If you’re looking to relax next week and enjoy a delicious meal without all the hard work and preparations of making it yourself, we bring you a few suggestions of where to dine in NYC on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

For fine dining, Restaurant Yuu, which was awarded one Michelin star within 6 months of opening will offer a special Christmas Eve  and Christmas Day tasting menu. Chef Yuu will showcase the finest seasonal ingredients in a special 13 course menu featuring   Wagyu Fillet and Caviar. 
Optional wine and tea pairings to the tasting menu are also available.

Executive Chef/Owner Yuu Shimano is a dedicated and creative force who consistently showcases seasonal produce and proteins at the height of their seasonality. He presents them artistically through inventive French plates and Japanese aesthetics, using the lens of his vast fine-dining experience.

Seating times are at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., with 20 guests at each. Reservations are available on Tock.

Restaurant Yuu also offers Stollen (traditional German Christmas bread) and Christmas Cakes by Executive Pastry Chef Masaki Takahashi, including Amaou Strawberry cake and Mont Blanc Cake with Japanese chestnuts.
Stollen, available to pre-order via Tock here, can be picked up Tuesday–Saturday, 12 PM–8 PM at Restaurant Yuuthrough December 25^th.

Cakes can be pre-ordered using the order form here and will be available for pick-up at MOGMOG LIC on December 24th after 11 a.m.

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For diners in town for the Rockettes, the hottest Broadway show, Bryant Park’s Winter Village, or any of the other holiday sights  Midtown Manhattan offers, Heritage Grand Bakery, Restaurant & Pizza Bar is an ideal and flavorful dining respite.

From Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day, Heritage will offer a special holiday prix fixe menu, priced at $65. The menu includes a glass of wine, an appetizer choice of butternut squash soup or fall green salad, a classic holiday spread including roasted turkey breast medallions with gravy, mashed potatoes, orange-cranberry sauce, and crispy Brussels sprouts, and a slice of pumpkin, pecan, or apple crumble pie served with vanilla Schlag.

Adjacent to the restaurant, Heritage Grand Bakery offers pre-order pies for home entertainment or as a host gift, including:

• Apple Crumble Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Pecan Pie

Hours of Operation for the holidays:

Bakery

Weekdays 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Weekends 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Restaurant

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: 11 a.m. – midnight

New Year’s Eve: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

New Year’s Day: 11 a.m. – midnight

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Blu on the Hudson is offering a number of seafood-focused holiday menu specials.
This Christmas, Executive Chef Juan Carlos “JC” Ortega will serve a three-course prix fixe menu, which includes his signature-style seafood-focused American-Mediterranean cuisine as well as special holiday dishes, including entrees like Dover Sole and Spicy Lobster Spaghetti, which can be paired with a Kaluga Caviar & Whipped Potato Dip and finished with seasonal deserts like an Eggnog Panna Cotta and a Bouche De Noel.

The three-course prix fixe menu will be available on Christmas Eve for $74 and on Christmas Day for $85 (excluding tax and gratuity).
Diners can choose also to order a-la-carte from a large selection offering including sushi rolls, pasta, large-format steaks, and more.

Sommelier Adam Greer’s extensive wine menu featureslesser-known wines for a great value alongside legacy producers. It includes a robust selection of wines by the glass, as well as a reserve list displayed in the restaurant’s wine wall. Also available are several beautifully crafted cocktails.

Blu on the Hudson is just a scenic six-minute ferry ride from Manhattan in picturesque Weehawken, New Jersey and offers stunning views of the Skyline and Hudson River, making it a perfect escape from the holiday hustle and bustle in the city.

Blu on the Hudson will be open on Christmas Eve from 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm and on Christmas Day from 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Reservations, which will fill up quickly, are now being accepted via OpenTable.

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Vallarta Tropical is the just opened Mexican Tiki Bar and Restaurant that brings together the laid-back spirit of Puerto Vallarta with the festive vibe of the 1950s pop Tiki bar scene in Mexico.

Vallarta Tropical’s menu is inspired by the coastal food culture of Puerto Vallarta, featuring fresh seafood, bold spices, and traditional techniques, as well as original presentations.

Seafood highlights include:

• Aguachile De Mango, Shrimp, Mango, Citrus Sauce, Chile De Arbol, Cucumber
• Seabass A La Jardinera, Pan Roasted Seabass, Cauliflower Mousse, Haricot Vert, Carrot
• Enchiladas De Crabmeat, Pan Roasted Crabmeat, Oaxaca Cheese, Potato, Pepper, Chipotle Sauce, Crema

Cocktails lean into ancestral ingredients from the Indigenous Mayans and Aztecs and their ways of fermenting fruit like pineapple, papaya, and apples to enhance the sweetness and flavor of the cocktails. The drinks will be served in Tiki-style cups and original ceramic cups made in Mexico specifically for Vallarta.

Vallarta Tropical will be open from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve but will be closed Christmas Day.
Reservations can be made on their website here.

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For diners who might be looking for a non-traditional Christmas dining experience, Hortus NYC’s Korean-focused menu offers refined  Asian cuisine in a relaxed, casual environment. Hortus, meaning “garden” in Latin, reflects the emphasis on freshness, and the garden’s theme runs throughout the interior.

On Christmas, Hortus NYC will offer a special 5-course prix fixe menu for the holiday. For $85, diners will receive: The Small Royal Platter to start; a choice of two small plates which include options such as Salmon Crudo and Korean Smoked Pasta; one entrée which includes a Christmas platter with Wagyu, King Crab & Grilled Lobster; finish with a slice of Sweet Potato Cheesecake. Add on wine pairing for $40/per person.

Hortus NYC will be open regular hours and serving their special holiday menu on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Reservations can be made on Resy and OpenTable.