sample dish | Wine pairing | Alcohol-free idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Roasted Chestnut Soup | Dry sherry or an oaked Chardonnay | Warm spiced apple juice |
| Second | Winter Citrus & Pomegranate Salad | Sauvignon Blanc or Prosecco | Sparkling pomegranate water with rosemary |
| Main | Honey-Glazed Ham or Beef Tenderloin | Pinot Noir with the ham, Cabernet Sauvignon with the beef | Cranberry and ginger spritz |
| Dessert | Sticky Toffee Pudding | Tawny port or a late-harvest Riesling | Vanilla cream soda |
| To finish | Mince pies by the fire | Mulled wine | Hot chocolate with peppermint |
Writing a Menu Your Guests Will Savour
Holiday menus read best when every course follows the same simple pattern: a clear name, then a short line that hints at flavour. A few guidelines:
- Name the dish plainly. Honey-Glazed Christmas Ham says more than Festive Ham Surprise.
- Use the italic line for two or three ingredients or a garnish, such as thyme crème fraîche or toasted brioche crumbs. Save full recipes for anyone who asks.
- Offer a choice for the main if you’re catering to different tastes. The template already shows beef tenderloin with red wine jus as an example.
- Group the trimmings on one line separated by middle dots, as the sample does with roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and Yorkshire puddings.
- Keep it to five courses or fewer. The layout is balanced for five. Fewer courses give each one more breathing room.
Personalizing Every Detail
Everything is editable online in the template editor:
- Headline and family name: double-click to change Christmas to Christmas Eve or Noël, and replace the Harper Family with your own name.
- Date and time: update the italic line, for example, Christmas Eve · Seven o’clock.
- Courses: each course label, dish, and description is its own text box. Rewrite them, or delete a course and spread the rest out.
- Colours: the garlands are editable vector groups. Change the bows from red to burgundy or silver, or the baubles from gold to blue, using the group’s colour swatches. The green background can become midnight blue or deep burgundy for a different mood.
- Frame: the gold double frame is two simple rectangles. Recolour or remove them for a more open look.
Printing and Styling the Table
A dark, full-colour background looks most luxurious printed edge to edge on heavy paper. For the best result, download the PDF and have a print shop print it full bleed on 110-130 lb matte or pearl cover stock. Pearl paper adds a soft shimmer that suits the gold details. At home, a good inkjet on matte photo paper also works well. Let each sheet dry for a few minutes before stacking, because deep green uses a lot of ink.
Ideas for the table:
- Lay a menu on each charger plate and rest a Christmas cracker across the top.
- Roll the menu into a scroll and tie it with red velvet ribbon and a small sprig of real pine.
- Use a menu in a gold frame at the entrance so guests see the evening ahead as they arrive.
- Share a JPG in your invitation message so guests with dietary needs can speak up early.
Questions Hosts Ask Before Christmas
Can I use it for a restaurant’s Christmas set menu?
Yes. Replace the family sign-off with the restaurant name and add a price line under the date, such as Four courses · $68 per guest. The elegant styling suits fine-dining rooms and hotels.
How do I make a version for a vegetarian guest?
Make a copy of your finished menu and swap the main course for a dish such as a mushroom and chestnut Wellington. Print that copy for their place setting.
Will the dark background use a lot of ink at home?
It does use more than a white menu. If you’re printing many copies, a local copy shop will usually be cheaper, faster, and more even in colour.
Can I print it on smaller cards?
Print two pages per sheet with your printer’s page-layout setting and trim, giving each guest a half-letter card that still shows the garland at the top.
Set the Scene for a Memorable Christmas
With your dishes written in, your family name signed at the bottom, and a menu on every plate, the table tells guests they are welcome before the first course arrives. Personalize the template, print it on beautiful paper, and enjoy the evening. Merry Christmas.
