11 Boston Restaurants That Have Christmas Dinner Covered This Year
Feast of the Seven Fishes, epic takeout spreads, and so much more.
After Thanksgiving, there are only so many more meals you want to cook before the end of the year. And let’s be honest: Family recipes really can’t be better than what our local chefs whip up year after year. So put your seasonal energy into gift-buying, then buy yourself the present of stress-free holiday eating. Whether you’re looking for a grand night out at one of the city’s best restaurants or a catered meal in, we’ve got it all on this list of Christmas dinners in Boston.
Aquitaine
The folks at Aquitaine are making it possible to enjoy a proper French feast without any of the work. What a gift! The take-home meal starts with leek, prosciutto, and gruyere tarts and moves onto a choice of cider dijon-glazed ham, beef tenderloin au poivre, or duck two ways. Accompaniments include potatoes Dauphinoise and roasted Brussels sprouts, and you can supplement with the dark-chocolate Buche de Noel.
Brassica Kitchen & Cafe
If you want to host family without (most of) the stress, turn the details over to the experts at Brassica. The restaurant is offering pick-up options like a whole dry-aged roast duck with glazed root vegetables and a honey pie made with local honey. Place your order online and pick it up on Christmas Eve—main course or dessert prep doesn’t get much easier than that.
Bricco
Some of us just buzz with energy on Christmas Eve. If you’re up later than Santa and the elves, head to Bricco. The North End mainstay will be open until 2 am that night to serve its late-night menu of beef carpaccio, zucchini flowers, shrimp scampi, and an array of pizzas. It’s the perfect after party to decompress from family gatherings and ring in the holiday.
Contessa
The best seat in the city on the best day of the year? This is a true gift for everyone lucky enough to attend. On Christmas Day, tuck into a four-course, family-style spread for $195 per person that includes burrata with caviar, spicy lobster rigatoni, grilled Mediterranean branzino, and olive oil ice cream with truffle (gah!).
Grana
You’ll be torn between Christmas Eve or Christmas Day because both of Grana’s holiday menus are to die for. On Christmas Eve, settle in for a four-course spread of a winter green salad, truffled celeriac risotto, pan-seared scallops, and red velvet cheesecake, among other choices. Then, on the big day itself, families can come together for a shared feast of apps, braised beef short ribs, sides like wild mushroom risotto and whipped buttermilk potatoes, and a dessert bar featuring eggnog panna cotta and lemon ricotta pie.
MIDA
We’re forever grateful that chef Douglass Williams reinvented the Feast of the Seven Fishes. At his flagship restaurant MIDA, the Feast of the Seven Pastas is available both for dine-in and takeout on December 23. The $120 package includes enough salad, bread, holiday cookies, and seven different entree pasta dishes including lasagna, ricotta manicotti, and rock shrimp carbonara to serve two to four people.
No. 9 Park
Want to enjoy an epic Barbara Lynch-made spread without getting out of your pajamas? The chef has you covered with her takeout holiday shop. It’s a cornucopia of decadent eats: Beef Wellington, lamb roast, chestnut bisque, butter-braised pearl onions, Parker House rolls, and the list goes on. Just know that some dishes require additional cooking at home, so plan your prep schedule accordingly.
OAK Long Bar + Kitchen
The Fairmont Copley Plaza serves as a perfect holiday backdrop, and OAK Long Bar + Kitchen adds to that with an epic holiday meal. The restaurant will offer its full menu all day long on Christmas Day, plus two specials: Beef Wellington with foie gras, chanterelle mushrooms, watercress puree, au jus, and shaved truffles, and a Baked Alaska with white chocolate sponge, winter spiced vanilla ice cream, and Grand Marnier. Each can be chased with the two drink specials: the Frostbite Martini with vodka, peppermint, and coconut and the cozy Winter Sour with bourbon, lemon, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
Select Oyster Bar
If you’re going to indulge in a Feast of the Seven Fishes, you should turn to the fish experts. For $150 a person, chef Michael Serpa is wowing guests with a seven-course Italian feast of oysters, tuna crudo, anchovies and artichokes, baccala and mantekato (a Venetian classic), eel livornese, Maine lobster pasta, and roasted branzino.
Town Meeting Bistro
It’s a twofer holiday celebration. First, from December 21 to 23, Town Meeting Bistro is serving a lovely three-course Hanukkah spread of latkes with quince sauce and cream fraiche, brisket with caramelized cipollini onions, roasted carrots and fried Brussels sprouts, and upside down noodle kugel with apples and raisins. Then head back to the restaurant inside Inn at Hastings Park for a three-course Christmas Eve spread. The menu includes choices like beef tenderloin, pan-seared Arctic char, poached pear trifle, and the ever-beloved Yule Log.
Tuscan Kitchen
This classic and affordable Feast of the Seven Fishes is a win this holiday season. For $75 per person, you’ll get a spread of zuppa di pesci, codfish cakes, linguini with sea urchin crema, and baked Sicilian swordfish, saving just enough room for the warm panettone bread pudding. Even better, the menu is available on December 23 as well as Christmas Eve, so you can get the party started a day early.