My wife and I went to Hampton’s for Christmas brunch today (December 25th, 2016) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The variety of food being offered at the buffet was one of the best spreads we’ve ever seen, and the food was freshly prepared and delicious. They...had a salad bar with six different kinds of salads and various dressings plus a seafood bar with shrimp, oysters, crab legs, and seafood cocktails. Next to that was a cheese and olive table along with baskets of fresh bread. They also had a chef preparing fresh made-to-order omelets up until 3 PM, and I indulged in a smoked salmon, asparagus, and mushroom omelet which was superb. After 3 PM, the same chef made pasta dishes to order, but by then I was too full of other food to try out some of his preparations.
There was also a small selection of sushi rolls available, but they were fairly ordinary and did not excite me very much. In addition to a carving station that was offering baked ham and roast beef, they had various other hot dishes that were offered in small serving containers that were being replenished continuously with freshly cooked food, thereby ensuring that it did not get overcooked or dried out in the heating dish. In addition to roast duck, lamb chops, roast chicken, and beef casserole, they had two fish dishes which were my favorites. The baked salmon with fingerling potatoes and peas in a Dijon mustard sauce was excellent -- the salmon was moist and cooked to perfection, and since they replaced it often, it was always the same consistent quality. (I went back three times!) The other fish dish was baked deep sea bass served with Asian broccoli and sweet potato mash in a Sesame ginger sauce. It was an unusual combination that worked really well.
Deserts consisted of a variety of tarts and cakes, ranging from eggnog crème brûlée through to flourless chocolate cake, along with a variety of small pastries and other delicacies, too numerous to mention. They also featured a German stollen (marzipan-filled sweet bread) which is one of my favorites, so I had three pieces!
They also catered well for children, featuring pizza, mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets, tater tots, and various other child-friendly foods. All of this was set up in a separate alcove on low children’s tables, at a height where they could easily help themselves, which is a nice touch.
To finish the day, we indulged in hot chocolate which was rich and dark and featured various accompaniments on the table nearby, such as marshmallows, cinnamon sticks, colored sprinkles, and various other add-ons to make the chocolate more festive. The restaurant very thoughtfully provided take-out cups so you could have your hot chocolate to go after the meal.
Bottomless champagne was included as part of the meal, and we could have ordered wine and spirits separately if we had wanted to. The wait-staff were very friendly and attentive without being obtrusive, and the overall atmosphere of the place was relaxing and pleasant, probably due to the fact that is not a very large venue which keeps the noise and bustle of other people to a minimum. There was also live entertainment in the form of a young lady playing the guitar and singing 1960s folk songs. Her vocal style reminded me a lot of Sandy Denny. What was especially gratifying was that she avoided singing traditional Christmas carols which provided a welcome relief from the relentless barrage of Christmas Muzak one finds in just about every public place at this time of year.
This is our second time visiting Hampton’s -- we did Thanksgiving here a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it then. So if you want to get away from the house on a holiday and have an amazingly delicious meal without having to wash the dishes afterwards, this is the place for you! It is expensive, but I feel the expense is worth it for the quality of the experience of dining here. A big thank you to all the staff at Hampton’s for working on Christmas Day in such a cheerful and effective manner, making the experience such a positive one. We will be back!More