It is that time of the year when the city’s greatest foodies are roaming the streets of New York in search of the best holiday dining experiences. In the big apple, fine food is plentiful and haute cuisines are booming wherever you look. This Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a few of the city’s most elite restaurants are opening their doors and offering one-of-a-kind Christmas specials such as four-course meals and prolonged happy-hours. This predominantly-Italian selection of top-tier restaurants will serve a variety of foods including savory pastas, grass-fed juicy steaks, rare fish fillets and raw bars, as well as an array of seasonal cocktails and fine wines that you will not want to miss out on. There will of course be a variety of surprise holiday specials available in every venue that you will simply have to go try for yourself, as they are far too tasty for us to reveal just yet.
Clocks are ticking and in the blink of an eye it will already be Christmas! Where did the time go? How did this happen? We are amazed too, and this is why we bring you this exclusive list of our holiday dining favorites. There is no need to spend this Christmas break in the kitchen cooking your family recipe for hours and hours! We guarantee your family needs a haute food adventure as much as you do, so why not take them out instead? In true New York spirit and channeling your inner Carrie Bradshaw: take a winter stroll, drink some spiced rum and enjoy a good steak. That is what Christmas is about, after all.. right?
Happy holidays from Haute Living to your cheerful, merry, grateful belly.
BLT Prime
Hours: 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Christmas Day
Offering: Christmas Special Menu:
- Suzuki sashimi with Coriander Oil, Pickled Chanterelles
- Foie Gras Torchon with Blackberry and Fig Reduction
- Pan Seared Diver Scallops with Butternut Squash, Sunchokes, Truffle Froth
- Roasted Prime Rib with Bacon Garlic Jus
- Braised Lamb Shank with Rosemary Polenta and Mint Gremolata
- Fingerling Confit with Lamb Bacon, whole Grain Walnut Vinaigrette
- Gnocchi with Sage Bechamel, Gruyere
- Sauteed Lollipop Kale with Pomegranate and Sesame
- Bûche de Noel with Vanilla Anglaise Eggnog Creme Caramel and Whipped Cream
- Gingerbread Tuille Bombolini with Blood Orange Pastry Cream and Hazelnut Ice Cream
Address: 111 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010
Vaucluse
VaucluseHours: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m, Christmas Eve, 11:30 am – 10pm, Christmas Day
Offering: Classic menus plus holiday specials:
Plats Principaux
- Noix de Saint-Jacques seared sea scallops, sunchokes, sorrel, beurre noisette, consommé
- Darne de Turbot wild turbot, leeks, endive, citrus, legumes, riesling
- Filet de Bar wild striped bass, brussels sprouts, caperberries, hazelnuts, salsify
- Homard en Fricassée maine lobster, chanterelles, black truffle potato purée, port
House Made Artisan Pastas
- Petites Oreilles orecchiette, fresh tomato, basil, grated chévre
- Raviole de Homard lobster raviolo, fines herbes, shellfish bisqué
- Épaulettes rabbit & reblochon cheese ravioli, black truffle
- Tagliatelles ribbon pasta, duck confit, wild mushrooms, madeira
Address: 100 E 63rd St, New York, NY 10065
Marea
MareaHours: 12pm – 11pm, Christmas Eve, 1pm. – 9pm Christmas Day
Offering: 4-course menu:
Antipasti
- Assaggio di Tre tasting of three crudo
- Astice Nova scotia lobster, burrata, eggplant al funghetto, basil
- Granchio blue crab, almonds, pears, prosciutto
- Zuppa chestnut soup, smoked trout, cranberry, chiodini mushrooms, trout roe
Primi
- Gnoghetti ruby red shrimp, red chilies, rosemary
- Agnolotti short rib ravioli, black trumpets, spinach
- Fusilli hand-rolled corkscrew pasta, red wine braised octopus, bone marrow
- Funghi acquerello risotto, wild mushrooms, parmigiano
Secodi
- Spigola Nera black bass, garbanzos, sweet peppers,‘nduja, kohlrabi, fennel
- Capesante seared sea scallops, sunchoke, endive, pomegranate, walnut agrodolce
- Bistecca grilled creekstone 50-day dry aged sirloin, braised romaine, bone marrow panzanella
- Anatra roasted duck breast, chestnut ragu, baby turnips, dried cherry
Dolce
- Semifreddo milk chocolate, hazelnut, caramel, banana
- Crostata pear, pine nut, ricotta, brown butter gelato
- Tiramisu mascarpone, amaretto, marsala, espresso gelato
- Panna Cotta fior di latte panna cotta, grapefruit, lemon basil sorbetto
Address: 240 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019
Ai Fiori
Ai FioriHours: normal hours
Offering: 4-course menu, as well as a 4-course Fish of the Seven Seas special, with complimentary champagne:
Per Cominciare
- Insalata bibb lettuce, radicchio, crouton, manchego, aged sherry
- Crudo di Passera fluke crudo, american sturgeon caviar, meyer lemon Vellutata lobster soup, périgord black truffles, tarragon Animelle crispy sweetbreads, bearnaise, parsley root, bitter green salad
Pasta
- Spaghetti blue crab, lemon, bottarga, chilies
- Tortelli ricotta & mascarpone ravioli, sottocenere cheese, red wine glaze
- Marubini pork shoulder ravioli, cacio e pepe
- Tagliatelle pasta ribbons, butter, parmigiano, tartufo bianco
Pesce e Carne
- Ippoglosso line-caught atlantic halibut, celery root caponata, black truffle
- Astice butter poached nova scotia lobster, carrots, rutabaga, chateau chalon sauce
- Anatra long island duck, roasted carrots, hazelnuts, duck jus
- Vitello amish veal chop “au four”, new potatoes, prosciutto, sage
Dolci
- Tartaletta di Cioccolato chocolate cream, grapefruit, almond gelato
- Fruit Exotique Panna Cotta coconut, pineapple, macadamia nut, mango-passion sorbet
- Creme Glacée peppermint vanilla glacée, cocoa sable, toasted meringue
- Tor ta di Olio pain d’espices torta, mascarpone mousse, huckleberry
Address: 400 5th Ave #2, New York, NY 10018
Costata
Hours: 5.30pm – 11pm, Christmas Eve
- Garganelli alla fiamma, con speck, radicchio, truffle cream
- Costata 40 day dry aged 44oz Tomahawk Ribeye, 100% black angus
- Branzino with pumpkin squash gnocchi, apple purée, bacon, aged balsamic
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