Amparo Fondita
2002 P St., NW
Chef Christian Irabién brings a Mexican Christmas Eve tradition to the table with fresh tamales ($79 to $89 per dozen) available for takeout. Choose from chicken with salsa verde, pork with chile colorado, and roasted poblano chiles with mushrooms, or a mix of those options. Order for pickup at the Dupont restaurant on Tuesday, December 23.
Centrolina
974 Palmer Alley, NW
A family-style, four-course Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner is happening Christmas Eve at Amy Brandwein’s refined Italian dining room in CityCenterDC. For $160 per person, graze on dishes like a whipped-cod cannoli; oysters on the half shell; monkfish piccata; charred octopus; and more. A chocolate/chestnut yule log cake rounds off the menu.
The Dabney
122 Blagden Alley, NW
This wood-fired mid-Atlantic restaurant brings back its celebrated “Dabnog” for another year, spicing up the holidays with a decadent cocktail of bourbon, rye, madeira, black rum, sorghum molasses, eggs, milk, and spices. It’s available to order by the quart ($50), or you can try it at the Shaw restaurant.
Duck and the Peach
300 Seventh St., SE
Indulge in a refined Christmas takeout feast for five to six people ($300) from this Capitol Hill mainstay. A roasted lavender-herb prime rib is accompanied by a frisée salad, goat-butter mashed potatoes, and Parker House rolls. Dessert add-ons include a cranberry tart ($45), cinnamon rolls (six for $35), and a bûche de noel ($70). Order for pickup on Tuesday, December 23.
Elle
3221 Mount Pleasant St., NW
Bring home a festive holiday meal from this Mount Pleasant restaurant/bakery/cafe. The plentiful á la carte takeout menu offers a molasses-glazed ham for two ($135), with mashed rutabaga, miso roasted cabbage, candied honeynut squash, and red-eye gravy; a smoked cheddar, kale, and onion quiche ($42); and a dozen sweet potato rolls ($20). Sweets include bûche de noel ($80); a honey/goat-cheese cake ($42); and a pear-almond frangipane tart ($49). Order by Wednesday, December 17 at noon for pick up on Christmas Eve.
L’Ardente
200 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Chef David Deshaies leans into extravagance at this bustling Italian restaurant with a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner menu that runs from Wednesday, December 17 through Christmas Eve. For $125 per person, dig into oysters on the half shell; scallop gnocchi; seafood campanelle; Dover sole; and Gianduja s’mores. Optional wine pairings are available for $65.
L’Auberge Chez Francois
331 Springvale Rd., Great Falls
Celebrate the holidays at this bucolic Alsatian-style institution, which always goes big on colorful holiday decor and offers a seven-course dinner on Christmas Eve (prices vary). Main course highlights include Maine lobster with Sauternes/butter sauce, roast goose with chestnut stuffing, and veal scallopini. There is also a take-home option and a bûche de noel for 12.
Le Diplomate
1601 14th St., NW
Stephen Starr’s festively decorated Logan Circle brasserie opens its doors on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, offering an á la carte menu that includes a foie gras torchon ($39); pan-roasted halibut with braised flageolet beans, onion soubise, and Bayonne ham ($54); lamb Wellington ($48); and more. For dessert, there’s traditional hazelnut dacquoise bûche de noël or a lemon-raspberry version. Both bûche de noel cakes are also available to order for takeout here.
NiHao
550 Crystal Dr., Suite F, Arlington
Chef Peter Chang’s lavish holiday takeout menu for two or three people (starting at $129) is available until January 1. Feast on Peking duck; dry-fried Brussels sprouts; sautéed cauliflower; black-pepper beef; and vegetable fried rice. For dessert, there’s passionfruit pie. The Crystal City restaurant is also open for dine-in service on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
Nina May
1337 11th St., NW
Choose from an array of holiday options at this farm-to-table Shaw eatery. There’s a family-style Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner ($90 per person) served at the restaurant on Christmas Eve, with dishes like miso barbecue monkfish; trout rillettes with winter radish, shrimp chips, and cornichons; pan-roasted rockfish; and more. The restaurant also offers a take-home package for two to six people ($89 to $267), which includes parsnip-and-apple soup, rosemary-scented lamb, herb-crusted salmon, and eggnog panna cotta. Order your meal on Tock for pickup on Tuesday, December 23.
Nue
944 W Broad St., Falls Church
This stylish, modern Vietnamese restaurant in Falls Church is offering a dine-in family-style meal ($499 for five to seven people) every night through Christmas Eve. Chef Daniel Le serves up honey-lacquered duck; a green papaya “Caesar” salad; and snow-crab-and-asparagus soup. The duck is also available á la carte for $145. Guests can book dinner reservations here, just be sure to write “Duck” in the reservation notes.
Perry’s
1811 Columbia Rd., NW
A fixture in Adams Morgan for over 40 years, this contemporary Japanese spot is offering a special holiday platter on Christmas Eve, in addition to its regular menu. Chef Masako Morishita’s wagyu roast beef and grilled eel donburi platter ($55) comes with silken tofu, cured salmon caviar, smoked and pickled daikon radish, and more.
Rose’s Luxury
717 Eighth St., SE
St. James and Cane
2017 14th St., NW; 403 H St., NE
These sister Trinidadian restaurants embrace Caribbean holiday traditions. At St. James on 14th Street, you’ll find dine-in or takeout pastelles ($10)—cornmeal parcels similar to tamales that are filled with braised beef and chilies, raisins, and capers (a vegetarian alternative features mushrooms). Also on the seasonal menu: Trinidadian black cake ($13) with rum-soaked currants. Both St. James and H Street’s Cane are serving the popular milk-and-rum punch called ponche de crème ($16), throughout the holiday season.
2Fifty
4700 Riverdale Rd, Riverdale; 414 K St., NW
These Texas-style barbecue joints are offering Christmas take-home feasts customizable for groups as large as 15 people (they start at $95 for a meal for four). The packages, centered around their beloved oak-smoked meats, let you choose from a variety of entrees and sides, including smoked whole turkey breast; pork spare ribs; poblano sausages; mac’ and cheese; cornbread; sweet potato mash; and more. Order here to pick up in DC, and here to pick up at the Riverdale location.
Dara T. Mathis is a journalist and nonfiction writer who joined Washingtonian in Fall 2025 as an Editorial Fellow. A 2024 recipient of the American Mosaic Journalism Prize, she resides in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
