Christmas is upon us. Santa is on his way, with food and music aplenty.

Five-star Christmas feasts

As always it seems as if most of St Petersburg's expatriates are heading home for Christmas. For those who are not, both the city's five-star hotels are offering Christmas specials.

The Nevskij Palace has built a "Christmas Wonderland" grotto in the hotel. Santa Claus will be there giving out sweets to children from December 20.

The Nevskij Palace's Christmas Day brunch menu ($55) includes smoked eels, roast turkey and even a ragout of bear, to be followed up by English Christmas pudding, mulled wine cream or pumpkin pie.

The St Petersburg Radio Children's Choir will be singing in the lobby after the meal at 3 pm, as well as before the Christmas Eve five-course dinner ($75) in the hotel's Landskrona restaurant.

A children's choir will feature also in the Mezzanine cafe of the Grand Hotel Europe on Christmas Eve at 4 pm and again at 8 pm. Santa Claus is visiting the Grand as well, earlier in the afternoon.

The Grand's Christmas menus, available on December 24 and 25, feature the traditional turkey with cranberry sauce and range from $20 for three courses at Sadko's to $60 for five courses with wine at the Restaurant Europe. (SPP)