Outside of Chinatown, Christmas is usually a pretty quiet day in the restaurant world. But a handful of Philadelphia restaurants and bars, especially venues in hotels, are serving Christmas brunch and dinner this year. Whether you‘re planning to take the family out to eat after opening presents or you don’t celebrate the holiday and just want a meal out, here’s where to go on December 25th.
Aimee Olexy and Stephen Starr’s The Love, located off Rittenhouse Square at 130 S. 18th Street, will be open on Christmas with several of their popular entrées on the menu and more seasonal options (such as their winter root vegetables paired with red curry sing in their seared salmon and sticky rice).
Also in the Starr group, Talula’s Garden in Washington Square (210 West Washington Square) will be opened with their regular menu — one that features contemporary New American cuisine (such as roasted chicken and gnocchi, black angus sliced strip steak, and Kennett Square mushroom soup). Parc (227 S 18th St) and Buddakan (325 Chestnut St) will also be opened as well.
For steak lovers, Steak 48 (260 S Broad Street), Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse (1432 Chestnut Street), Del Frisco’s Grille (225 S Broad Street), Chima (1901 John F Kennedy Blvd), Urban Farmer (1850 Benjamin Franklin Parkway), and The Prime Rib at Live! Casino (900 Packer Avenue) are open as well.
Seafood is also available for those wanting tasty oysters, shrimp, crab cakes, and impressive towers — be sure to check out Devon’s Seafood Grille (225 S 18th Street), McCormick & Schmick’s (1 S Broad Street), and Chart House (555 S Christopher Columbus Blvd).
The famed Christmas tasting menu at Jean-Georges at the luxurious Four Seasons (1 N 19th Street) is a show-stopper. The $245 price tag feels justified when the menu includes a five-course omnivore tasting menu that features mozzarella ravioli with white truffles, steamed black sea bass with delicata squash and a pumpkin seed gremolata relish, and roasted duck a l’orange with rutabaga. Book a reservation between 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Pasta is a good idea on any holiday. Italian BYOBs La Fontana Della Citta (1701 Spruce Street), Osteria Ama (1905 Chestnut Street), La Viola (253 S 16th Street), and La Viola Bistro (253 S 16th Street) will serve its regular menu as well as some specials.
Avoid the Chinatown crowds by crossing the Schuylkill for flaming cocktails, noodle bowls, and spring rolls at Vietnam Café (816 S 47th Street) or head south for The Prime Rib at Philadelphia Live! (900 Packer Avenue).
Craving spicy Sichuan dishes? All Han Dynasty locations, including Old City and University City, will be open on Christmas — according to owner Han Chiang, it’s their busiest day of the year. DanDan (in Rittenhouse and Wayne) is also open all day to satisfy noodle cravings.
For sushi lovers, check out Fuji Mountain Japanese Restaurant (2030 Chestnut Street) and Gyu-Kaku (1901 Callowhill Street). Indian cuisine hotspot Thanal Indian Tavern (1939 Arch Street), Thai favorite Jasmine Rice (306 S 16th Street) and kid-friendly Hard Rock Cafe (1113 Market Street) are all open on Christmas Day as well.
Anyone around Lancaster can appreciate Plough’s Christmas Day buffet (25 S Queen Street) that’s $65 per person ($20 for kids 12 and under). Diners can take advantage of a full spread that includes glazed ham, prime rib, crispy Brussels sprouts, green beans, sweet potato casserole, roasted baby potatoes, with dessert and more. For those in the suburbs, stop by Revolution Chop House at Valley Forge Casino Resort for an elegant Christmas dinner that includes a rich lobster bisque, the choice of a braised lamb shank with creamy herb polenta and rosemary mushroom demi-glace or the seven fishes seafood risotto with lobster, halibut, shrimp, and more in a saffron fumet.
For those traveling to Atlantic City during the holidays, standouts Council Oak Steaks & Seafood (1000 Boardwalk), Kuro (1000 Boardwalk), II Mulino (1000 Boardwalk), and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (1000 Boardwalk) are open on December 25th.
