The best smoked salmon to kick off your Christmas dinner in style

Score: 86/100

Granted, it's not cheap, but our top-scoring smoked salmon is a real showstopper. The organic, sushi-grade fillet is sold unsliced, so you can cut it as thickly or thinly as you like. Its buttery texture was a real highlight, with testers saying it melted in the mouth, while the rich, clean, naturally smoky flavour was popular across the panel.

Available 19 November 2026

Score: 84/100

Our best supermarket smoked salmon impressed with its clean, delicate flavour, which testers described as ‘the perfect balance of smokiness and brininess’. As with our winner, the buttery texture was a high point, making it an excellent choice for everything from bagels to elegant starters.

Available 25 November 2026

Score: 83/100 Testers praised these traditional ribbons of salmon for their smooth, clean, natural flavour and subtle smokiness that should appeal to the whole family. The silky texture makes it a top buy for your festive brunch.

Available 10 December 2026

Score: 83/100

For those who prefer a bolder smoky flavour, this Asda smoked salmon delivers. Testers praised its pronounced yet well-balanced smokiness, which lingers pleasantly alongside the fish's natural sweetness. The smooth texture and generously thick slices make it versatile enough for everything from breakfast to canapés.

Score: 82/100

Flavoured with fennel and served with an earthy beetroot and zesty lime sauce, this flavoured smoked salmon will add a festive flourish to the table. Testers praised the sauce, saying it was the perfect balance to the succulent salmon, complementing the fish without overpowering its delicate flavour. Beautifully presented, it's made for festive entertaining.

Available 9 December 2026

Score: 80/100

We normally like our espresso served alongside breakfast, but Tesco has combined the two with this cold brew coffee-infused smoked salmon. It's a bold idea that works surprisingly well, adding an unusual yet complementary bourbon-like finish to the thick-cut slices. A great choice if you’re looking for something a little different.

Score: 80/100

For a subtle twist on the traditional, try ASDA’s smoky slices, which come with a touch of sweet honey and bright orange. While the flavoured element was hard to detect in our blind tasting, testers did enjoy the soft, buttery texture.

Score: 80/100

The vibrant orange flavour was much more apparent here, providing a fresh seasonal spin that our testers said, ‘screams Christmas’. The soft, creamy slices were lifted by the bright citrus notes, giving this smoked salmon a distinctive festive character.

Available 9 December 2026

Score: 79/100

Fortnum & Mason’s welfare-accredited organic fish would make a lovely gift (but we won’t tell if you keep it to yourself). Hand-filleted and perfectly cured, our testers loved the natural delicate flavour, pronounced smoke and buttery texture. A real crowd-pleaser, it's also available in larger 400g and 1kg packs.

• Field & Flower Land-Based Silverscale D-Cut Smoked Salmon, £14.70 for 200g, Score: 78/100
• Co-op Irresistible Dill & Lemon Smoked Salmon, £5.95 for 100g, Score: 78/100
• Tesco Finest Thick Cut Gravadlax with a Mustard & Dill Sauce, £8 for 140g, Score: 78/100
• Morrisons The Best Strong & Intense Smoked Scottish Salmon, £4.75 for 100g, Score: 76/100
• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Discovery Signature Cure Applewood Smoked Hebridean Salmon, £6 for 100g, Score: 75/100
• Aldi Specially Selected The Ultimate Himalayan Salt Aged Smoked Salmon, £3.99 for 100g, Score: 75/100
• Lidl Deluxe Beetroot & Gold Smoked Salmon Slices, £3.49 for 100g, Score: 73/100
• Tesco Finest Hickory & Oak Wood Scottish Smoked Salmon 100g, £4.95 for 100g, Score: 72/100
• Morrisons The Best Scottish Spiced Whisky, Orange and Pink Pepper Smoked Salmon, £4.75 for 100g, Score: 72/100
• H.Foreman & Sons London Cure Smoked Salmon, £30.55 for 350g, Score: 71/100
• Lidl Deluxe Ultimate Smoked Salmon Ribbon Slices, £3.99 for 100g, Score: 71/100
• Aldi Specially Selected Christmas Cure Flavoured Smoked Salmon, £3.79 for 100g, Score: 71/100
• Lidl Deluxe Fig & Christmas Spice Smoked Salmon Slices, £3.49 for 100g, Score: 71/100