Wondering where to feast this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? There's a full weekend of dining opportunities and, if you're like us, you might have waited until the last minute to make reservations. We’ve got you covered with our guide to dining out in Houston this holiday, including eight hotspots offering special prix fixe menus on December 24, and five restaurants with stellar eats open on December 25. For details, read on.
Christmas Eve
Ritual
At casual Heights neighborhood eatery Ritual, the three-course Christmas Eve dinner features alluring dishes like maple winter squash bisque, boudin-stuffed pork chop (with Creole mustard reduction, Cajun spiced sweet potato, and broccolini), and duck breast (with smoked mushrooms, snow peas, baby bok choy, and toasted sesame-chestnut puree).
Price: $65 per person.
Hours: 5 pm-9 pm.
Triniti Restaurant
The creative, super-delicious fare at Triniti attracts locals and out-of-towners alike, including first lady Michelle Obama. Here, the special four-course holiday menu showcases dishes including celery root and apple soup (with beets and bacon), orange glazed duck (with confit dumpling, green beans and almonds), and sea bass (with roasted green olives and ratatouille). For dessert, choose from cookies and milk, eggnog pot de crème, or yule log with marshmallows.
Price: $75 per person.
Hours: 5 pm-8:30 pm.
Prohibition Supperclub & Bar
At downtown’s Prohibition Supperclub & Bar, dine on delectable eats while partaking in the burlesque musical, Tales of a Hard Nut, a sexy spin on the holiday staple The Nutcracker. For dinner, guests will have the choice of one starter, one entree and one dessert such as smoked chicken and andouille gumbo, short ribs (with bordelaise sauce, roasted carrots, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes), butternut orecchiette, and chocolate cheesecake.
Price: Show tickets range from $29 to $75 per person; the three-course, prix-fixe dinner is an additional $45 per person.
Hours: Dinner/show seatings are at 6 pm and 8:30 pm.
Sud Italia
Dig into extravagant offerings, from octopus carpaccio and mussels in white wine reduction to linguini (with clams in olive oil and garlic) and to freshwater trout (with fingerling potatoes and limoncello sauce) at Sud Italia, located in Rice Village.
Price: $49.50 per person.
Hours: 5 pm-10 pm.
Le Mistral
The elegant French restaurant Le Mistral in the Energy Corridor will serve four-courses of fabulous items like a mini Maine lobster roll on butter brioche, chestnut veloute soup (with duck confit and hazelnut whipped cream), and roasted black cod filet (with champagne sauce and potato crisp). As if that wasn’t enough to get our attention, there’s also a decadent prime beef chateaubriand served with truffle bordelaise sauce and wild mushrooms.
Price: $90 per person.
Hours: 5 pm-11 pm.
Bistro Provence
Dine French-style at Bistro Provence, which will bring a three-course menu to the table on Christmas Eve. Starters include onion soup and caramelized scallops (with pomegranate sauce), while second-course items range from wild red snapper (with saffron sauce and vegetable gratin) to herb-mustard crusted rack of lamb (with crème fraîch potatoes). Save room for a chocolate mousse dessert.
Price: $60 per person, with a $30 deposit via Paypal required in advance.
Hours: Reservations are available between 6 pm-6:30 pm for the first seating, and between 8 pm-8:30 pm for the second seating.
Radio Milano
Spend the holiday at CityCentre’s Radio Milano, where they're plating up a four-course Italian menu. Along with main course options like oven-roasted quail (with wild seasonal mushrooms, a potato cake and cippolini onions) and porchetta pork roast (with chestnut spread, apple glaze, and caramelized chestnuts), choose from wild winter mushroom soup (with black truffles and parmesan froth), apple tart (with apple brandy ice cream and caramel sauce) and more.
Price: $75 per person; optional wine pairing is available for an additional $45 per person.
Hours: 5 pm-9 pm.
Etoile Cuisine et Bar
Duck foie gras (with dry fruit on toasted brioche), roasted duck breast (with mushrooms and a potato cake), John Dory fish (with brown butter, roasted marble potatoes, cauliflower, broccolini, and tomato confit), and milk chocolate Christmas log are all selections on the Christmas Eve menu at Etoile Cuisine et Bar, where chef Philippe Verpiand adds his own modern spin to authentic French/Mediterranean cuisine.
Price: $65 per person.
Hours: Reservations still available for 5 pm (only).
Christmas Day
Morton's The Steakhouse
Morton's The Steakhouse scores points for extra-deliciousness with its holiday special of a 6-oz. filet mignon and 6-oz. lobster tail. You can also order from the regular menu of meaty offerings at the classic American chophouse.
Price: $55 per person.
Hours: 4 pm-9 pm.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
It’s ships ahoy at Galleria restaurant The Oceanaire, which boasts a dining room decked out to resemble an ocean liner. Load up on seafood offerings on Christmas Day, from jumbo shrimp scampi to pan-seared Dover sole.
Price: A la carte.
Hours: 2 pm-8 pm.
Red Lion Pub
The traditional turkey meal at the cozy British pub Red Lion arrives with sides of sage and onion stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, peas, and gravy. Pair it with a pint or a whiskey from the bar.
Price: $24 per person.
Hours: 11 am-2 am.
Fogo de Chao
A carnivores dream, choose from 16 skewered meat options (think rib-eye, leg of lamb, and pork loin) at Fogo de Chao. The Brazilian chain will also serve Christmas-Day-only selections like seasonal beef roast and sweet potato casserole.
Price: A la carte.
Hours: 12 pm-9 pm.
Quattro
Quattro Restaurant, located at the Four Season Hotel Houston, cranks out a killer contemporary Italian buffet this holiday. The expansive list of over 60 items features roast turkey, mesquite smoked prime rib, roasted lamb, and much more. Featured sips include Bottomless Bloody Marys, mimosas, and house red and white wine.
Price: $95 per adult and $42 per child, ages 5-12.
Hours: 11 am- 7 pm.
At downtown’s Prohibition Supperclub & Bar, dine on delectable eats while partaking in burlesque musical.
Evan LeRoy is coming to Houston this weekend. Photo by Briana Balducci