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Holiday lights at Celebration in the Oaks

Where to Eat on Christmas in New Orleans

by Gwendolyn Knapp Dec 8, 2016, 12:00pm CST

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Holiday lights at Celebration in the Oaks

| Brasted

by Gwendolyn Knapp Dec 8, 2016, 12:00pm CST

Sometimes all you want for Christmas is someone else doing the cooking. In New Orleans, there are a number of restaurants that will be open on December 25, Christmas day, for just this purpose. There's a little something all over town, including casual neighborhood spots, destination restaurants, a slew of Besh Group hotspots, and reliable eateries for Chinese and Indian food, as well as sushi. Eater Nola recommends you call ahead to make reservations for all of these restaurants, despite the number of people in your party.

Also, if you need help with your holiday baking and cooking, here are some handy holiday take-out options:

Willa Jean has online ordering for everything from sides to pie. Pick up available on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.
Gracious Bakery is selling breads for the table, cakes, pies, and more pastries.Orders accepted until December 21 at 3 p.m. with Christmas Eve pick up or free delivery if you spend over $100.
Deanie's Seafood has a ton of catering items including everything from fried turkeys to seafood gumbo to homemade cheesecake. Christmas orders must be placed by December 22 at noon and picked up Christmas Eve between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Don't see a great spot that's open on Christmas Day? Leave a comment or send a tip and let Eater NOLA know all about it. Please note: These restaurants are arranged by neighborhood, not by ranking.

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Compère Lapin

Chef Nina Compton's flavorful Christmas Day prix fixe is unlike anything else in town, with choices of blood sausage or crudo for starters, and a family-style main course meal including porcetta with crispy rice and beans, oyster dressing and more... seatings available from 1 to 8 p.m.

535 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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The Caribbean Room

For those in search of a luxurious dining affair, this Besh Group destination restaurant in the LGD will rock a five-course Reveillon menu on Christmas Day from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. with foie gras, lamb chops, oyster bisque and more.

2031 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Chiba

Seating from 4 to 10 p.m., this is one of the busiest days of the year for Oak Street's sushi hub, so do make a reservation, even if its just for two. It's normally not even open on Sundays, so that's how much this restaurant loves its Christmas Day tradition.

8312 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118

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Also featured in:

16 Standout Sushi Spots in and Around New Orleans

Nirvana Indian Cuisine

Get your curry on at this Uptown fave, run by the Keswani family (also of Taj Mahal fame), a go-to for casual Indian cuisine that's open for dinner on Christmas.

Open in Google Maps

4308 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

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Jung's Golden Dragon II

Magazine Street's Chinese food stalwart— known for its secret "Chinese menu" including items like jellyfish— will be open for normal hours, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Christmas Day. Reservations are suggested for larger groups.

3009 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

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Also featured in:

Restaurant R'evolution

For fine dining enthusiasts, this Quarter stunner is serving from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. Chef Jana Billiot's four-course Reveillon menu features classic turtle soup or seafood gumbo, and entree choices of short ribs or Gulf Fish with Lobster Nage.

Open in Google Maps

777 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Tujague's Restaurant

A holiday tradition for many locals, this French Quarter landmark serves up a prix fixe with loads of revelry and regulars from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with four-courses including choices of grilled redfish, filet mignon and more.

823 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

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Also featured in:

Shaya

Uptown Israeli powerhouse Shaya will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. with a family-style Hannukah menu ($55/person) including four-courses of potato latkes, slow roasted turkey and more from chef Alon Shaya.

Open in Google Maps

4213 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Morton's The Steakhouse

For the steak lover, head to this opulent Quarter steakhouse, serving its decadent menu including filet, crab cakes and lobster, from 1 to 9 p.m.

365 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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Domenica

Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for laid-back fine dining on Christmas day, along with a four-course Reveillon menu with highlights including a black olive-rubbed snapper preparation and dessert of pear and ricotta hand pies.

123 Baronne St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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Lüke

This CBD gem is serving from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. with a Reveillon menu and a limited a la carte Christmas menu with some of their classic dishes like Flammenkuchen (Alsatian flatbread), buttermilk fried quail, and moules et frites.

333 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Borgne

At this Besh Group seafood and Cajun fave in the CBD, chef Brian Landry cooks up a special four-course Christmas Day menu (to be announced this week).

601 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

Visit Website

Café Adelaide & the Swizzle Stick Bar

Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 10 a.m. and Christmas dinner will be available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. including a fairly extensive menu with a la carte items— shrimp and tasso corndogs, filet, stuffed redfish— as well as a hearty three-course prix fixe.

