The holidays are speedily approaching! While you’re likely still reeling from the stress of Thanksgiving festivities, take the upcoming season off from cooking and leave it to Washington, DC’s numerous luxe restaurants. We’ve rounded up the absolute best restaurants for dining out this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and will continue to update this list as the holiday approaches.
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12567 Lee Hwy, Washington, VA / Website
Venture outside the city to Washington, Virginia to gift your crew with a Christmas Eve dinner they won’t soon forget. Blue Rock will host a multi-course dinner with wine pairings for each seasonally-inspired course. With stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a cozy fireplace-adorned interior, it’s sure to be an inspiring night. Dinner is priced at $250 per person. Reservations can be made here.
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900 F Street NW / Website
Celebrate the holidays in one of the city’s chicest locales with Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas Day brunch. For Christmas Eve, enjoy a prix fixe menu with hits like beef tartare, herb-crusted roast beef, sea bass, a variety of sides, and your choice of holiday desserts, all of which can be paired with the restaurant’s typically enviable selection of wines and cocktails. For Christmas Day, indulge in a feast of classic brunch dishes and bottomless mimosas. All items are available a la carte. Dinner is priced at $90 per person. Reservations for brunch or dinner can be placed here.
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580 Water Street SW / Website
Treat your crew to a Christmas Eve dinner cruise on the Potomac River. Enjoy the sights of the city as you dine on a holiday-themed three-course menu complete with an open bar and live DJ sets. Tickets start at $137.90 per person. Reservations can be made here. Not in the mood for dinner? There’s also a Christmas Eve brunch option.
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1050 31st Street NW / Website
Visit CUT by Wolfgang Puck at the Rosewood Hotel for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. While the menu is still to be announced, it is sure to feature CUT’s classically fabulous fixings. Dinners are priced at $185 per person. Reservations can be made here. The menu will also be available for pick-up for $325, orders can be placed here.
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900 New York Avenue NW / Website
Allow Estuary to host all of your Christmas-week festivities. From Thursday, Dec. 22 to Saturday, Dec. 24, take part in the Italian tradition of the feast of the seven fishes. The multi-course meal will feature roasted oysters with marinated trout roe, crab rangoon gougeres, smoked fish dip with grilled bread, mussels, Bouillabaise, and a whole fried fish. The meal is priced at $100 per person. Reservations can be made here.
On Christmas Day, indulge in a luxurious two-course menu, including a curated snack board for the table and a full dessert buffet, with caviar service and seafood towers as optional add-ons. The special will be available from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is priced at $90 per person. Reservations can be made here.
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1401 Okie Street NE / Website
Enjoy a lavish five-course dinner at Gravitas for Christmas Eve this year. Menu highlights will include buttered spinach, foie gras, lobster emulsion, and Wagyu steak with mashed potatoes and red wine sauce, to name a few. Or, pre-order your dine-in meal to snag dishes like bone-in prime rib with Yorkshire pudding and dauphinoise potatoes, or chestnut veloute with spiced date cake and foie gras snow. Dinner is priced at $165 per person. Reservations can be made here.
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925 13th Street NW / Website
Head to Planet Word to indulge in Immigrant Food+’s Christmas Eve brunch. Nosh on specials like the Milanesa holiday sandwich, Turkish eggs and Irish churros. Reservations can be made here.
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1731 New Hampshire Avenue NW / Website
Visit Lyle’s for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dining. The classic Dupont Circle spot will serve a three-course prix fixe menu on both days, with menu highlights including salmon ravioli, glazed ham, and butternut squash soup, among others. Reservations can be made here.
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1201 K Street NW / Website
Let Michele’s handle your whole holiday weekend. The tasty Eaton Hotel restaurant will host holiday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, as well as dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Christmas Day, the restaurant will serve brunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with special holiday dishes. Reservations can be made here.
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801 Wharf Street SW / Website
Celebrate the season with a Vietnamese-inspired feast, available all day on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The special menu features char siu whole smoked brisket with ginger scallion rice and umami butter, spinach and artichoke dip, and roasted miso parmesan potatoes, among others. For dessert, indulge in a five-spiced chocolate cake with Vietnamese coffee ganache. The menu will also be available for take-out and orders can be placed here. Reservations to dine in the restaurant can be made here.
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1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW / Website
Head to The Willard for a lavish, family-friendly Christmas Day brunch. The menu will feature bottomless brunch cocktails, a fruit platter, charcuterie and cheese displays, slow-roasted prime rib, and a loaded buffet of sweets and baked goods. Special for kids, there will be a menu of kid-loved staples like chicken fingers, mini-cheeseburgers and fresh fruit. The meal is priced at $140 per adult and $60 per child aged five to 12 years old. Reservations can be made here.
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700 K Street NW / Website
Visit Truluck’s for Christmas Eve dinner to indulge in a tasty seafood meal. The restaurant’s regular menu will be available with the addition of holiday nog and peppermint chocolate cake. Reservations can be made here.
Looking for more luxe stops in the city? Check out our picks for The 7 Best Restaurants You Should Try In Dupont Circle.
Photography by: alvarez / Getty Images
