The best Christmas starter ideas create a sense of occasion without filling everyone up before the main event.
Whether you're planning a formal Christmas dinner, serving drinks and canapés before lunch or looking for something simple to prepare on Christmas Eve, festive starters should feel special while remaining relatively light.
From smoked salmon and caviar to cheese, seafood and elegant canapés, there are plenty of ways to start your Christmas menu in style.
Key Takeaways
- Keep Christmas starters lighter than the main course.
- Seafood, smoked fish and canapés are ideal for festive entertaining.
- Make-ahead starters can reduce stress on Christmas Day.
- Individual portions are useful for formal meals.
- Sharing platters work well for relaxed gatherings.
Smoked Salmon Christmas Starters
Smoked salmon is one of the easiest ingredients to turn into an elegant Christmas starter.
Serve it simply with crème fraîche, lemon, capers and herbs, or layer it onto blinis and toast for a more substantial appetiser.
Smoked salmon also works beautifully with caviar, horseradish, dill, beetroot and soft cheese.
For a more formal starter, arrange thin slices on individual plates and keep the garnishes restrained. Good smoked salmon needs very little embellishment.
Sashimi and Raw Seafood Starters
Sashimi can provide a fresh contrast to the richer dishes traditionally served at Christmas.
Salmon, tuna and scallops can all work beautifully when specifically sold and intended for raw consumption. Serve with soy, ponzu, citrus, sesame or fresh herbs.
A simple salmon tartare or tuna sashimi plate can also make an elegant first course without requiring much cooking.
These dishes are particularly useful when your main course is rich, as they keep the opening course fresh and clean.
Caviar Appetisers
Few ingredients feel as celebratory as caviar.
Serve caviar traditionally with blinis, crème fraîche and finely chopped chives, or use a small spoonful to finish smoked salmon, scallops or potato-based canapés.
A little goes a long way, so caviar can add a luxurious touch without requiring a large or complicated starter.
Keep strongly flavoured accompaniments to a minimum so the texture and salinity of the roe can remain the focus.
Christmas Canapé Ideas
Canapés work particularly well when guests are arriving at different times or you're serving drinks before sitting down to eat.
Good Christmas canapé ideas include:
- smoked salmon and caviar blinis
- mini tartlets
- mushroom vol-au-vents
- cheese-filled canapé cups
- scallops
- foie gras
- mini brioche buns
- caviar-topped potatoes
- small pastry bites
Aim for a mixture of textures and avoid serving too many rich options at once.
Cheese Starters for Christmas
Cheese does not have to wait until the end of the meal.
Baked Camembert, goat's cheese tartlets and whipped cheese can all make excellent Christmas starters, particularly for guests who do not eat meat or fish.
Pair soft cheese with winter ingredients such as figs, pears, walnuts, honey, truffle or caramelised onions.
Smaller portions are key, particularly if you're also planning a cheeseboard later in the meal.
Make-Ahead Christmas Starters
Choosing make-ahead Christmas starters is one of the easiest ways to make Christmas Day more manageable.
Terrines, pâtés, cured fish, dips and chilled starters can usually be prepared well before guests arrive.
Canapé fillings can often be made in advance too, leaving only the final assembly until shortly before serving.
Avoid starters that require several pans or lots of last-minute frying if your main course already demands your attention.
Easy Christmas Starters
An easy starter does not have to look basic.
A few excellent ingredients, thoughtfully presented, can create far more impact than an overcomplicated recipe.
Try smoked salmon with crème fraîche and herbs, burrata with truffle, cured meats with pickles, or a simple seafood plate with lemon.
When the ingredients are exceptional, minimal preparation often works best.
Christmas Eve Starters
Christmas Eve food can be a little more relaxed than Christmas Day.
Sharing boards, seafood platters, charcuterie and baked cheese all work well because they encourage guests to help themselves.
If you're hosting on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, choose dishes that use different ingredients and flavours so the two meals don't feel repetitive.
Christmas Starter FAQs
What is a good starter for Christmas dinner?
Smoked salmon, seafood, caviar, pâté, cheese and small seasonal salads all make excellent festive starters.
What Christmas starters can be made ahead?
Terrines, pâtés, cured fish dishes, dips and many cold starters can be prepared in advance. Canapé fillings can also often be made the day before.
How many canapés should I serve before Christmas dinner?
If a full meal follows, keep canapés relatively limited so guests still have an appetite for the main course.
What is a light starter for Christmas?
Sashimi, smoked salmon, shellfish or a small seasonal salad can provide a lighter beginning to a rich Christmas meal.
