Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area?
There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation! More than ever, family and friends are gathering in area restaurants on holidays like this, which means spots at your favorites may be gone if you wait too long.
Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.
What's Open on Christmas Eve?
There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.
- The legendary team from L'Espalier normally offers a prix fixe Christmas Eve menu.
- La Morra in Brookline is an ideal spot to meet friends or family from that side of the Boston area. They are offering family style dining, "sharing traditional dishes of Piedmont."
- Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel has a four-course prix fixe menu set for the 24th.
- Petit Robert Bistro will be open with regular meals and specials.
- Here is the Christmas Eve list from Boston Chefs. Be sure to check back, because this list may grow.
- Here is the Christmas Eve List from Open Table. Be sure to check back, because this list may grow.
At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Christmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun, holiday dining option.
- Coppa Enoteca is one of our favorites and is offering their version of this tradition.
- Dante in Cambridge will present Chef Dante de Magistris' version of the feast with other menu items available.
- Grotto was one of the first to present this holiday tradition. They tell us that it will be a nightly special every night in December!
Which Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?
Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.
In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th.
- The Bristol at the Four Seasons Hotel
- Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel
- Eastern Standard: They will normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal.
Other places open on holidays would include chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.
Other Resources:
As we included above, the reservation site Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining.
But you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.
The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.
Follow us on Twitter for notice of updates to this post.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: from iStockphoto.com
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