Restaurants

Where to dine in or order takeout for a joyful Christmas Day feast

These local restaurants are pulling out the stops for their holiday celebrations.

By Shira Laucharoen

December 11, 2023

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When you think of Christmas, you probably imagine an exchanging of gifts, the sparkling lights of a tree, and a memorable time dining with family and beloved friends. As the holiday draws nearer, perhaps you are wondering what kind of meal would best be enjoyed on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Luckily, a number of local Boston restaurants are preparing sumptuous feasts.

Scroll down to see a list of restaurants around the city that have celebratory meals planned, as well as takeout options. Whether you’re hoping to partake of ricotta toast, roasted beef tenderloin, pommes purée, yule log, or a festive cosmo, these restaurants have you covered.

Abe & Louie’s

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you’ll be able to enjoy some specials at Abe & Louie’s. Sit down to a smoked trout paté with pickled shallots, cornichons, grain mustard, and toasted baguette. For something a bit sweeter, you could enjoy a baked pear and brie tart, featuring pomegranate, hazelnuts, and wildflower honey. A hearty dish that they’ll offer is the slow roasted prime rib with roasted carrots, twice baked potato, and served with au jus. Georges Bank sea scallops with prosciutto, Anson Mills golden polenta, braised escarole, and lemon brown butter will also be served. Finally, end your meal with pineapple upside-down cake with vanilla ice cream. Takeout from both the Christmas menu and the regular menu, also available for dine-in both days, will be offered. Make reservations here. 793 Boylston St., Boston

Alcove

Visit Lovejoy Wharf to try Alcove’s Christmas Day specials, which include appetizers like baked bay scallops and steak tartare, served with brown butter hollandaise. When you’re ready for the main course, try the foie bratwurst, with crispy spaetzle, braised cabbage, and Riesling poached apple puree. You may also want to feast on the short rib, which comes with polenta, pearl onions, glazed carrots, and red wine demi-glace. For a side, dine on the lobster mac and cheese. Special treats include the Hook + Line caviar and cheese plates. Takeout from both the Christmas specials and Alcove’s regular menus, also offered on the holiday, will be available. Make reservations here. 50 Lovejoy Wharf, Boston

Artisan Bistro at The Ritz-Carlton

If you decide to make Artisan Bistro your destination for a Christmas Day dinner, you can sit down to a four course prix-fixe ($79 per person, with wine pairings at an additional price). The first dish is a ricotta toast, made with balsamic grapes, parmesan crisp, and pancetta, on sourdough bread. Next, you can decide whether you’d like a panzanella salad or a quinoa salad. For your main dish, select either a lemon pepper Cornish hen, a semi-boneless rack of lamb, or pan-seared Arctic char. Decadent dessert options include chocolate candy cane cheesecake or a gluten-free eggnog pot de crème. The normal brunch menu will also be available on Christmas Day. Make reservations here. 10 Avery St., Boston

Aquitaine

At both of Aquitaine’s Boston and Chestnut Hill locations, you can pre-order a holiday dinner and pick it up Christmas Eve. The restaurants offer meals for two ($158), four ($316), or six ($474). You’ll be able to try some hors d’oeuvres, like gougères; a leek, prosciutto, and Gruyère tart; and a winter kale salad. Choose an entrée: duck l’orange; roasted prime rib, served with cognac cream and petite Yorkshire pudding; or the mushroom bourguignon. The dinner comes with accompaniments, which include pommes purée, roasted Brussels sprouts, and French dinner rolls. À la carte add-ons, like shrimp cocktail and a flourless dark chocolate bûche de Noël, can be purchased. Place your orders here by Dec. 18, and pick them up on Dec. 24. Both Aquitaine locations will be open for regular brunch and dinner on Dec. 24. Multiple locations

Clink at The Liberty Hotel

This Beacon Hill destination is offering special menus for Dec. 24 and Dec. 25. For brunch, dig into the Maine lobster benedict, which arrives with poached farm eggs, lemon hollandaise, crispy potatoes, and a griddled English muffin. You could also order the handmade Wagyu corned beef and sugar beet red flannel hash, also served with poached eggs and featuring fresh herbs. For dinner, savor the hand cut pasta and Maine lobster mac and cheese, prepared with artisan cheeses and winter truffle crumbs. Another available entrée is Clink’ “Surf & Turf,” which showcases herb roasted filet mignon, butter basted Alaska king crab, duck fat potatoes, broccolini, mushrooms, and jus. Takeout from both the special and regular menus, which will also be available for guests to order from as they dine in, will be offered both days. Reservations can be made here. 215 Charles St., Boston

