Where to eat on Christmas in NYC | 2024

Christmas sneaks up on you. Every year, no matter how well you plan, you find yourself scrambling to make plans – whether it’s for family or friends who are in town or a low-key meal for you and your partner. Lucky for you, New York City has plenty of options for a last-minute Christmas meal.

We’ve chosen the best restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to help you make the holidays a little bit easier.

Christmas Eve

Cafe China

Midtown

If you don’t celebrate Christmas (or just don’t care that much), Chinatown is the place to go. Have a wander and you’re sure to find something that’s open, probably full of Jewish families indulging in their traditions. Though the true Chinatown Christmas experience is to wander into a sticky-floored, cash-only spot without a reservation, if you want a more upscale meal, Cafe China in Midtown is the place to be.

Serving a traditional Sichuan menu, Cafe China brings the atmosphere of 1930s Shanghai to a three-story brick building space in Midtown. Order everything from Dim Sum dishes to entrees like claypot short ribs and Ma Po Tofu. Complement it with one of their creative house cocktails (the Lucky Lychee or the In The Mood For Love come highly recommended) and finish off with red bean ice cream or rice pudding.

Hawksmoor

Flatiron

Didn’t get your The Holiday switch this Christmas? Get a taste of the season across the pond at Hawksmoor, a London chain serving classic British roast. They’re closed on Christmas Day (it’s when the Brits celebrate, after all) but they’re serving an a la carte lunch menu from noon until 6 pm on Christmas Eve. No matter how you like your roasts (pork belly, mone marrow, beef & bacon) there’s an option for you, or you can opt for one of their famous charcoal-grilled steals or seafood dishes.

Their holiday cocktails are available exclusively through December, and they’ve teamed up with some iconic bars from around the world to contribute their signature cocktails to their holiday menu – from Manchester and Edinburgh to London and NYC.

Feste

East Village

Christmas Eve in New York means that somewhere is a too-big Italian American family in a too-small kitchen prepping the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It’s hard work – we’ve all seen that episode of The Bear – but some restaurants do it for you (without all the yelling and fork-throwing). Feste, serving Italian-American comfort food at The Standard, East Village, is offering a seat at their tables from 2 to 9 pm on Christmas Eve.

Starting at $75pp, you can indulge in a prix-fixe meal of crab, oysters, octopus, crudo, branzino, tuna, and …. crab again. That’s seven, isn’t it? Technically? Either way, it’ll be so good that you’ll lose count.

Francie

Williamsburg

For a fancy Christmas Eve in Brooklyn, head over to Francie in Williamsburg, a Michelin-starred brasserie with Italian and French influence. They’re offering their traditional a la carte menu from 4 to 9 pm, which features seafood dishes (halibut with goujonette and brown butter, clam conchiglie) and large meat dishes to share (dry-aged crown of duck, prime cote de boeuf). In addition, Chef Cipollone is offering seasonal festive specials like king crab tortellini, caviar service, and truffle ravioli.

Private dining is available in The Vault for up to 12 guests.

Christmas Day

Balthazar

SoHo

Have you been trying to get a reservation at Balthazar since – well, since January 1st? Christmas Day might be the time. When most of the city is quiet (it’s perhaps the only day where Times Square isn’t completely insufferable), head to this high-demand spot for their Christmas Day a la carte brunch menu, served from 9 to 4 pm. Balthazar offers traditional French fare with a touch of romance, residing in SoHo in 1997. Their brunch menu features a variety of savory entrees like roasted king salmon, eggs benedict, and steak frites, but there’s nothing like a French pastry on Christmas morning – get a basket of them freshly baked for $27.

Antica Pesa

Williamsburg

If you’re looking for authentic Italian food, there’s little more to look for than the NYC outpost of a fourth-generation family-owned restaurant. That’s exactly what Antica Pesa is – an ode to Roman dining, established over 102 years ago. What more could you ask for?

If you’ve been holding out this year for a meal to splash out on, a $140 three-course set menu (per seat) full of Italian classics and Christmas specials might be the one. The menu includes a seafood-packed risotto alla marinara, a slow-cooked pork belly with leek and potato sauce, and, of course, a panettone to finish it all off.

There are two seating times across Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: 6 to 8 pm and 8:30 to 10:30 pm.

Bubby's

TriBeCa

As a kid who didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas, I have memories of going to Denny’s and IHOP with my family on Christmas Day. There’s nothing like good old comfort food in the quiet hours of Christmas morning. Bubby’s evokes that same energy, with a little sprinkling of NYC magic. They’re offering their full brunch menu on Christmas Day, along with seasonal specials like roasted duck cranberry hash, Swedish pancakes, with lingonberries, and eggnog pie.

After your meal, head down to the basement to cram your family into the vintage photo booth for next year’s Christmas card.