19 Best NYC Restaurants And Bars To Celebrate Christmas In 2022

Brooklyn's interborough public transit can feel like a practice in futility (our thoughts are with you this holiday season if you live off the F train). But not everyone wants to head to Manhattan for a meal, especially on a holiday. As You Are isn't exactly a neighborhood joint, but it is located near a subway line trifecta in Boerum Hill, bordering downtown Brooklyn. The bar, restaurant, and bakery has earned kudos for its mouthwatering pastry and breakfast program, all tucked inside the newish Ace Hotel Brooklyn. We certainly took notice when the first images of glazed donuts, cinnamon rolls, and pastel de nata (otherwise known as Portuguese egg tarts) crossed our inbox. You might prefer a green smoothie, broken brown rice porridge, or avocado toast.

Despite the chains growing portfolio of "boutique" hotels, the Ace Hotel manages to speak to the neighborhood each location inhabits. As You Are manages to be a bit retro, the right amount of kitsch, and suitably homey. On Christmas Day, the restaurant will be running its brunch and dinner service, with additional specials on the evening menu. If any of that speaks to you, then we can't blame you.

Ice skating surrounded by skyscrapers isn't only found at the iconic rink in Rockefeller Center. Bryant Park Winter Village boats an even larger rink, even if the Christmas tree is much smaller. It's also free to book a time slot, if you bring your own skates, and can be reserved a week in advance. You'll also find plenty of vendors housed in thatched roofs selling global cuisine. Although retailers are less likely to be open Christmas Day, visitors can count on food shops being open from noon to 5 p.m. as a low-key way to spend the holiday. 

We found the crispy tofu banh mi at Mama's Cupboard to be fresh, flavorful, and a great value. The shop's paired-down menu also offers a truly moth-watering savory puff pastry. We can't imagine a more New York day than ice skating, hot cocoa, and boozy specialties steps from Time Square.

Pairing a visit to the iconic Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center with a steakhouse feast is a powerhouse combination for meat lovers. Fogo de Chão is open on Christmas Day for regular service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., meaning you can bring the whole family for top-quality Brazilian-style churrasco. (There's a reason 11.5% of Tasting Table readers surveyed consider this the best steakhouse chain.) Reservations are recommended, especially if you're arriving with a large party. The tri-level space also offers a lounge area if you're looking for cocktails or small bites with loved ones in a space that isn't your studio apartment or hotel room.

Prefer to enjoy your steak at home? Fogo de Chão also offers holiday packages for up to six people, compiling fire-roasted meats such as filet minion and marinated chicken breast with asparagus or sweet potato casserole, depending on which package you order. You'll need to order at least 24 hours in advance and expect to pick up your fixings no later than 10:30 am on Christmas Eve. However, the luxury of simply reheating a decadent meal on Christmas Day is a true gift of foresight.

Act while you can to secure seats at this Sichuan legend in Chinatown. Hwa Yuan restaurant on East Broadway is a celebrity hot spot that will be open on Christmas Day for its take on Chinese delicacies. Original restaurateur and chef Shorty Tang lays claim to the invention of cold sesame noodles, which are a must-order. Today, the Hwa Yuan Szechuan legacy is carried on by his son, who creates a must-try fine-dining menu that includes a spectacular Peking duck.

This is the ideal spot for a group or family members not interested in the fuss of an at-home meal. Plus, if Hwa Yuan is good enough for Martha Stewart, then it's good enough for us.

Whenever we are stumped for where to dine in the daytime, we tend to find ourselves thinking of the reliability of Jack's Wife Freda. We also often think about the satisfaction of once watching a chic couple eat in silence at the Chelsea location, each wearing dark sunglasses inside the cafe's dining room. It's a type of calm one gets from eating food that just hits and an enviable familiarity of sharing a meal with someone you love — who also has a raging hangover. If that doesn't remind you of the spirit of the holidays, don't worry. This is absolutely a place to bring your parents or three of your chosen family members regardless of their desire to imbibe.