Contessa

If you’d like to take in beautiful views of the Public Garden and Boston Common, pay a trip to Contessa on Christmas Day. Their four-course Italian feast ($195 per person) can be enjoyed at their location atop The Newbury Boston. Start with a choice of burrata with caviar, carciofi, or squash carpaccio with arugula, pumpkin seeds, and agrodolce. Move on to a course of spicy lobster rigatoni or macaroni con cinghiale. Next, select a dish of ribeye tagliata or grilled Mediterranean branzino. You can also pick a side: grilled mushrooms or whipped potatoes. Finish it all off with a dessert, the torta di baci or olive oil ice cream with truffle. Make reservations here. 3 Newbury St., Boston

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse

Celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes ($85 per person) at Davio’s on Christmas Eve. At the Seaport location, you can partake of seafood dishes that are family favorites from chef and owner Steve DiFillippo. Begin with a first course that includes three dishes: oysters Rockefeller; classic osetra caviar with crème fraiche, shallots, and brioche; and crab stuffed prawn. The next course offered includes a lemon spaghetti with Nantucket bay scallops and limoncello butter. The third course is East Coast halibut, lobster, asparagus, and Bearnaise sauce. Takeout for the Feast and also from their regular menu, which will also be offered for dine-in, will be available. Make your reservations here. 26 Fan Pier Blvd., Boston

Frenchie Wine Bistro

Enjoy specials on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Frenchie in the South End. On both days, two special brunch items will make appearances: beef bourguignon eggs Benedict and a dessert, bûche de Noël. For dinner on both days, order appetizers like octopus a la plancha, lobster bisque, and foie gras. Filet mignon will be offered as an entrée, and the same Yule log dessert will also be served. Takeout of specials and from regular brunch and dinner menus, which will also be available for dine-in, will be offered. 560 Tremont St., Boston

Grana at The Langham

You can have a merry, family-style meal ($155 per person, $85 for children 5-12 years old) at Grana on Christmas Day, during which there will even be an appearance from Santa. Appetizers include a choice of a winter vegetable salad, a roasted parsnip soup, and fresh burrata. For a satisfying entrée, the restaurant will serve roasted beef tenderloin. A variety of sides include creamy polenta, grilled broccolini with confit garlic and preserved lemon, whipped Yukon gold potatoes, creamed spinach with parmesan crust and crispy onion, and roasted heirloom carrots. Dessert will be served buffet-style. Reservations can be made here. 250 Franklin St., Boston

OAK Long Bar + Kitchen at the Fairmont Copley Plaza

If you’re in Back Bay, you may want to visit OAK Long Bar + Kitchen to enjoy some of their Christmas Day specials. On the menu, you’ll find the spot prawn terrine, made with tomato consommé, caviar, fermented cream, and garlic crisps. When you’re looking for a dish for two, turn to the three pound Maine lobster Thermidor, served with truffle risotto, grilled caesar salad, and Champagne beurre blanc. A 16 ounce prime rib of beef comes with popovers, horseradish cream, and charred carrots. The perfect conclusion to your meal is a grilled Yule log, featuring cream cheese ice cream and black currant gel. While you nibble on your dessert, sip on a festive cocktail: the Snow White Cosmo, composed of Grey Goose vodka, Cointreau, lime, and cranberry. Takeout of Christmas specials, as well as dishes from the regular lunch and dinner menus, which will also be offered for dine-in, is available. Make your reservations here. 138 St James Ave., Boston

Sloane’s

Sloane’s in Allston is offering a plethora of holiday sides and some dessert items for pre-order. Options to choose from are pistachio, fig, and honey baked brie, homemade popovers, and Grandma’s deviled eggs. You might also want to bring home gruyère and thyme potato au gratin, cheesy baked pasta Bolognese, and green beans with cranberries and fried shallot butter. If you’re in need of something sweet, Sloane’s has that covered, as well: order a homemade assorted holiday cookie box or a salted caramel apple streusel pie. Place your order by Dec. 21, and choose a pick up day, Dec. 23 or 24. Order here. 197 N. Harvard St., Allston

Tuscan Kitchen

Indulge in a sumptuous Feast of the Seven Fishes at Tuscan Kitchen’s Seaport and Burlington locations on Christmas Eve. The zuppa di pesce is made with mussels, clams, shrimp, potatoes, olives, and San Marzano tomatoes. The eateries will also prepare baccala cake, using Calabrian aioli, orange, pickled onion, and arugula. Linguini with a sea urchin crema and a baked Sicilian swordfish, served with warm parmesan polenta, also grace the menu. Wrap it up with a warm panettone bread pudding, coming with peppermint gelato and espresso caramel. The meal costs $75 per guest and $95 per guest, with wine pairings. Regular menus will also be offered and are available for takeout. Make reservations at the Seaport here and in Burlington here. Multiple locations