The festivities have been here, and I could imagine how pretty your sparkling holiday lights and loaded Christmas tree look at home. However, if you’re looking to dress up and go out for an unforgettable Christmas Eve dinner in Chicago, this list is for you. May it be a family gathering or romantic date, you’ll find the coziest, most elegant, most innovative, or most intimate dining experiences in this list.
Tanta
118 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60654
There is no better way to celebrate the holidays than with great company and unmatched cuisine! Tanta is offering Chicago the gift of a specially curated menu, featuring dishes specific to the holiday, such as whole branzino, braised veal shank, and more! Tanta’s full regular dinner menu will be available as well.
Check out the Christmas specials yourself, and book your reservation today via OpenTable.
Tzuco
720 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654
Dive into the magic of Christmas with award-winning Chef Carlos Gaytán at Tzuco. He and his team are pleased to provide a warm and celebratory oasis. In addition to Tzuco’s full a la carte menu offerings, guests can also a special menu created for Christmas Eve. The menu includes Tostada with bacalao, avocado mousse, and radishes; a soulful Beef Wellington featuring filet mignon with roasted poblano duxelles, puff pastry, black truffle sauce, and broccolini; and Snowman, a seasonal dessert made with tangerine mousse, cardamom, yogurt streusel, white chocolate, and rosemary ice cream.
Mercat a la Planxa
638 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
This holiday, stay out of the kitchen and savor the flavors of Spain at the popular Catalan-inspired tapas spot in the South Loop as Executive Chef Gee Cuyugan presents a special Christmas dinner menu from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. to accompany the restaurant’s array of elevated street-food styles starters and grilled specialties. Available to order a la carte, holiday offerings include:
- Roasted butternut squash and cranberry salad, arugula, spiced pepitas, cabra, apple cider thyme vinaigrette ($22)
Braised Wagyu veal cheeks, parsnip puree, brussels sprouts, Pedro Jimenez sherry jus ($38)
Lemon and herb stuffed lubina, escalivada, artichokes, olives, salsa verde ($42)
Lobster croquettes, tarragon citrus aioli, saffron ($24)
Aboyer
64 Green Bay Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093
Lachowicz’s classic French bistro pushes the boundaries of classic cuisine, reconfiguring classic dishes while staying firmly planted in classic method and technique.
Aboyer will be serving Christmas Eve dinner and will offer an incredible three-course menu with highlights including Lobster Raviolo with broken citrus vinaigrette and sautéed prawns; Mushroom Stuffed Breast of Hen with duck fat potatoes and morel mushroom sauce; Lobster and Crab Filled Dover Sole Roulade with saffron potatoes and lobster fondue; and Grand Marnier Crème Brulée, with ginger snaps. The Christmas Eve dinner will be available from 4:00pm to 8:00pm for $105/person (tax + gratuity not included).
Gioia
1133 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
This year, Chef Federico Comacchio of Gioia Ristorante e Pastificio in the West Loop has prepared a special Christmas Eve ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’ menu. Guests can experience the joy and deliciousness by ordering any of the specially prepared seafood dishes like Octopus Carpaccio, Tagliatelle with green and white asparagus and lobster sauce, or squid ink Risotto with Sepia and n’duja. In addition to the seven seafood specials, guests can also choose items off the regular dinner menu. Winter-inspired cocktails and wine pairings will also be available. Gioia will open at 4:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, and reservations can be made through Open Table.
Prime & Provisions
222 N La Salle St, Chicago, IL 60601
Positioned on the border of River North and Downtown Chicago Loop area, there is no better place for a seafood-filled, upscale Christmas Eve dinner in Chicago this year than Prime & Provisions. The restaurant is offering a special prix fixe dinner menu on Christmas Eve this year. The menu will feature highlights including Lump Blue Crab Cake, Red Wine Braised Beef Cheek, Farro Island Salmon, and Tres Leche Cake. The dinner menu costs $125/person with sommelier wine pairings available for an extra $65/person. Upgrades are also available.
