NYC's 10 Best Restaurants Serving Christmas Dinner
Give yourself a break this holiday season and book Christmas Eve or Christmas Day at one of these NYC restaurants offering special menus to celebrate with your loved ones. By Sarah Shaker.
More: NYC's Best Christmas Cocktails
The special Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Restaurant at this Upper East Side venue includes lobster salad and diver sea scallop appetizers along with pan seared filet mignon and roasted venison loin entrees. Executive chef Philippe Roussel is also serving the traditional Christmas log (Buche de Noel) for dessert.
RiverView Restaurant and Lounge
201 50th Ave. (at 2nd St)
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 392-5000
riverviewny.com
More: The 5 Best Slices Of Pizza In Queens
Diners at this Queens New American restaurant can take in stunning Manhattan skyline views during their Christmas dinner. Located at the base of one of the few high-rise luxury buildings in trend-forward LIC, RiverView boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, a strong wine list and a casual attitude, despite its white tablecloth, low-light ambiance. The Christmas Eve and Christmas Night menu features a $50 per adult prix-fixe deal, while kids eat for free from the kids' menu. Choose from appetizers like Thai chicken spring rolls and roasted beet salad, while main courses include vegetarian risotto, Long Island duck and roasted rack of lamb.
Is Chinese takeout your family's tradition on Christmas Day? Dial in for reservations this year instead to dine at Fatty Crab for "No. 1 Fatty" on Christmas Day - their take on Chinese takeout, with high quality, local ingredients. This Christmas Day meal is now in it's 3rd year at the restaurant. The menu will be listed on a "delivery style" tri fold menu, for some kitschy fun, featuring items like Steamed Buns (pork or veggie), Pork Spare Ribs, Crab Rangoon, Wonton Soup, General Tso's Chicken and Whole Fried Snapper with garlic sauce.
Serving traditional Greek Meze in a modern setting, Boukiés is a must visit any day of the year for their delicious Mediterranean cuisine. This East Village restaurant will be offering a four-course pre-fixe Christmas Eve menu for $60 per person. Enjoy Chestnut Soup, Warm Grilled Leek Salad with tender baby octopus and porcini mushrooms or Baked Potato stuffed with Bay Scallops and Crawfish in a creamy Cognac sauce. Main dish options are Pan Seared Halibut or Roasted Venison Tenderloin. The meal ends with an indulgent chocolate surprise.
The Latin American-inspired French restaurant a few blocks from the Barclays Center will serve an extravagant Poached Lobster with braised leeks, kafir lime leaves and sauce made from reduced caviar and Butternut Squash and Red Curry Soup with Foie Gras Croutons this holiday. These dishes are available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Southeast Asian inspired restaurant in the Lower East Side offers a variety of Thai and Filipino influences with a special Christmas Day menu, including items like Lumpia Shanghai (Filipino spring roll), Lechon Kawali (Deep fried pork belly) and Turon (Banana fritter). All specialty cocktails will be $7 and their bottomless beer option for $15 will also be available to toast to the holiday.
The Russian Tea Room is ornately decorated for the holiday season. Enjoy a three-course Christmas Day menu in their elaborately set dining room for $105 and $50 for children, including Boeuf à la Stroganoff and Honey Basted Ham with candied yams and green beans. Guests who want to splurge on dessert can opt for the Czar's Gold and Caviar Parfait made with nougat cream, toasted almonds, chocolate sauce and 24-karat edible gold.
KTCHN will offer Christmas Eve dinner featuring refined comfort food specialties from Executive Chef Dale Schnell. The $45, 4-course prix-fixe menu will include Blood Orange Cured Salmon, Roasted Berkshire Pork Loin and Chocolate Mousse Trio "Christmas Tree". Chef Schnell is also offering a Wild Scottish Game Bird option for those who revel in game season. Give him 24-hour notice, and Schnell will let you choose from Grouse, Red-Legged Partridge or Wood Pigeon, roast it perfectly, and serve it with red cabbage confit, sage spatzel, wild mushrooms and sauce salmis.
Enjoy Wallse's Christmas Celebration for $115 per person with $75 for wine pairings. This six-course pre-fixe starts with Chestnut and Black Truffle Soup "Viennese mélange". Choose from Marinated Tuna or Foie Gras Terrine, then Lobster with Chipollini Onions, Potato Gnocchi, Hungarian Paprika Sauce or Classic Wiener Schnitzel. For your main course, options are Roasted Christmas Goose or Baked Parsley Crusted Venison. Finish your holiday with Salzburger Nockerl, Rumtopf, Cassis Sorbet or Chocolate Tart with golden leaves, Gingerbread Ice Cream and a plate of Traditional Christmas Cookies for sharing.
One of our favorite Lebanese restaurants in NYC, ilili, is serving a $62 prix fixe Christmas Eve dinner. The menu includes two choices of small plates, like their fresh Kibbeh Nayeh Beirutieh (steak tartar) and Hommus, a choice of a main course, including Lamb Chops, Citrus Trout and Pan Roasted Duck Breast. For dessert, choices included Walnut Pie and Cookies and Cocoa.
Sarah Shaker is the founder of the blog Bright Lights, My City.
