Restaurateurs are giving the Christmas season mixed reviews, with some rushed off their feet while others experience a slower pace of business.

Andy Detzer, the general manager of MEF Group’s Fourways Inn described things as “crazy busy” and phenomenal.

“We won’t know for certain until after Christmas but I would say business has been better than last year,” Mr Detzer said. “It has been good all the way through December.”

This season, the Paget restaurant has hosted many special family dinners and office parties.

Fourways’ six-course dinner for New Year’s Eve and oyster brunch for New Year’s Day is shaping up well.

The MEF restaurant is generally sold out on New Year’s Eve, but many people wait until after Christmas to book New Year’s festivities.

“A lot of it has to do with the weather,” Mr Detzer said. “If it is rainy on New Year’s Day, many people will choose to go to brunch instead of going to Elbow Beach.”

An MEF spokesman said that after a difficult end of summer and autumn due to hurricanes they were pleased and relieved to see an active holiday season.

“We have had a busy couple of weeks with Christmas parties of all sizes at the restaurants,” she said. “We still have availability for Christmas Eve at most of the restaurants and Christmas Day dinner at restaurants like Aurora and Blu. We still offer Christmas Day takeout, which some people prefer over dining out and while Fourways is almost sold out, Little Venice can take orders until December 22.”

The restaurant group was feeling optimistic about 2026.

Earlier this month Philip Barnett, the president and managing director of the Island Restaurant Group said local restaurants were experiencing their worst year in four years, partly due to rising food prices.

Milos Damjanovic, the co-owner of Wharf Restaurant in St George, concurred, saying things had been “unusually slow” for his restaurant this Christmas.

Wharf completed a $600,000 kitchen revamp in May.

“Business has been much less than in previous years,” he said. “I do not know why.”

Kentis Kishtoo, the chief operating officer of the Take Five Group said the Christmas season had been OK.

“It is the first Christmas for our new restaurant Palomino,” he said.

Palomino replaced Ascots Restaurant at the Royal Palms Hotel in Pembroke in May.

“We are almost fully booked for the whole month of December, but we try our best to accommodate everyone,” Mr Kishtoo said.

Hamilton Princess & Beach Club management were very busy with corporate holiday events and community outreach initiatives.

The establishment, in Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke, launched a winter-themed bar called The Frostbite Lounge at the end of November.

“It is a December pop-up,” a spokesman for the hotel said. “It has been so popular that we are now fully committed with reservations.”

They anticipate more than 360 people will take part in their Tea with Santa event and Christmas Day Brunch.

“We are sold out for the 5.30pm first seating of our Christmas Day Dinner at 1609 and oversubscribed for dining at Intrepid on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,” she said. “We are still accepting reservations for the second 8pm seating at the 1609 Christmas Day Dinner and minimal reservations are available for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner at Crown & Anchor.”