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Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Day in Chicago

Leave the holiday meal to the experts

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The holidays can be a stressful time, so this year, take a load off and let someone else handle the cooking. Many Chicago restaurants will be open on Christmas Eve and Day. The following options around town include Italian seafood celebrations, truffle-laden specials, succulent steaks, and more. Regardless of what diners choose, a Christmas Eve meal that requires no prep or cleanup is a gift the whole family will appreciate.

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George Trois

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Chef Michael Lachowicz and his team at George Trois in suburban Winnetka will host an opulent Christmas Eve menu ($189 per person) featuring fancy fare like foie gras eclair over crispy fried leeks, paupiettes of Dover sole with lobster mousse, and filet of beef tenderloin with truffle mousse en croute. Reservations are available via Tock. Interested parties would be wise to move quickly, as the intimate restaurant only seats 12.

Bar Roma

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Rustic Italian eatery Bar Roma is opening on Christmas Eve and the team is whipping up a couple of special dishes for the evening, including Italian wedding soup, Italian white sturgeon caviar for two, and a 22-ounce wood-grilled bone-in ribeye with cacio e pepe butter. Reservations are available via Resy.

Longman & Eagle

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For $125 per person, enjoy a family-style feast of the seven fishes (plus a cookie course at the end) at Longman & Eagle in Logan Square. Reservations are available via Resy.

Andros Taverna

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Andros Taverna, Logan Square’s upscale Greek restaurant from restaurateur Doug Psaltis, will mark Christmas Eve with another take on feast of the seven fishes, this time featuring a selection of crudos, roasted seafood orzotto, and charcoal-grilled whole fish for $95 per person. Reservations are available via Resy.

Floriole Cafe & Bakery

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Lincoln Park’s majestic bakery cafe, Floriole, has several Christmas options for home consumption. Find chocolate ginger blackcurrant Bûche de Nöel, gingersnap lime pies, potato onion fontina galettes, and more via Tock.

Lottie's Pub

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Those who’d rather enjoy an unfussy Christmas Eve may find just what they’re looking for at Lottie’s Pub, which has a full day of football viewing, raffles, and menu specials planned for the holiday, including $8 eggnog cocktails and Bloody Marys, as well as $15 sausage and giardiniera pizzas and $10 breakfast burritos. There’s even more fun planned for Christmas Day.

Sommelier Alpana Singh’s Gold Coast restaurant is rolling out a Christmas Eve menu of specials in addition to a la carte offerings from the usual lineup. Her team is also putting out seasonal cocktails such as a Mistletoe Spritzer and Winter Old Fashioned. Book a reservation on the restaurant’s website.

On Christmas Eve, NoMi will offer a four-course dinner ($165 per person). The prix-fixe includes chicken liver mousse with blueberry jam and turbot with roasted vegetables and creamy polenta. Christmas Day’s dinner is $200 per person and features dishes such as pomme dauphine with truffle creme and herb-crusted prime rib with thyme jus.

Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar

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The team at charming this neighborhood caviar bar knows a thing or two about seafood, which makes the feast of the seven fishes a natural choice for Christmas Eve. The five-course holiday menu ($200 per person) will include a smoked oyster and cauliflower tart with Osetra caviar, tuna and hamachi sashimi with coconut dashi and Grand Cru caviar, and grill-roasted red snapper with braised collard greens and pimento grits. Reserve a table via Tock.

Osteria Via Stato

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Executive chef David DiGregorio is cooking up a storm on Christmas Eve this year for the feast of the seven fishes. Osteria Via Stato’s multi-course dinner will highlight Italian seafood dishes inspired by various regions. The menu is priced at $74.95 per person. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

Kinzie Chophouse

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Steakhouse stalwart Kinzie Chophouse is planning an eight-course “Holiday Tasting Odyssey” for Christmas Eve. The team promises a luxurious meal featuring scallops, duck ravioli, dry-aged lamb chops, and more. The cost is $150 per person and reservations are available online.

