Restaurants

Where to dine in or order takeout for a festive Christmas Day dinner

These local restaurants have your Christmas dinner covered.

By Erin Kuschner

December 8, 2021

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Now that Thanksgiving is in our rear-view mirror, we can fully embrace Christmas on the horizon. It’s the perfect time to take in holiday light displays, sip on hot cocktails, visit an igloo or fire pit, and plan an incredible Christmas dinner.

By the way: What are you having for Christmas dinner?

Some families traditionally cook a meaty centerpiece, whether it’s roast duck, glazed ham, beef wellington, or prime rib. Others opt for seafood-centric or Italian cuisine — a lasagna entrée, perhaps, or Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Some order takeout from a Chinese restaurant. And for dessert? Instead of pies, there might be Panettone or sticky toffee pudding on the table.

While many businesses take Christmas Day off, a handful of Boston restaurants will either remain open or offer holiday takeout meals, giving diners the option to relinquish their cooking duties. We’ve rounded up some of the restaurants that are making sure we’re well-fed this holiday season. Check back frequently as we continue to add to the list in the coming days.

Restaurants open on Christmas Day:

Baramor
Open from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Christmas Day, Newton’s Baramor offers casual tavern fare like chicken wings, loaded nachos, burritos, and Nashville hot chicken. Make it a little more festive with one of the restaurant’s new hot cocktails: What the Elf, featuring peppermint vodka, chocolate liqueur, mocha RumChata, simple syrup, chocolate bitters, and white chocolate. (45 Union St., Newton)

Bricco
Stop by this North End staple for an Italian feast on Christmas Day when the restaurant will open from noon to 8 p.m. Choose from Bricco’s artisanal pasta and steak options, or opt for a holiday special — and don’t forget Bricco’s famed espresso martini to end the evening. (241 Hanover St., Boston)

CLINK
Kick off Christmas Day with a special Christmas brunch menu from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., or end the evening with a Christmas dinner at this Liberty Hotel restaurant specializing in New England fare. (215 Charles St., Boston)

Contessa
Newbury Street’s glitzy rooftop restaurant will celebrate Christmas with a four-course, family-style meal ($195 per person) that includes dishes like squash carpaccio, spicy lobster rigatoni, grilled branzino, and olive oil ice cream. Just as enticing: the views overlooking the Public Garden and Boston Common. (3 Newbury St., Boston)

Mare Oyster Bar
If your idea of a festive Christmas dinner includes oysters and fireside hangs, make a reservation at Mare Oyster Bar. Dinner will be offered from 4 p.m. to midnight on Christmas Day, with plenty of seafood options on the menu. (3 Mechanic St., Boston)

One+One
Looking for a little luxury on Christmas? One+One at the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston, will ring in the holiday with a three-course Christmas menu ($149 per person, $69 per child). Choose from chicory salad, roast duck breast, braised beef short rib, kabocha squash ravioli, gingerbread whoopie pies, and more for an especially festive meal. Reservations can be made by calling 617-936-4876. (1 Dalton St., Boston)

Rare Steakhouse
Open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Rare Steakhouse at Encore Boston Harbor will serve both both à la carte dining and a prix-fixe, three-course menu ($85 per person) from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Opting for the latter? Enjoy smoked oyster chowder; a choice of Dijon-roasted prime rib, braised lamb shank, or Chilean seabass; and either caramelized apple tart or Rare’s signature cheesecake for dessert. (1 Broadway, Everett)

Rebel’s Guild
Make your way over to Rebel’s Guild at The Revere Hotel on Dec. 25, when the restaurant will offer a four-course, prix-fixe menu on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ($75 per person). Find holiday specials like wood-roasted oysters and duck breast, along with candy cane lava cake and an eggnog crème brûlée. (200 Stuart St., Boston)

Restaurants offering Christmas dinner takeout:

Alcove
This West End destination will be open for Christmas Day, but if you can’t swing a dine-in experience, be sure to place an order for a to-go spread. Beef wellington, glazed Berkshire ham, country sourdough rolls, lobster mac and cheese, and more are on the menu. Order by Dec. 20 for pick-up on Dec. 25. (50 Lovejoy Wharf, Boston)

LUCIE Drink + Dine
Choose from a Christmas dinner selection featuring meatballs, shrimp cocktail, beef wellington, roast salmon, s’mores pie, and other holiday delights. Order by Dec. 17 for pick-up on Dec. 24. (120 Huntington Ave., Boston)

Moona
For a Mediterranean spread on Christmas, pick up dishes for two at Moona in Cambridge, which is currently offering a holiday menu highlighting za’atar biscuits, slow-cooked short ribs, lamb shoulder tagine, roasted vegetables, and sticky toffee pudding. Order by Dec. 17 for pick-up on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23. (243 Hampshire St., Cambridge)

Ristorante Lucia
Ristorante Lucia is offering a Feast of the Seven Fishes extravaganza, with options to choose from dishes like calamari fritti, spaghetti served with crab meatballs, slow-cooked cod with potatoes, and Panettone bread pudding. Order by Dec. 21. (415 Hanover St., Boston)

Stillwater
Like her Thanksgiving takeout menu, chef Sarah Wade’s Christmas lineup is all about the sides. Stock up on hot honey roasted sweet potatoes, Gouda mac and cheese, broccoli cheddar casserole, and skillet cornbread with whipped honey butter. For dessert, there’s eggnog pie and candy cane Oreo pie. Order for pick-up on Dec. 24. (120 Kingston St., Boston)

Sweet Basil
The Needham and Waltham locations of chef Dave Becker’s Sweet Basil have bulk holiday ordering available for Christmas, with ready-to-reheat meals like lamb shank, braised chicken, vegetable lasagna, and chicken parm. Order for pick-up on Dec. 23. (942 Great Plain Ave., Needham; 469 Moody St., Waltham)

Urban Hearth
Grab ready-to-heat meals for two, four, and six people at Urban Hearth in Cambridge, where chef Erin Miller will prepare short rib bourguignon with a selection of sides, including celery root soup, heirloom carrots, and collard greens. Add on boozy eggnog and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Order by Dec. 19 for pickup on Dec. 24. (2263 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge)