The Countdown Is On! Where to Sip, Savor and Celebrate on Christmas Eve

The Countdown Is On! Where to Sip, Savor and Celebrate on Christmas Eve

The Annie (photo by Jenn Duncan)

AFTER LAST-MINUTE shopping, wrapping gifts, mailing cards, and playing Santa, are you feeling too exhausted to cook this holiday? When it comes to Christmas Eve, we’ve got delicious dining-out ideas, ranging from French cuisine to Thai, Indian, top-notch Mediterranean, and fare as American as apple (or pecan) pie. Anything goes in H-Town!


The Annie

Score reservations for Christmas Eve brunch or dinner service with the regular brunch and dinner menus available, along with a few chef specials. Christmas carolers will be spreading cheer at the restaurant from 6:30-8:30pm.

B&B Butchers & Restaurant

B&B dining room

Join the steakhouse for Christmas Eve brunch or dinner, featuring Christmas carolers making merry as well as a festive reindeer for photos with the kiddos.

Backstreet Cafe

Serving a three-course menu ($55 per adult, $15 per child), dinner highlights include lobster risotto, lamb shank with cauliflower puree, and chocolate cake with macerated cherries. Complimentary eggnog!

Benny Chows

This still-new Cantonese concept from Berg Hospitality is festively decorated for the holidays. On Christmas Eve, lunch and dinner from the regular menu will be served. Or guests can enjoy the four-course prix-fixe menu for $95 per person.

Bludorn

The Montrose staple will be open during regular hours on Christmas Eve, as well as for brunch. Don’t miss seasonal favorite Beef Wellington elevated with rich umami infusion of wild mushrooms encased in a robust pastry crust and lit up by Perigourdine sauce. Optionally, guests can take this holiday classic to bake at home. Order the limited-edition Beef Wellington a la carte or as a full feast online for pick-up on Christmas Eve from 11am-3pm.

Etoile

Etoile

This chic French haunt in Uptown Park will offer Christmas Eve lunch from the regular menu and dinner from 5 to 9PM serving a special three-course menu ($84 per person, $34 per child 10 and under). Expect options like duck foie gras au torchon, venison medallions with braised Savoy cabbage, red wine pears, and au poivre rosé sauce, and bûche de Noël for the finale.

Hugo's

Hugo's

Guests can feast on the Cena de Noche Buena, a special Christmas Eve buffet ($52 per person, $15 per child) from 5-8pm. Optionally, there is a full holiday take-out menu available for pre-order.

Le Jardinier

Spend Christmas Eve in a beautiful setting in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The modern, French dining institution by The Bastion Collection is celebrating with a five-course dinner ($175 per person). Anticipate Scallop Crudo with heirloom beets, lime cream and Royal Kaluga caviar; AOP Gruyere Cheese Souffle with shaved black truffle and winter mushrooms; Saffron Carolina Gold Rice Risotto with halibut and clams; Red Wine Braised Chuck Beef, and a Black Forest Log cake with kirsch macerated cherry and chocolate cremeux. Make reservations via Resy or call the restaurant.

MaKiin

This luxurious Thai newcomer in the Hanover River Oaks will be open from 11am-10pm both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Rest assured that the chefs are serving a special upscale menu full of creative surprises for both occasions.

Numero28

Numero 28

On Christmas Eve, keep it casual and order a pizza for the whole family, salads, and the signature Cacio e Pepe tossed and served table-side in a pecorino cheese wheel. Open for lunch and dinner. Walk-ins are welcome; parties of 5-plus, call 713.485.5248 to reserve. Click here for menus.

Rosalie

Rosalie

Celebrate Christmas Eve with the Italian-American holiday tradition the Feast of Seven Fishes. The special menu features Insalata Di Mare with marinated scallops, mussels, squid and tuna; Spaghetti alla Chianti with crawfish and rapini; Monkfish with potato, clams, olives; and kumquat-Gianduja Torte for dessert. Dinner runs from 5-10pm ($75 per person). Reservations via Open Table.

Sorriso

Sorriso's Feast of Seven Fishes

Catch the Feast of Seven Fishes, available only on Christmas Eve in The Woodlands: a three-course, family-style dinner ($65 per adult, $22 per child ages 13 and under). Menu highlights include roasted oysters on the half shell with Meyer lemon and ciabatta breadcrumbs; fritto misto brimming with scallops, shrimp, calamari, and spicy marinara; Gulf shrimp risotto, and more. Tiramisu and strawberry panna cotta for dessert.

Wild Oats

Underbelly Hospitality’s Texas-inspired, family-friendly restaurant has arrived in Spring Branch and is welcoming guests to Christmas Eve Brunch ($40 per person) and two screenings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Screenings run at 11am and 2pm. The family-style feast includes Who Pudding (bread pudding French toast sticks), Who Hash and Roast Beast with eggs (potato hash and prime rib), plus Grinch Popcorn (Caramel popcorn with a green twist).

Food
Leadership in Action: ‘Setting Clear Goals’ Among Secrets of Success for Attorney Jess Bailey

How did you get to where you are today? A few key principles integrated into my life: setting clear goals, maintaining a growth mindset, building strong habits, and surrounding myself with the right people. Goals provided direction, while a growth mindset helped me turn challenges into opportunities for learning. Consistent habits, like disciplined work and effective communication, kept me moving forward. Being surrounded by motivated, supportive individuals has elevated my standards and kept me accountable. They’ve provided advice, encouragement, and sometimes that extra push I needed to stay on track. With these elements, I’ve been able to create a framework that helps me succeed and ensures I continue to grow and evolve.

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places

Valentino, Debbie and Rudy Festari

A STYLISH CROWD of more than 350 gathered at a River Oaks Country Club luncheon to celebrate Italian culture in Houston and take in a bright fall fashion show from Saks Fifth avenue.

Keep Reading Show less
Fashion+Home

Lady Stephanie Kimbrell, Cory McGee, and Butler Studio artists, Ani Kushyan, Alissa Goretsky and Elizabeth Hanje (photo by Michelle Watson)

ALL OF THE top performing arts organizations in Houston have now officially opened their 2024-2015 seasons, now that Houston Grand Opera has bowed with a stirring performance of Verdi’s Il trovatore at The Wortham followed by a lavish al fresco dinner in a tent on the plaza out front.The Houston Ballet and the Houston Symphony held their own grand opening night festivities earlier in the fall.

Keep Reading Show less
Art+Culture