Miru, the all-day Japanese restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises at the St. Regis Chicago hotel — which resides inside the 101-story skyscraper that overlooks Navy Pier in Lakeshore East — is celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with fried chicken. The move is inspired by the popularity of Kentucky Fried Chicken at Christmastime in Japan. Chef Hisanobu Osaka is offering a half-bird special ($26) for takeout and dine-in patrons.

A table laid with fried chicken and a bottle of sake. Miru

Prime & Provisions Steakhouse

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Prime & Provisions is offering a special four-course Christmas Eve tasting menu with selections like lump blue crab cake, dry-aged Rohan duck, Farro Island salmon, tres leches cake, and banana cream pie. It’s $110 per person and reservations are available via OpenTable.

Gioia Chicago

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Cherry Circle Room

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Cherry Circle Room, tucked away on the second floor of the Chicago Athletic Association, is now operating under the guidance of lauded executive chef Mari Katsumura (Yugen), which is good news for Christmas celebrants. She’s launching a “surf ‘n turf experience” ($140 per person) on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a menu featuring filet mignon, torched lobster motoyaki with caviar, and twice-baked truffle potatoes. Reservations are available via Resy.

Mercat a la Planxa

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Mercat, a favorite for Spanish tapas, is ready to feed diners on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a Catalan-inspired tasting menu ($85 per person) that includes beef and pork albondigas, 10-ounce grilled black angus hanger steaks, and churros con chocolate. Its regular menu will also be available. Book reservations on the restaurant’s website.

The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant

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The South Loop firehouse-turned-restaurant has crafted a special a la carte menu for Christmas Eve that’s stacked with classic hits like ricotta dumplings with short rib ragout, Shrimp de Jonghe, and Berkshire pork chops. Book a reservation via Resy.

MingHin Cuisine

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It’ll be business as usual at Chinese stalwart MingHin on Christmas Eve and Day. The local mini chain is open 365 days a year so Chicagoans can spend their holiday enjoying dim sum, roast pork, Beijing duck, noodles, fried rice, hot pot casseroles, and more. Reservations are available on the restaurant’s website.

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George Trois

Chef Michael Lachowicz and his team at George Trois in suburban Winnetka will host an opulent Christmas Eve menu ($189 per person) featuring fancy fare like foie gras eclair over crispy fried leeks, paupiettes of Dover sole with lobster mousse, and filet of beef tenderloin with truffle mousse en croute. Reservations are available via Tock. Interested parties would be wise to move quickly, as the intimate restaurant only seats 12.

Bar Roma

Rustic Italian eatery Bar Roma is opening on Christmas Eve and the team is whipping up a couple of special dishes for the evening, including Italian wedding soup, Italian white sturgeon caviar for two, and a 22-ounce wood-grilled bone-in ribeye with cacio e pepe butter. Reservations are available via Resy.

Longman & Eagle

For $125 per person, enjoy a family-style feast of the seven fishes (plus a cookie course at the end) at Longman & Eagle in Logan Square. Reservations are available via Resy.

Andros Taverna

Andros Taverna, Logan Square’s upscale Greek restaurant from restaurateur Doug Psaltis, will mark Christmas Eve with another take on feast of the seven fishes, this time featuring a selection of crudos, roasted seafood orzotto, and charcoal-grilled whole fish for $95 per person. Reservations are available via Resy.

Floriole Cafe & Bakery

Lincoln Park’s majestic bakery cafe, Floriole, has several Christmas options for home consumption. Find chocolate ginger blackcurrant Bûche de Nöel, gingersnap lime pies, potato onion fontina galettes, and more via Tock.

Lottie's Pub

Those who’d rather enjoy an unfussy Christmas Eve may find just what they’re looking for at Lottie’s Pub, which has a full day of football viewing, raffles, and menu specials planned for the holiday, including $8 eggnog cocktails and Bloody Marys, as well as $15 sausage and giardiniera pizzas and $10 breakfast burritos. There’s even more fun planned for Christmas Day.