Siena Tavern
51 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654
Featuring a crowd-pleasing, made from scratch menu, Siena Tavern is celebrating Christmas Eve this year with a three course plus dessert prix fixe menu. The special dinner menu will feature Wagyu Beef Meatballs with roasted tomato sauce, bellwether ricotta; Gnocchi with truffle cream, fried sage, crispy pancetta; Brick Chicken Diavolo with sticky parmesan potatoes, arugula, cherry tomato, grilled lemon; Braised Short Rib with truffle winter root vegetables, fennel gremolata; Chocolate Gianduja Bar made with brownie, hazelnut ganache, milk chocolate mousse, hazelnut praline; and more.
Siena Tavern’s Christmas Eve Prix Fixe dinner menu costs $95/person with upgrades available. Reservations can be made here.
The Signature Room
875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Christmas Eve reservations are now available at The Signature Room at the 95th! With their delicious dinner menu available from 5 to 10 p.m., there is no better place to take in the peaceful holiday Chicago skyline while a live pianist plays seasonal favorites. Specialty holiday cocktails (also available in the lounge) include Frango Mint Martini with Absolut Vanilla vodka, Kahlua Mint Mocha liqueur, heavy cream, crème de menthe liqueur, and shaved Frango Mints ($18.50); and French Pear Martini with Grey Goose La Poire vodka, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, sparkling wine and pear slice ($18).
CheSa’s Bistro and Bar
3235 W Addison St Suite C, Chicago, IL 60618
The new CheSa’s Bistro & Bar is offering a special three-course menu on Christmas Eve, December 24, with four seatings: 5 PM, 6:30 PM, 8 PM and 9:30 PM serving a three-course gluten free menu. A three-course children’s menu is also being offered. Reservations are required by calling 773-754-8523.
For Starters, choose from delicious Waygu Sliders, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread or Beet Salad. The main course offers you choice of Cajun Grilled Lamb Chops, Short Ribs & Red Grits, or CheSa’s Gumbo. Choose from CheSa’s Mousse or Chocolate Lava Cake for dessert. The cost is $95 for adults or $45 for children 12 and under.
Kinzie Chophouse
Looking for a fail-safe Christmas eve dinner in Chicago? Kinzie is featuring a special five-course prix-fixe dinner menu this year for $150 per person with optional wine pairing for $55 per person. The special menu features items like Beetroot Ravioli stuffed with Smoked eel and truffled ricotta and foie gras mini tart with pickled mango, and cured salmon with Yuzu Pearls and Gin and Tonic Shavings.
For the main course, choose from Sautéed Grouper Fillet with lemon egg Cream with caviar and salmon roe, Duck Breast Tagliata with parsnip purée, fresh blueberries and raspberries, served with Christmas stuffing cannelloni, Dry Aged Prime Rib with red wine & bone marrow sauce, or Lions’ Mane Mushroom Filet (Vegan) served with chimichurri sauce. Further add-ons and sides are also available.
Esquire
58 E Oak St. Chicago, IL 60611
Esquire, a wine-centric concept featuring rotating menus from visiting chefs, will be offering their regular menu alongside pop-up menu items from Miller & Lux, a California steakhouse concept from celebrity Chef Tyler Florence during the holidays. Select items from the menu include:
- Caviar Donuts with Crème Fraiche Custard, Kaluga Caviar
Steak Tartare
Louisiana Shrimp Cocktail
A 46 oz. Tomahawk Ribeye and other dry aged prime steaks accompanied by a selection of gourmet steak sauces made from scratch – Green Peppercorn Bordelaise, Whipped Horseradish and Fresh Tarragon Bearnaise
The M&L 10 oz. Burger and more.
Diners can also order items from Esquire’s standing menu.
Oda Mediterranean
5657 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60660
Oda Mediterranean Cuisine in Andersonville will be open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Guests will enjoy Oda’s full menu of Turkish-Georgian fare created by owner and chef Marina Cardak as well as handcrafted and seasonal cocktails. Perfect for the holiday, Oda will offer The Crimson Petal, which is their spin on a holiday tequila punch. The cocktail features tequila, Chambord, homemade blackberry syrup, rosemary, orange bitters, lemon juice and sparkling water.
Guests will also enjoy mezes like Spicy Hummus with ezme, Babaganoush and a cucumber yogurt Cacik Dip, and retro classics like Beef Stroganoff and Shkmeruli (cornish hen). Guests can expect seasonal specials as well like the Mantar Güveç, a cheesy mushroom casserole which is a traditional Turkish dish prepared in an earthen clay pot called Güveç.
Featured Image: Tanta/Mistey Nguyen