Food festivals, special dinners the day before, special brunches and gift hampers -- these are what star hotel chains and fine dining restaurants in the Tamil Nadu capital have designed as part of Christmas celebrations.

Kerala cuisine restaurant Ente Keralam is holding a Christmas food festival till the dawn of 2014.

The restaurant released a statement saying a special combo menu, Rajakeeyam, offering a welcome drink, three varieties of starters, a veg/non-veg soup, followed by main course in combination with borma bread/idiappam/aapam and ghee rice, finishing the main course with a fine touch of authentic desserts.

The restaurant also offers Christmas special turkey roast, nandan kozhi masala (a traditional chicken preparation) and mutton chops, to name a few in the non-vegetarian offerings and koon peralan (a special mushroom dish), potato ulartiyathu (fried potatoes) and broccoli mappas, in the vegetarian delicacies.

The rooftop Punjabi restaurant Up North at The Raintree Anna Salai hotel is hosting a food festival 'Jingle Balle Balle' till Dec 25.

The menu includes desi Christmas specialties like bater yakhini shorba - a festive special soup, chukander kaay gilavaat, jau ke kebab, paneer junoon for the vegetarians, tandoori bater, sarsoon de jheenge, bhooney masale de chaampey and more for non-vegetarians in the starters sections.

The main course includes bataka jalferzi, turkey butter masala, masoor aur chukander ki daal, laal sag, Christmas red roomali, kale chane ka tariwala pulao, paushtic roti, strawberry lassi and more.

The restaurants at Sheraton Park Hotels and Towers will be offering Christmas buffet that includes turkey roast with cranberry pear relish, maple braised butternut squash and dessert like plum pudding, rhubarb tart and others.

Similarly the various restaurants at different star hotels belonging to Taj group too have lined up special Christmas eve dinner and Christmas brunch.

At the hotels belong to Taj group, handcrafted gift hampers starting from Rs.1,900 are being offered, an official told IANS.

According to the official, gift hampers can be picked up from any of the group hotels here like Taj Coromandel, Vivanta by Taj Connemara, Taj Club House and The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai.

The hampers include festive candles, aroma diffusers, a pack of green tea, a box of Taj chocolates, bottle of imported liqueur, bottle of stuffed olives, bottle of extra virgin olive oil and others.