Alpana

Sommelier Alpana Singh’s Gold Coast restaurant is rolling out a Christmas Eve menu of specials in addition to a la carte offerings from the usual lineup. Her team is also putting out seasonal cocktails such as a Mistletoe Spritzer and Winter Old Fashioned. Book a reservation on the restaurant’s website.

NoMI

On Christmas Eve, NoMi will offer a four-course dinner ($165 per person). The prix-fixe includes chicken liver mousse with blueberry jam and turbot with roasted vegetables and creamy polenta. Christmas Day’s dinner is $200 per person and features dishes such as pomme dauphine with truffle creme and herb-crusted prime rib with thyme jus.

Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar

The team at charming this neighborhood caviar bar knows a thing or two about seafood, which makes the feast of the seven fishes a natural choice for Christmas Eve. The five-course holiday menu ($200 per person) will include a smoked oyster and cauliflower tart with Osetra caviar, tuna and hamachi sashimi with coconut dashi and Grand Cru caviar, and grill-roasted red snapper with braised collard greens and pimento grits. Reserve a table via Tock.

Osteria Via Stato

Executive chef David DiGregorio is cooking up a storm on Christmas Eve this year for the feast of the seven fishes. Osteria Via Stato’s multi-course dinner will highlight Italian seafood dishes inspired by various regions. The menu is priced at $74.95 per person. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

Kinzie Chophouse

Steakhouse stalwart Kinzie Chophouse is planning an eight-course “Holiday Tasting Odyssey” for Christmas Eve. The team promises a luxurious meal featuring scallops, duck ravioli, dry-aged lamb chops, and more. The cost is $150 per person and reservations are available online.

Miru

Miru, the all-day Japanese restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises at the St. Regis Chicago hotel — which resides inside the 101-story skyscraper that overlooks Navy Pier in Lakeshore East — is celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with fried chicken. The move is inspired by the popularity of Kentucky Fried Chicken at Christmastime in Japan. Chef Hisanobu Osaka is offering a half-bird special ($26) for takeout and dine-in patrons.

A table laid with fried chicken and a bottle of sake. Miru

Prime & Provisions Steakhouse

Prime & Provisions is offering a special four-course Christmas Eve tasting menu with selections like lump blue crab cake, dry-aged Rohan duck, Farro Island salmon, tres leches cake, and banana cream pie. It’s $110 per person and reservations are available via OpenTable.

Gioia Chicago

Cherry Circle Room

Cherry Circle Room, tucked away on the second floor of the Chicago Athletic Association, is now operating under the guidance of lauded executive chef Mari Katsumura (Yugen), which is good news for Christmas celebrants. She’s launching a “surf ‘n turf experience” ($140 per person) on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a menu featuring filet mignon, torched lobster motoyaki with caviar, and twice-baked truffle potatoes. Reservations are available via Resy.

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Mercat a la Planxa

Mercat, a favorite for Spanish tapas, is ready to feed diners on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a Catalan-inspired tasting menu ($85 per person) that includes beef and pork albondigas, 10-ounce grilled black angus hanger steaks, and churros con chocolate. Its regular menu will also be available. Book reservations on the restaurant’s website.

The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant

The South Loop firehouse-turned-restaurant has crafted a special a la carte menu for Christmas Eve that’s stacked with classic hits like ricotta dumplings with short rib ragout, Shrimp de Jonghe, and Berkshire pork chops. Book a reservation via Resy.

MingHin Cuisine

It’ll be business as usual at Chinese stalwart MingHin on Christmas Eve and Day. The local mini chain is open 365 days a year so Chicagoans can spend their holiday enjoying dim sum, roast pork, Beijing duck, noodles, fried rice, hot pot casseroles, and more. Reservations are available on the restaurant’s website.

Related Maps