Where to Dine Out on Christmas Day
Published December 12, 2024
Last Updated December 13, 2024
Fine. You made the cookies for Santa and you don’t want to spend any more time in the kitchen for a few days. We get it. There are restaurants open for Christmas. Here are some options for Christmas dinner out plus some suggestions for takeout. Also noted are restaurants that are open for Christmas Eve dining.
Stand-Alone Restaurants
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House will be open on Christmas Day from 2 until 8 p.m. Del Frisco’s will be open on Christmas Eve from noon until 9 p.m.
Where: 236 Perimeter Center Parkway NE, Dunwoody
Red’s Beer Garden
Red’s Beer Garden will be open from noon until 6 p.m. on Christmas Day. Red’s invites you to enjoy the “best hot dogs in town.” Furthermore, you can sample from among 200 types of beer, wine, cider, mead, hard kombucha, seltzer and non-alcoholic options. There also are options for gluten-free and vegan grub. Red’s is open from noon until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Where: 1328 Boulevard SE
SsamJang Korean BBQ
Open on Christmas Day and on Christmas Eve, SsamJang Korean BBQ offers prime ribeye, brisket and short ribs grilled at your table. Celebrate Christmas Day with an all-day, all-you-can-eat feast paired with $10 cocktails. On Christmas Eve, enjoy a late-night feast available until midnight, featuring $10 craft cocktails such as the Mistletoe Margarita and Jack Frost. Combo platters are designed for group dining.
Where: 2860 Cumberland Mall
Restaurants Inside Hotels
Americano — InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta
The Americano, inside the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, will be open on Christmas Day and also on Christmas Eve.
Where: 3315 Peachtree Road NE
Brasserie Margot — Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
The Parisian-inspired Brasserie Margot invites guests to enjoy a Christmas Day Brunch from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. with the last seating at 3 p.m. The feast includes holiday treats, a hot cocoa station and surprise gifts for children. Santa will make a special appearance, too. Priced at $165 per adult and $82.50 per child, reservations are limited.
Where: 75 Fourteenth St. NE
Grand Ballroom and AG — Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta
The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta invites you to a Christmas buffet in the Grand Ballroom on Dec. 25. Indulge in a feast featuring Christmas classics, Veuve Clicquot champagne and an artfully decadent holiday pastry display. A special Santa visit and live entertainment will enhance the magic and merriment. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 5:30 until 9 p.m., the AG restaurant will offer an à la carte holiday menu filled with traditional dishes.
Where: 181 Peachtree St. NE
Hartley Kitchen & Cocktails — Kimpton Shane Hotel
Hartley Kitchen & Cocktails will be open for brunch from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve for festive meals and gatherings.
Where: 1340 West Peachtree St. NW
Nobu Restaurant — Nobu Hotel Atlanta
Nobu Restaurant will be open on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
Where: 3520 Peachtree Road NE
Reverence — Epicurean Atlanta
Reverence at the Epicurean Atlanta is open on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. The Epicurean also is offering an igloo experience, available on Christmas Day. Four to six people can dine inside a festive igloo complete with a prix fixe menu. The experience begins with hot cocoa bar along with fromage and charcuterie, citrus olives, Thai-roasted nuts, Reverence fries, baby gem salad and Brussels sprouts. Entree choices are the Reverence burger, campanelle pasta, seared chicken and salmon. For dessert, it’s s’mores.
Where: 1117 West Peachtree St. NW
Ruth’s Chris Steak House — Embassy Suites
Ruth’s Chris Steak House Downtown and Buckhead will be open on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
Where: 267 Marietta St. NW (Downtown); 3285 Peachtree Road NE (Buckhead)
Spaceman and Three Arches — Hyatt Centric Buckhead
The rooftop bar, Spaceman, at Hyatt Centric Buckhead, will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Three Arches on the lobby level at the Hyatt Centric Buckhead will be open on Christmas Day and also on Christmas Eve.
Where: 3301 Lenox Parkway
Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View — Westin Peachtree Plaza
The Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View will be open on Christmas Day and also on Christmas Eve.
Where: 210 Peachtree St. NW
Waldorf Astoria
Chef Bermyson and his culinary team are preparing a five-course dinner tasting menu on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, beginning with truffle potato pavé with sturgeon caviar and velvety main lobster bisque, followed by duck roulade and a main course land and sea duo, featuring Wagyu A5 Ribeye and smoked swordfish.
For afternoon seating on Christmas Day, a three-course menu will be available with highlights echoing the dinner menu’s opulence. Vegetarian options are available upon request, and guests are invited to share dietary preferences when making reservations.
Seating for the five-course Christmas Eve dinner is available from 5 until 7:30 p.m. Seating for the three-course Christmas Day dinner is available from noon until 2:30 p.m. Seating for the five-course Christmas Day dinner is available from 5 until 7:30 p.m.
Where: 3376 Peachtree Road NE
Stand-Alone Restaurant Open on Christmas Eve
TWO Urban Licks
Dine at TWO Urban Licks from 5 until 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Holiday specials and house favorites include TWO’s popular salmon chips, wood-fired rotisserie chicken, smoked brisket, wood oven-roasted trout and steak frites.
Where: 820 Ralph McGill Blvd.
Chinese on Christmas Day — a Tradition
Starting a very long time ago, immigrants to the United States from other cultures did not celebrate Christmas. But, just like nearly everybody, they had the holiday off. Even better, Chinese restaurants were open on the holiday, thus began the tradition of eating Chinese or Asian food on Christmas Day. Three choices in Atlanta are Nakato Japanese Restaurant, Nan Thai Fine Dining and Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft near the Amtrak station.
Where: 1776 Chesire Bridge Road NE, (Nakato Japanese Restaurant); 1350 Spring St. NW (Nan Thai Fine Dining); 1745 Peachtree Road NW (Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft)
Takeout for Dining at Home
DBA Barbecue
DBA Barbecue is offering a selection of slow-smoked holiday favorites and classic Southern sides. Choose an apple-brined, hickory-smoked ham or whole turkey for $115 or DBA’s signature beef tenderloin, available in two sizes: $150 (serves 5) or $300 (serves 12). Complete the meal with sides including sautéed garlic green beans, mac and cheese and collard greens. Orders are being accepted through Dec. 22, with pickup available on Dec. 23 and 24.
Where: 4540 East Ponce de Leon Ave., Clarkston
JenChan’s
JenChan’s offers pickup from both the JenChan’s location on Carroll Street and Mikkelson’s Market on Flat Shoals Avenue. Choose from mains, sides, breakfast, desserts and a special Danish-inspired spread.
Pickup is from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Dec. 23. Just a few items from which to choose are: whole smoked Mongolian Boston butt, whole Hoisin duck and standing rib roast. Veggie choices include cornbread casserole, panko mac & cheese, roasted smashed potatoes and sweet potato Gouda gratin. There’s apple pie, apple cider and eggnog for dessert.
Where: JenChan, 86 Carroll St. SE; and Mikkelson’s Market, 210 Flat Shoals Ave. SE
Tio Lucho
Celebrate with authentic flavors from the Peruvian coast. Choices include Tamales Para Navidad and whole turkeys. Chef Castillo’s tamales are crafted from a family recipe passed down through generations. Made with traditional Peruvian mote corn, tender braised pork belly, aji amarillo and botija olives, the pork tamales make a flavorful centerpiece ($40 for half a dozen). Additional options include a Salsa Criolla kit (serves four) for $15, salsitas in 8 oz. jars for $8 each and a whole turkey special with sofrito gravy ($175) that serves seven to nine people. Orders will be accepted until Dec. 23 and can be picked up at the restaurant on Dec. 24 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Where: 675 North Highland Ave. NE
For more dining choices in Atlanta, though not necessarily on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, check our dining guide.
Journalist Carol Carter writes and edits for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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