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Don't feel like cooking? Procrastinator's Guide to Christmas Eve and ChristmasDay dining out

Not in the mood to spend hours in the kitchen this holiday season? Or maybe, like me, you lack in the culinary skills department. Leave the cooking to the experts: We have your guide to dining out on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day.

Enjoy the cuisine at these local restaurants (and if you have suggestions for others, add to the comments section below):

CHRISTMAS EVE

Hotels

Bistro Alex located inside Hotel Sorella at CityCentre will be open for dinner from 6 to 9 p.m.
From 5 to 9 p.m., join Hotel Icon for an evening of holiday music and movies plus complimentary Christmas Eve treats from Line & Lariat like handmade tamales, eggnog and wassail. Line & Lariat will keep its regular hours: 6:30 to 11 a.m. for breakfast, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, and 5:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner.
The Restaurant at the Royal Sonesta Hotel will feature a special, four-course prix-fixe menu for $70 in addition to regular a la carte offerings. Christmas Eve hours are 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Complimentary valet with dining validation.
Christmas Eve dinner at The Remington Restaurant at The St. Regis Hotel includes live music and a three-course meal for $65 per person. Seating is from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Quattro Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston will have a three-course, prix-fixe Christmas Dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. The price is $58 per person and $29 for children ages 12 and under.
The restaurants at the San Luis Resort will be open on Christmas Eve. The hours for The Steakhouse are 6 to 10:00 p.m. The Cafe will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Notable hotel restaurants fully booked: Reservations are full for Christmas Eve at both at The Olivette and The Manor House at the Houstonian Hotel.

Restaurants

Nosh Bistro, open from 5 to 10 p.m., will be offering a four-course meal of South and East Asian fare for $65 per person.
Étoile Cuisine et Bar will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. and will have a 3-course prix-fixe menu for $56 per person. A children's menu will be available for $25.
Frank's Americana Revival will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For dinner, select from the regular menu or choose the dinner-for-two option at $80 per person.
Philippe Restaurant + Lounge will be open for dinner service only, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and will feature a special Christmas Eve Menu.
RA Sushi will be offering all day happy hour prices on December 24th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mockingbird Bistro will be open Christmas Eve for lunch and for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. offering a three-course menu for $65 per person, $95 per person with Sommelier’s wine pairing & $28 for children, all plus tax & gratuity.
Backstreet Cafe offers a three-course Christmas Eve dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. with complimentary amuse bouche, $48 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuity, Complimentary eggnog and live music by Bob Chadwick.
Hugo’s Buffet de Noche Buena ~ Christmas Eve Buffet with live music by Viento. Cost is $39 per person & $12 per child plus beverages, tax and gratuity
TQLA on Washington Avenue will be open for lunch and dinner service from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m
Straits Asian Bistro in CityCentre will be open for lunch service only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Grotto near the Galleria will be open for business from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.\
Morton’s The Steakhouse will serve lunch and dinner and will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Arturo's Uptown Italiano will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. The regular menu plus nightly specials will be available.
Celebrating 30 years in 2013, Damian's Cucina Italiana will be open and serving a full menu. Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner is from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Kenny & Ziggy’s will be open on Christmas Eve until 8 p.m.
Prego will be open on Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Hotels

Bistro Alex at Hotel Sorella will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to a la carte options, Bistro Alex will serve a holiday, three-course prix-fixe menu for $32.
Line & Lariat inside Hotel Icon will be offering a Christmas Day Buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $42.50 per person, $15 for children. Kids 5 years and under eat for free.
The Restaurant at Royal Sonesta Hotel will feature a special, four-course prix-fixe menu for $70, in addition to regular a la carte menu items. The Restaurant will keep its normal hours of 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Dine at Monarch Bistro at Hotel ZaZa from 11 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monarch will offer a four-course holiday menu for $55 per person.
The Remington Restaurant at The St. Regis Hotel will be Christmas Day and serving fare a la carte from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
For $58 per person and $29 for children 12 and under, Quattro Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel will have a three-course, prix-fixe available from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Christmas Day Brunch at The Café at the Hilton Americas is from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Adults are $34.95 per person and kids ages 7 to 12 years are $14.95. Kids under six are free. The three-course, prix-fixe Christmas dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m. for $32.95 per person.
The Cafe at The San Luis Resort will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Notable hotel restaurants fully booked: Reservations are full on Christmas Day at both at The Olivette and The Manor House at the Houstonian Hotel. Christmas Day Brunch at Quattro Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel is also full.

Restaurants

Christmas Day brunch at Kiran's near Highland Village, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., order the prix-fixe meal for $45 per guest. $19.95 for children.
In addition to the regular menu, 024 Grille at the Westin Memorial City will have a prime rib dinner for $39 per person.
The hours at The Tasting Room Uptown Park are noon to 10 p.m. and the Christmas Day Buffet will be available from 2 to 7 p.m. $29.99 per person, $7.99 for children 12 and under.
RA Sushi will be offering happy hour prices from 6 p.m. to midnight. Appetizer, sushi and drink selections range from $2.25 to $7.25.
All Luby's Cafeteria locations are open until 5 p.m. and offer a prime rib special for $12.99 per person and a holiday entree special for $10.99 per person.
McCormick & Schmick’s will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Saltgrass Steakhouse will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The doors will be open at Harlow’s from 2 to 9:00 p.m.

PICK UP/ TAKE IT TO GO

Restaurants

From now through Dec. 29, Philippe Restaurant + Lounge will sell their Christmas Log desserts, a mousse of dark chocolate and caramel milk chocolate layered with vanilla crème brulee and gingerbread sponge cake (good for 4 people) for $40. They'll also be selling dark chocolate truffles (10 pieces) for $20.
Get 'em while they're hot. Molina's Cantina's 100% pork butt tamales are available for $10.95 per dozen.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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