The name Jack's Wife Freda is a nod to the co-founder's Jewish Grandma, and the menu is an elevated diner experience borrowing from Israel, South Africa, and New York's Jewish food culture. The all-day cafe has plenty of brunch-to-dinner classics designed to please booze hounds and teetotalers alike, although we highly recommend Freda's signature cocktails, including the Bloody Mary and cantaloupe mimosa. The Soho location at Lafayette and Spring streets will be open on Christmas day for reduced hours from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30-ish (the ambiguity is a gentle reminder to not keep your Bubbe waiting).

Williamsburg recently received a new culinary destination courtesy of K'Far, meaning village in Hebrew. The all-day restaurant, bar, and cafe in the Hoxton Hotel takes inspiration from Israeli cuisine by way of Tel Aviv and K'Far Saba. Guests will be able to grab a Jerusalem bagel in the morning, but you might want to stay awhile once you see the space. 

Did we mention the earthy interiors with avocado green booths, green foliage, and pale pink walls? Maybe we should add that you can enjoy pull-apart challah rolls or a cast iron savory baklava. What about a za'tar brick chicken or bone-in short rib with amba and pomegranate? K'Far is brought to you by the same team as neighborhood gem Laser Wolf so expect the same level of care in the kitchen that you'll find at its Brooklyn sibling.  

Hell's Kitchen is a Times Square-adjacent neighborhood that is a bit of an after-show destination for the Broadway set. We've overheard at least one conversation between performers that felt plucked right out of "All About Eve," all while enjoying chicken and waffles alongside a cocktail served in miniature, inflatable flamingo. In other words, you can really find yourself a good time and plenty of food options.

French stalwart Marseille will be offering a three-course prix fixe menu on Christmas weekend for $80 plus tax and gratuity, which is not a bad deal, considering it is a holiday and the cost is in line with what you might spend for a regular pre-fixe in the city. Service will run from noon to 9 p.m. and reservations are bound to be scarce — at the time of publication, we saw only outdoor tables available during some of the prime-time slots. The bouche noel sounds delightful, and the option of a whole free-range turkey stuffed with seasonal treats and foie gras with trimmings of Brussel sprouts, root vegetable purees, and cranberry chutney, makes the value jump quite a few percentage points.

The original Nom Wah Tea Parlor is tucked away on a small yet bustling restaurant row in Chinatown. Open since 1920, the New York institution first became known for its moon cakes and tea before creating its mark as a dim sum destination. It also moved next door in 1968 after losing its lease and ditched the dim sum carts. (Another location opened in Nolita in 2016.)

Despite a few changes over the last century, Nom Wah has maintained its vintage aesthetic and commitment to the classics, including a variety of pan-fried dumplings, its signature original OG egg roll, and a variety of rice rolls. Most people will say that Joe's Shanghai around the corner is the spot for xiao long bao (soup dumplings). However, we've found that Nom Wah's still might sell out of the Shanghainese specialties if you don't arrive late, so they must be doing something right. Both locations will be open on Christmas Day.

The Russian Tea Room may be well past its heyday, but if there was ever a time to visit the culinary OG, it's during the holidays. Anyone who watched Carrie from "Sex and the City" fall for the emotionally distant Russian artist might recognize the appeal of the restaurant. The whole set-up goes full meta when you realize the actor who plays Carrie's "lover" (her words, not ours) was a famous ballet dancer in real life, and it just so happens that members of the Russian Imperial Ballet founded the Tea Room in 1927.

The Old World aesthetic is completed by ruby red booths, ornate gold detailing, and white tablecloths. The Russian Tea Room will offer a four-course Christmas pre-fixe for $145 per adult and $95 per child. The menu showcases classics such as red borscht, boeuf à la stroganoff or côtelette à la Kiev. We find the space can feel celebratory and downright pampering, whether you care about pop culture or just want to dine in the same fashion as have a century of artists and intellectuals.

We've all been known to indulge a bit more than perhaps we should during the holidays. Christmas Eve is the ideal time for a bottle, or two, of lambrusco or a few too many glasses of Kir Royal. A decadent brunch at Urban Vegan Kitchen can satisfy meat eaters and vegans alike and just might cure what ails you. 

Located in the West Village and Astoria, this Black-owned business might not use animal products but you won't miss out on a flavor. Dine on chili cashew cheese fries, mushroom penne with vodka sauce, and southern fried seitan for chick-un and waffles. Open all day, you can also mosey over whenever your energy levels can make the journey.