Where To Eat in New York City On Christmas Eve

Feast of the Seven Fishes at Union Square Cafe

Union Square Cafe

Christmas Eve is Wednesday, December 24th. And with the holiday falling mid-week, what better way to celebrate than at a top New York City restaurant? Trendy new openings and longtime standbys are offering special holiday tasting menus that make the most of seasonal flavors and ingredients, and meld tradition with hospitality. Here’s where to make resrervations in New York City this Christmas.

The newly opened steakhouse by Michelin-starred Chef José Andrés centers on large-cut, wood-fired meats and luxurious small plates. For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Bazaar Meat will be offering a prix fixe Holiday Feast for $250 per person. Dishes include a caviar cone topped with horseradish crème fraiche, chives, osetra caviar, and gold leaf; José’s Taco with jamón ibérico, ossetra caviar, and gold leaf served “taco style” wrapped in nori; smoked oysters topped with apple mignonette and smoked with applewood; uni tomato salad with kombu sesame dressing; fire roasted whole Maine lobster with chorizo and brown butter brûleé and more. Reservations via OpenTable

Union Square Cafe will host its Fourth Annual Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes ($195 per person, $55 for kids), inspired by Executive Chef Lena Ciardullo and her team’s Christmas Eve traditions and family recipes. The four-course menu will include caviar service with tater tots, antipasti in abbondanza, a choice between two seafood pastas, and a choice of beef tenderloin or pesce piccata. For dessert, tangerine sorbetto and an Italian-inspired holiday cookie platter for the table will be offered. Reservations via SevenRooms

This Christmas Eve, Kappo Sono, the intimate 12-seat kaiseki counter from chef Chikara Sono, will be offering a seasonal holiday tasting menu featuring Burgundian black truffle clay pot rice with roasted leeks and garlic, steamed monkfish liver with mikan candy, wagyu and king oyster mushroom shabu-shabu, and chestnut Mont Blanc. This special menu will be paired with Beverage Director Leo Le’s bespoke selection of namazake sakes. The three-hour kaiseki experience is $350 per person with beverage pairings available at $225 per person. Reservations via Resy.

The farm-to-table, American restaurant from John Doherty, will have a special $135 per person pre-fixe menu to complement its special a la carte menu for Christmas Eve. The meal starts with either wild mushroom Toast (robiola, taleggio, parmesan, watercress) or hamachi crudo (grape relish, moscatel vinegar, olive oil, watercress coulis, pickled mustard seeds) followed by second course of either heritage pork belly chicharron (frisee, mustard fruit, apple cider, scallions) or olive oil braised octopus. For the main courses, the options are pan seared diver scallops or filet mignon. For dessert, choice from eggnog cheesecake with a gingersnap crust or made to order warm apple cider donuts. Reservations via OpenTable or Resy

New to Koreatown, Togyushi is the only Zao Wagyu omakase experience in New York City and the only place outside of Japan where guests can experience one of the world’s rarest beef varieties. This Christmas Eve and Day the holiday menu highlights include medium fatty tuna with smoked Zao Wagyu, caviar, radish, and seaweed temaki; and cauliflower panna cotta with uni, Zao Wagyu consommé jelly, and kinome leaf. Seatings available at 6 PM, 7:30 PM, and 9 PM on Christmas Eve and 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM on Christmas Day. Chef counter for $195 per person. Reservations via Resy.

Set in the iconic JW Marriott Essex House Chef Michael Mina’s new restaurant offers a warm, festive atmosphere. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the restaurant will offer a three-course prix fixe ($215 per adult, $107 per child, 5–10pm) served in a dining room fully dressed with elegant holiday décor. Menu highlights include bacon-wrapped scallops with cranberry chutney, winter truffle risotto, chilean sea bass with winter bean conserva, and Mina’s signature center-cut filet mignon, and seasonal sides for the table like whipped potatoes with Échiré butter, crispy Brussels sprouts, and creamed spinach. Holiday desserts include a white chocolate mousse with cranberry, cinnamon cookie, chantilly crème, and raspberry coulis. Reservations via SevenRooms

Enjoy pecial four-course menu from Chef Maycoll Calderón’s new restaurant at at The Standard East Village. The $115 per person menu includes parsnip soup with huitlacoche and sunflower seed, roasted sea bass in mushroom broth, grilled filet mignon with sweet potato and cranberry, and chocolate cake with Papantla vanilla ice cream. Reservations via Resy