Open in Google Maps

300 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Willa Jean

Start your Christmas Day off with coffee and pastries at the front counter from 7 to 11 a.m., where you will also find your pre-ordered holiday items (including glorious pies, sides, and even baked goods from Chasing Wang cake studio) ready for pick up.

611 Okeefe Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Avenue Pub

The Avenue Pub is 24/7/365 so it stands to reason that it's open on Christmas. But owner Polly Watts decided to let the Pub's clientele in on her family's own tradition of Christmas Day Chinese food and Doctor Who. Asian-vegan popup Midnight Noodle will be on hand with five dishes sold a la carte, and the kitchen will also be serving its regular menu. The annual Doctor Who Christmas special will air on the televisions in the upstairs bar starting at 7pm.

1732 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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Compère Lapin

535 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Chef Nina Compton's flavorful Christmas Day prix fixe is unlike anything else in town, with choices of blood sausage or crudo for starters, and a family-style main course meal including porcetta with crispy rice and beans, oyster dressing and more... seatings available from 1 to 8 p.m.

535 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

The Caribbean Room

2031 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

For those in search of a luxurious dining affair, this Besh Group destination restaurant in the LGD will rock a five-course Reveillon menu on Christmas Day from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. with foie gras, lamb chops, oyster bisque and more.

2031 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Chiba

8312 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Seating from 4 to 10 p.m., this is one of the busiest days of the year for Oak Street's sushi hub, so do make a reservation, even if its just for two. It's normally not even open on Sundays, so that's how much this restaurant loves its Christmas Day tradition.

8312 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Nirvana Indian Cuisine

4308 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Get your curry on at this Uptown fave, run by the Keswani family (also of Taj Mahal fame), a go-to for casual Indian cuisine that's open for dinner on Christmas.

Open in Google Maps

4308 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Jung's Golden Dragon II

3009 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Magazine Street's Chinese food stalwart— known for its secret "Chinese menu" including items like jellyfish— will be open for normal hours, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Christmas Day. Reservations are suggested for larger groups.

3009 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Restaurant R'evolution

777 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

For fine dining enthusiasts, this Quarter stunner is serving from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. Chef Jana Billiot's four-course Reveillon menu features classic turtle soup or seafood gumbo, and entree choices of short ribs or Gulf Fish with Lobster Nage.

Open in Google Maps

777 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Tujague's Restaurant

823 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

A holiday tradition for many locals, this French Quarter landmark serves up a prix fixe with loads of revelry and regulars from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with four-courses including choices of grilled redfish, filet mignon and more.

823 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Visit Website

Shaya

4213 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Uptown Israeli powerhouse Shaya will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. with a family-style Hannukah menu ($55/person) including four-courses of potato latkes, slow roasted turkey and more from chef Alon Shaya.

Open in Google Maps

4213 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Morton's The Steakhouse

365 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

For the steak lover, head to this opulent Quarter steakhouse, serving its decadent menu including filet, crab cakes and lobster, from 1 to 9 p.m.

365 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Domenica

123 Baronne St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for laid-back fine dining on Christmas day, along with a four-course Reveillon menu with highlights including a black olive-rubbed snapper preparation and dessert of pear and ricotta hand pies.

123 Baronne St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Visit Website

Lüke

333 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

This CBD gem is serving from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. with a Reveillon menu and a limited a la carte Christmas menu with some of their classic dishes like Flammenkuchen (Alsatian flatbread), buttermilk fried quail, and moules et frites.

333 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Borgne

601 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

At this Besh Group seafood and Cajun fave in the CBD, chef Brian Landry cooks up a special four-course Christmas Day menu (to be announced this week).

601 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

Visit Website

Café Adelaide & the Swizzle Stick Bar

300 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 10 a.m. and Christmas dinner will be available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. including a fairly extensive menu with a la carte items— shrimp and tasso corndogs, filet, stuffed redfish— as well as a hearty three-course prix fixe.

Open in Google Maps

300 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Willa Jean

611 Okeefe Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

Start your Christmas Day off with coffee and pastries at the front counter from 7 to 11 a.m., where you will also find your pre-ordered holiday items (including glorious pies, sides, and even baked goods from Chasing Wang cake studio) ready for pick up.

611 Okeefe Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113

Visit Website

Avenue Pub

1732 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

The Avenue Pub is 24/7/365 so it stands to reason that it's open on Christmas. But owner Polly Watts decided to let the Pub's clientele in on her family's own tradition of Christmas Day Chinese food and Doctor Who. Asian-vegan popup Midnight Noodle will be on hand with five dishes sold a la carte, and the kitchen will also be serving its regular menu. The annual Doctor Who Christmas special will air on the televisions in the upstairs bar starting at 7pm.

1732 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

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