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Where to dine in or order takeout for a joyful Christmas Day feast
When you want to celebrate with loved ones, head to one of these local restaurants.
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 a beef wellington, salt cod croquettes, lemon roasted chicken, or a festive martini, these restaurants have you covered.
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This list will be updated periodically.
Near TD Garden and North Station in the West End, you’ll discover Alcove, a neighborhood restaurant by the waterfront. For Christmas Day, they will be serving a menu of specials, including egg nog, roasted leg of lamb, sautéed duck breast, broiled bay scallops, and seared foie gras. To polish off your meal, try the poached pear with lavender caramel or the dark chocolate and cherry bread pudding. Takeout is available from the regular menu on Dec. 24 and 25, while most items from the special menu will be available for takeout on Christmas Day. Reservations can be made online. (50 Lovejoy Wharf, Boston)
On Christmas Day, the Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf will offer a brunch to remember ($210 per adult; $80 for children 12 and under). On the menu, featured dishes include the slow roasted Wagyu prime rib, lobster mac and cheese, and Peking-style Long Island duck. Breakfast classics like omelettes and bagels, a charcuterie bar, a modern seafood bar, and sushi will also be available. Seasonal signature dishes include the Nantucket Bay scallops, mushroom lasagna, and fried delicata squash. Standouts from the dessert menu are the gingerbread crème brûlée and the espresso chouquette. Make your reservations here. (70 Rowes Wharf, Boston)
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On Christmas Eve, French restaurant Colette will offer a three course prix fixe menu ($85 per person) featuring dishes such as oysters and smoked salmon pinwheels as appetizers. Choose from a selection of entrees, including duck á l’orange, grilled half lobster, lamb shank, and truffle tagliatelle. For dessert, you might indulge in crème brûlée or Yule log cake from France. Colette will also be celebrating Christmas Day with a three course prix fixe menu ($65 per person). Enjoy yogurt parfait, mussels, or French onion soup, to start. Move on to a main course, like the croque monsieur, brioche French toast, or boneless half chicken. Wrap up your meal with something sweet—we’re thinking the Nutella chocolate mousse. Both holiday menus are available for takeout. Make a reservation online. (1924 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge)
At Cambridge Crossing, Italian-inspired eatery Geppetto is hosting a “Feast of Seven Fishes” on Christmas Eve, from 4 to 8 p.m. ($100 per person). Guests can dine on a seven-course meal that features bay scallop crudo, salt cod croquettes, grilled calamari salad, fritto misto, saffron spaghetti, lobster lasagna, and smoked swordfish. For dessert, there will be a torta della nonna, made with ricotta, candied orange, and pine nuts. Takeout orders are also available from both the special menu and Geppetto’s regular menu. Reservations can be made online. (100 N First St., Cambridge)
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Italian restaurant Grana is bringing you Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals from their location inside the Langham Hotel, set in the former Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. On Christmas Eve, celebrate with a four-course meal from 6 to 8:30 p.m. ($125 per person, $65 per child). Menu items include the celeriac panna cotta, a winter green and citrus salad, beef braciola, pan seared scallops, and sacher torte. The following day, a family-style menu and dessert buffet will be accessible from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ($145 per person, $65 per child). You’ll be able to savor burrata salad, buttermilk whipped potatoes, roasted heirloom carrots, braised beef short rib, and a black forest yule log. Reservations can be made online or by calling 617-956-8765 (250 Franklin St., Boston)
This Christmas, you can enjoy the classic flavors of New England with Legal Sea Foods’ “Holidays at Home” takeout party platters. On the menu, you’ll find starters like the New England clam chowder, lobster bisque, and bacon wrapped scallops. You can also choose from a selection of entrees, such as the half pound Maine lobster rolls, signature crab cakes, seafood casserole, grilled salmon, and shrimp scampi. Your dinner guests can enjoy a variety of desserts, including New York cheesecake, key lime pie, and Boston cream pie. The full platter menu is available when you order over the phone from one of their locations listed here. Limited platter menu items are available when ordered online. Orders must be placed 48 hours in advance. (Multiple locations)
