CHIGuide
10 Great Restaurants Open On Christmas Day
If you need a place to eat on December 25th, consult this guide.
If you’re looking for a restaurant that is open on Christmas Day, then you’ve come to the right internet-place. These 10 spots are offering dine-in and takeout on December 25th. Some have holiday specials, most don’t, and each one has great food and is serving their regular ol’ menu.
photo credit: Sandy Noto
If you’re craving dim sum on December 25th, Minghin in Chinatown has you covered. It’s huge, has tons of tables, and is open 365 days a year. It’s great for groups, and is easy to get a table—even on holidays. Which is helpful to know in case all your friends are stranded in town, and you need a last-minute place to get together on Christmas Day.
Mother's Ruin in Avondale is great for meeting up for drinks when you don't want to commit to a full dinner but still want the option to grab some food. This casual cocktail bar has tasty snacks like pimento cheese with fried saltines, a very good smash burger, and deep-fried red velvet Oreos. The food is way better than it needs to be, the cocktails are all $12, and the space is busy without feeling chaotic. Plus the kitchen is open until at least 2am 365 days a year, which yes, includes December 25th.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
If you wake up on Christmas Day with a burning desire for hot pot, head to Qiao Lin. This restaurant in the 88 Marketplace building is one of our favorite hot pot places in the city. For one, they have tables designed for two people so you don’t have to come with a big group. And you can order pots with either one, two, or three-way broth dividers, which is just really convenient. Plus, the menu has suggested cooking times, which is not only helpful, but can help avoid potential arguments about how long you should leave the fish balls in the spicy broth (five minutes, by the way).
photo credit: Sandy Noto
The main reason to come to this BYOB Chinese restaurant in Lincoln Park is for dim sum, which they serve all day, every day. And while D Cuisine has a limited selection compared to other dim sum spots in the city, what they do have is delicious. You’ll find excellent pork buns, creamy steamed egg buns, shrimp dumplings, and sesame balls that are crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy inside. The space is on the smaller side, but it works great for small groups.
Bistronomic is a French restaurant in the Gold Coast, and is serving dinner on Christmas Day. You can order off their regular menu, with dishes like duck breast and escargot) and they have some holiday specials available for dine-in or carryout.
photo credit: Eleven City Diner
Eleven City Diner is a deli near the Museum Campus in the South Loop. Come here for things like pastrami and corned beef sandwiches or all-day breakfast dishes like their black and white french toast made with challah.
photo credit: Christina Slaton
When a restaurant has a tasting menu option called “I Don’t Give A F*ck,” it’s probably a way more fun place to be than your aunt’s house in Naperville. Maple and Ash is a steakhouse in the Gold Coast, and it’s over-the-top in the best way, with chandeliers, candelabras, and huge velvet booths. During the holiday, they’re serving their regular a la carte menu, plus a $250 chateaubriand with truffles and seared foie gras. Which you should give a f*ck about.
This is an upscale French restaurant inside the Pendry in the Loop. And they’re open for brunch on Christmas, serving things like blueberry French toast, duck and waffles and a croque monsieur. They also offer bottomless mimosas, and have a variety of brunch cocktails.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Ghareeb Nawaz used to be known primarily as a late-night spot (they were open until 4am), perfect for grabbing food after a night out. Now this Indian spot on Devon is only open till 2am—which, by the way, is still really late. Thankfully this includes December 25th. Order the biryani, one of the thali meals, or a vegetable curry.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Cumin in Wicker Park is a combination Nepali and Indian spot with fantastic food. The menu is long, with everything from goat stew to samosas to chicken tikka masala to Indian staples ideal for vegetarians. There’s a lunch buffet if you want to go big during the day, but at dinnertime, it has a nice, quiet environment for a Christmas date night.
