By Ed Charles

December is party time. Whether it’s with colleagues from the office or it’s time again for the whole family to eat together, the hope is that the food is good and nobody argues too much.

For eating with colleagues it’s a no brainer to eat out and cut out the hassle of cooking and cleaning up after your colleagues and boss. But what about family? While Christmas dinner or a New Year’s Eve supper can be tempting at home it’s a lot of work after a busy year and the hot holidays spent behind the BBQ. It’s time to let your hair down and look forward to a well-earned break from the credit crunch, the kitchen and the dishes and eat somewhere special. You don’t have to be in Sydney for great food, a view or both. Here are some of the other options Australia offers.

Work colleagues' dinner
Pick somewhere casual where they cater to larger groups, somewhere you can relax and forget a tough year.
With the best tables looking over the Margaret River it is difficult to resist Halo where the service never falters. Its Christmas menu for 2008 is running from December 1 to 23 and offers terrific value with two courses and a dessert at lunchtime for $60 or in the evenings at $80. Don’t miss the freshly cooked chilled yabbies.

Halo, Pier 1, Barrack St Jetty, Perth (08) 9325 4575
www.halorestaurant.com.au

Overlooking Adelaide’s River Torrens is Jolley’s Boathouse, where you can tuck into the signature dish of crisp, smoked tea fried duck - the sort of dish that should be given a preservation order.

Jolleys Boathouse, Jolleys Lane, Adelaide (08) 8223 2891
www.jolleysboathouse.com


Christmas Day lunch
There’s nothing worse than a spoilt Christmas lunch. Pick somewhere reliable where the food will be only bettered by the service. With Spanish food being the hottest ticket for 2008 and 2009, who can’t resist the Spanish flavours of ceviche to scallops with ginger and lime from chef Javier Codina at Gianni in Brisbane.

Gianni, 12 Edward St, Brisbane (07) 3221 7655
www.giannisrestaurant.com


New Year’s Eve Dinner
In South Australia, you can’t do much better than a New Year’s Eve dinner overlooking the vines of Penfolds Magill Estate enjoying a nine course degustation with matching wines from chef Luke Stepsys. Pre dinner drinks are in the Max Schubert Cellar. Hurry as all tickets are selling fast.

Penfolds Magill Estate, 78 Penfold Rd, Magill (08) 8301 5551
www.penfolds.com

New Year’s Day Lunch
There’s nothing better than to kick back and watch the surf roll in with a beer or a glass of Australian bubbly. At Oskar’s on the Gold Coast you can also watch the surfers tumble in while you tuck into your seafood and let the world pass by.

Oskar’s, Burleigh Beach House, Beachfront, 43 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads, Qld (07) 5576 3722
www.oskars.com.au

In Victoria on St Kilda Beach Donovans has something for anyone from the kids to footy players and grannies. It’s open every day of the year for lunch but is fully booked for Christmas Day.

Donovans, 40 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda Vic 3182 (03) 9525 3545
www.donovanshouse.com.au