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On Christmas Day, Nubar will be holding a buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at its Sheraton Commander Hotel location in Harvard Square ($57 per person, $30 per child ages 5 to 12, and free for children under 5). At their carving station, there will be glazed ham and roasted New York sirloin, while entree options include the grilled Statler chicken and roasted salmon. An array of sides will be available, such as the candied butternut squash, sage roasted baby Yukon potatoes, and Brussels sprouts with walnuts and garlic. Enjoy mixed greens with citrus and goat cheese or spinach frisée salad. For dessert, Nubar will serve Yule logs, holiday pies, mini cupcakes and pastries, and eggnog. Reservations can be made by calling 617-234-1365. (16 Garden St., Cambridge)
From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Christmas Day, Oak Long Bar + Kitchen offers a delicious meal. The beef Wellington will come with foie gras, chanterelle mushrooms, watercress purée, an au jus veal stock reduction, and shaved truffles. Diners can also enjoy a baked Alaska dessert, featuring white chocolate sponge, winter spiced vanilla ice cream, and Grand Marnier. Festive cocktails include the Frostbite Martini, a mix of vodka, peppermint, and coconut, and the Winter Sour, a Maker’s Mark bourbon cocktail flavored with lemon, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Takeout orders can be made from the all day menu. Reservations can be made online. (138 St. James Ave., Boston)
The Whitney Hotel’s Peregrine is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that explores the cuisine of Sardinia and Sicily, along with the influences of Corsica and Catalonia, according to their website. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they will offer a seafood heavy Feast of the Seven Fishes ($95 per person) with the opportunity to add on wine pairings and other additional items. You’ll be able to savor the flavors of Paella di Alghero, Faroe Islands salmon, and desserts like the lemon pistachio cake. There will also be a special, prix fixe menu offered on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ($75 per person). Highlights include the duck confit, radicchio salad, roast chicken breast, and buche de Noel. Takeout from the regular menu will be available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, along with some select items from the special menus. Reservations can be made online. (170 Charles St., Boston)
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On Dec. 24 and 25, Ramsay’s Kitchen will host two Christmas dinners ($125 per person; add $65 for a wine pairing). For a first course, guests can choose between mushroom soup or a shrimp cocktail. The main course is a prime rib roast, served with roasted vegetables, Yorkshire pudding, horseradish, and beef jus. The meal wraps up with a dessert, the apple crumb cheesecake, composed of vanilla mascarpone cake, caramelized apples, salted caramel sauce, and a crumb topping. Reservations can be made online. (774 Boylston St., Boston)
Inside Encore Boston Harbor, you’ll find Rare Steakhouse, an elegant dining room with beautiful views of the Mystic River and Harborwalk. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they will be presenting a three-course tasting menu ($90 per person). For a first course, guests can pick either a vanilla poached pear and beet salad with goat cheese yogurt or a sweet potato soup. Next, they can select a citrus-crusted swordfish, lemon-roasted chicken with cacio e pepe toasted couscous, or Dijon-roasted prime rib. The meal ends with an option of caramel and chestnut mousse cake or milk chocolate and chestnut mousse with caramel cremeux, chocolate feuilletine, and vanilla whipped ganache. Takeout orders will only be available from the regular menu on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Reservations can be made online. (1 Broadway, Everett)
On Dec. 23 and 24, Tuscan Kitchen will be hosting a Feast of the Seven Fishes, featuring vibrant seafood dishes ($75 per person, $95 per person with wine pairing). The menu includes a fish soup, made with mussels, clams, shrimp, potatoes, and more. The restaurant will serve a baccala cake, prepared from Calabrian aioli, orange, pickled onion, and arugula. Linguine with a sea urchin crema will be featured, as will a baked Sicilian swordfish with warm parmesan polenta. Guests can conclude their feast with warm panettone bread pudding, served with peppermint gelato. The Feast of the Seven Fishes menu, along with items from the regular menu, will be available for takeout on both nights. Reservations can be made online. (64 Seaport Blvd., Boston; 2400 District Ave., Burlington)
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