Bumpkin - in pictures
Bumpkin - in pictures
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Review
Bumpkin: enjoy A Proper British Christmas
Bumpkin is evoking the festive spirit with special Christmas menus. The British brasserie, with branches in South Kensington, Chelsea and Stratford, is serving up seasonal produce in yuletide style with its "Proper British Christmas" offering.
With set menus available until December 24 at all three restaurants, traditional dishes are given festive twists. Think coal fire braised lamb, Norfolk ballotine bronze turkey and a regal looking salmon Wellington. Bumpkin’s acclaimed sticky toffee pudding, oozing butterscotch, is also a real treat.
For those who are London bound on Christmas Day, Bumpkin South Kensington will be serving a sumptuous feast from 12pm to 6pm.
Expect the works, from bubbles on arrival to themed mains including roast turkey and smoked ham with Christmas cake stuffing and scrumptious roasted chestnuts. Christmas pudding, cider mulled pear and a kirsch laden fruits of the forest baked cheesecake will satisfy those with a sweet-tooth and cheese-fiends will appreciate the British cheese board.
The ten best alternative Christmas films - In pictures
The ten best alternative Christmas films - In pictures
1/10 The Nightmare Before Christmas
Despite being marketed as 'Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas', this anti-festive favourite is actually directed by Henry Selick, who helmed some of the most iconic animations of the past 25 years including James and the Giant Peach and Coraline.
The film follows Halloween Town's pumpkin king Jack Skellington, who discovers a whole new side to life after crossing into Christmas Town. The movie features unique and creepy visuals, great songs, an unconventional love story and a welcome dose of Danny Elfman, who provides an unforgettable and atmospheric score. It’s a real treat for film fans, which proves that even the most unlikely characters can find a little joy at Christmas.
2/10 The Apartment
Billy Wilder’s seminal 1960 film The Apartment follows insurance company clerk ‘Bud’ Baxter, who allows his bosses to use his apartment for their own salacious needs. The film takes place over December and one of the key moments takes place at the office Christmas party.
Jack Lemmon treads the line between comedy and tragedy perfectly in the role and gives a heart-warming performance. Shirley MacLaine is just as wonderful as Fran Kubelik, an elevator operator that develops a complicated relationship with Bud. It’s a beautiful, funny and heartbreaking watch, which remains a powerful piece of work nearly six decades on from its release.
3/10 Trading Places
An underrated 1980s gem, Trading Places marked one of the first major screen film roles for both Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy, introducing them as two of the brightest comic actors of their generation. The pair play an affluent broker and a homeless con-man respectively who find their lives flipped upside down after unwittingly finding themselves at the heart of an elaborate bet during the festive period.
It’s a hilarious and, at times, moving film, with its heart in the right place.
4/10 Gremlins
Christmas horror movies have varied drastically in quality over the years — from forgettable slasher flicks like 2006’s Black Christmas to the genuinely unnerving Silent Night, Deadly Night from 1984 and 2015’s flawed but entertaining Krampus. However, Gremlins is the one that stands the test of time. The sequel is absolutely bonkers in comparison and features the infamously incongruous fourth wall-breaking cameo from Hulk Hogan — something Key & Peele parodied brilliantly on their show in 2015 — but the original is genuinely scary and more violent than fans may remember. Treat yourself to a festive fright and re-watch this classic Christmas horror.
5/10 Rocky IV
The best parts of 1985 epic Rocky IV take place in the snow-covered mountains of Russia, and Rocky takes on the Dolph Lundgren's terrifying Russian fighter Ivan Drago on Christmas Day — which more than qualifies it as a Christmas movie.
While the original Rocky was an earnest boxing film, the franchise got gradually sillier as it went along and by the time Sylvester Stallone got to Rocky IV, the series was overblown, totally ridiculous and absolutely brilliant as a result. The ludicrously long training montage alone makes it worth a watch this Christmas. Make sure to read our ranking of all the Rocky films before resiting the franchise this year, too.
6/10 Die Hard
It’s debatable as to whether Die Hard is indeed a Christmas film at all, but it's certainly set in the season. Bruce Willis plays New York cop John McClane, who’s forced to fight off German terrorists when they take over a Los Angeles skyscraper as a Christmas party is taking place on December 24.
As well as Willis’s depiction of all-American everyman McClane, the film features one of the finest movie bad guys of all time in Hans Gruber — played to perfection by Alan Rickman in his first movie role.
For many film fans, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
7/10 American Psycho
Nothing screams Christmas quite like an unsettling insight into the mind of a psychopathic killer. Christian Bale delivers a chilling performance as Patrick Bateman in this adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, which takes place, partially at least, at Christmas. Bale even dons rather fetching reindeer ears during one festive scene.
It’s a gruelling watch at times and certainly not suitable for all the family. However, Bateman is one of the most unnerving and compelling movie villains ever put to screen and it could prove perfect antidote to sentimental rom coms and sentimental dramas around at this time of year.
8/10 In Bruges
Christmas time in a beautiful European city never seemed so bleak and so brilliant as In Bruges. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as hitmen hiding out in the picturesque Belgian city in Martin McDonagh’s black comedy, while Ralph Fiennes plays the menacing gangster Harry Waters. The film also features The Tunnel and Harry Potter star Clémence Poésy. Dread, remorse and moral crisis might not seem the usual ingredients for a festive film, but In Bruge is a modern classic.
9/10 Black Mirror: White Christmas
It’s not a movie, but this extended episode of Charlie Brooker’s series Black Mirror has the feel of a proper feature film. Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall star in this twisted Christmas tale, which takes places almost exclusively in a secluded cottage in the grips of winter. It’s a great option if you’re tired of the usual uplifting, schmaltzy movies you’re normally forced to sit through at this time of year. Be warned though — it’s short on Christmas cheer and it’ll change the way you hear Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday forever.
10/10 Batman Returns
Back before Tim Burton became something of a parody of himself (see: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland), he turned his hand to Batman Returns in 1992. An arguably superior follow-up to 1989’s Batman, the movie is one of the strongest films in the Batman franchise, with one of the strongest casts — Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken all star. It’s set in the run-up to December 25, so put on this 1990s classic and spend Christmas in Gotham.
1/10 The Nightmare Before Christmas
Despite being marketed as 'Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas', this anti-festive favourite is actually directed by Henry Selick, who helmed some of the most iconic animations of the past 25 years including James and the Giant Peach and Coraline.
The film follows Halloween Town's pumpkin king Jack Skellington, who discovers a whole new side to life after crossing into Christmas Town. The movie features unique and creepy visuals, great songs, an unconventional love story and a welcome dose of Danny Elfman, who provides an unforgettable and atmospheric score. It’s a real treat for film fans, which proves that even the most unlikely characters can find a little joy at Christmas.
2/10 The Apartment
Billy Wilder’s seminal 1960 film The Apartment follows insurance company clerk ‘Bud’ Baxter, who allows his bosses to use his apartment for their own salacious needs. The film takes place over December and one of the key moments takes place at the office Christmas party.
Jack Lemmon treads the line between comedy and tragedy perfectly in the role and gives a heart-warming performance. Shirley MacLaine is just as wonderful as Fran Kubelik, an elevator operator that develops a complicated relationship with Bud. It’s a beautiful, funny and heartbreaking watch, which remains a powerful piece of work nearly six decades on from its release.
3/10 Trading Places
An underrated 1980s gem, Trading Places marked one of the first major screen film roles for both Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy, introducing them as two of the brightest comic actors of their generation. The pair play an affluent broker and a homeless con-man respectively who find their lives flipped upside down after unwittingly finding themselves at the heart of an elaborate bet during the festive period.
It’s a hilarious and, at times, moving film, with its heart in the right place.
4/10 Gremlins
Christmas horror movies have varied drastically in quality over the years — from forgettable slasher flicks like 2006’s Black Christmas to the genuinely unnerving Silent Night, Deadly Night from 1984 and 2015’s flawed but entertaining Krampus. However, Gremlins is the one that stands the test of time. The sequel is absolutely bonkers in comparison and features the infamously incongruous fourth wall-breaking cameo from Hulk Hogan — something Key & Peele parodied brilliantly on their show in 2015 — but the original is genuinely scary and more violent than fans may remember. Treat yourself to a festive fright and re-watch this classic Christmas horror.
5/10 Rocky IV
The best parts of 1985 epic Rocky IV take place in the snow-covered mountains of Russia, and Rocky takes on the Dolph Lundgren's terrifying Russian fighter Ivan Drago on Christmas Day — which more than qualifies it as a Christmas movie.
While the original Rocky was an earnest boxing film, the franchise got gradually sillier as it went along and by the time Sylvester Stallone got to Rocky IV, the series was overblown, totally ridiculous and absolutely brilliant as a result. The ludicrously long training montage alone makes it worth a watch this Christmas. Make sure to read our ranking of all the Rocky films before resiting the franchise this year, too.
6/10 Die Hard
It’s debatable as to whether Die Hard is indeed a Christmas film at all, but it's certainly set in the season. Bruce Willis plays New York cop John McClane, who’s forced to fight off German terrorists when they take over a Los Angeles skyscraper as a Christmas party is taking place on December 24.
As well as Willis’s depiction of all-American everyman McClane, the film features one of the finest movie bad guys of all time in Hans Gruber — played to perfection by Alan Rickman in his first movie role.
For many film fans, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
7/10 American Psycho
Nothing screams Christmas quite like an unsettling insight into the mind of a psychopathic killer. Christian Bale delivers a chilling performance as Patrick Bateman in this adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, which takes place, partially at least, at Christmas. Bale even dons rather fetching reindeer ears during one festive scene.
It’s a gruelling watch at times and certainly not suitable for all the family. However, Bateman is one of the most unnerving and compelling movie villains ever put to screen and it could prove perfect antidote to sentimental rom coms and sentimental dramas around at this time of year.
8/10 In Bruges
Christmas time in a beautiful European city never seemed so bleak and so brilliant as In Bruges. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as hitmen hiding out in the picturesque Belgian city in Martin McDonagh’s black comedy, while Ralph Fiennes plays the menacing gangster Harry Waters. The film also features The Tunnel and Harry Potter star Clémence Poésy. Dread, remorse and moral crisis might not seem the usual ingredients for a festive film, but In Bruge is a modern classic.
9/10 Black Mirror: White Christmas
It’s not a movie, but this extended episode of Charlie Brooker’s series Black Mirror has the feel of a proper feature film. Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall star in this twisted Christmas tale, which takes places almost exclusively in a secluded cottage in the grips of winter. It’s a great option if you’re tired of the usual uplifting, schmaltzy movies you’re normally forced to sit through at this time of year. Be warned though — it’s short on Christmas cheer and it’ll change the way you hear Wizzard’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday forever.
10/10 Batman Returns
Back before Tim Burton became something of a parody of himself (see: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland), he turned his hand to Batman Returns in 1992. An arguably superior follow-up to 1989’s Batman, the movie is one of the strongest films in the Batman franchise, with one of the strongest casts — Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken all star. It’s set in the run-up to December 25, so put on this 1990s classic and spend Christmas in Gotham.
For reservation and party enquiries call 020 7594 4944 or email reservations@bumpkinuk.com. If you are looking for something more intimate, ask about the private dining rooms.
If you miss out on the Christmas menu, Bumpkin offers seasonal options throughout the year. Visit the website for the latest.