Don’t Want to Cook on Christmas? These LA Restaurants Are Serving Holiday Feasts
Ah, the holidays. Full of joy, togetherness and definitely no stress about cooking a Christmas dinner that will finally impress your in-laws, right?
Luckily, if you live in Los Angeles, a city with one of the most diverse food scenes in the world, you can cross at least one thing off your list — and no need to check it twice. LA is stacked with outstanding restaurants serving meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, making life a bit simpler for the humble holiday host just trying to keep everyone happy.
All the recommendations listed below are stellar, but you would be doing yourself (and any visitors) a disservice by not considering the incredible mom-and-pop restaurants serving all types of Asian cuisine — many of which are open on Christmas. These hidden gems are located throughout LA and Orange County, but some hotspots include San Gabriel Valley, Little Tokyo, Sawtelle and Garden Grove.
It would not be an exaggeration to say they are a crucial part of LA’s culinary scene, along with the street vendors, Mexican and South American restaurateurs, and so many other immigrant cuisines that found a home in the City of Angels — all of which make this city a great setting to expand your culinary horizons.
If you’re looking for something else, however, LA has you covered, from classic American-style Christmas meals to Egyptian, Spanish and Lebanese feasts.
Check out some of our recommended spots below.
West LA Restaurants
Firefly
11720 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Firefly is the perfect tucked-away spot for Christmas dinner in the San Fernando Valley. With curtain-lined booths and an open fireplace on the patio, the ambiance is cozy and stylish — just made for a romantic winter evening. The restaurant emphasizes fresh, local produce and seasonal ingredients, as seen in its Christmas prix-fixe menu — a classic fine dining meal with courses ranging from tuna tartare to braised short rib.
The prix-fixe menu is available from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and costs $78 per adult. Reserve on OpenTable.
Tower Bar
8358 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
West Hollywood’s Sunset Tower Hotel houses Tower Bar, home to one of LA’s most lavish Christmas Eve and Day dinner menus. The restaurant specializes in offering provisions and libations in an elegant environment for discerning guests. Its holiday menu follows suit, with entrée options like filet mignon and rack of lamb. If you’re hosting holiday guests you need to impress, keep Tower Bar in mind — and consider the optional caviar and oyster service.
Christmas dinner is served from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and costs $185 per adult and $65 for children 12 years old and under. Book on OpenTable.
Orla
1700 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Orla, the Mediterranean coastal darling from Michelin-starred Chef Michael Mina, is hosting a stacked Christmas buffet full of holiday favorites and inventive dishes alike. The restaurant, which is nestled in the Regent Santa Monica Beach, has been beloved by Angelenos since its opening in 2024, and for good reason. The Christmas menu is lush with classic dishes fused with Egyptian and Greek flavors, such as the orange-glazed ham with pomegranate molasses and the prime rib with xinomavro bordelaise. This is a vibrant menu full of zest, tang and lots of California-style coastal holiday cheer.
The buffet is open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and costs $135 for adults and $75 for children. Reserve on SevenRooms.
CUT Beverly Hills
9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
CUT is an LA classic. As one of the restaurants in the lauded Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining group, CUT has been serving luxurious steakhouse mains for years, with finesse that earned it Michelin stars in 2019 and 2021. Get a taste of that elegance with a Christmas Eve four-course prix-fixe dinner curated by Executive Chef Drew Rosenberg, which includes an amuse bouche, appetizer, entrée and dessert.
This Christmas Eve dinner costs $225 per adult and $85 per child 12 years and younger. Reserve on OpenTable.
East LA Restaurants
The Front Yard
4222 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91602
The Front Yard is a San Fernando Valley staple when it comes to holiday dinners. As the onsite restaurant at The Garland Hotel, the Front Yard’s Christmas Day buffet welcomes diners of all tastes to enjoy a chef-curated lunch or dinner in its open, patio-inspired dining area. Guests can enjoy an elevated meal that includes octopus salad, prime rib, roasted ham and much more.
The buffet is open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and costs $89 for adults and $45 for children. Book on OpenTable.
San Laurel
100 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
At San Laurel, you can sip sparkling wine; slurp vermicelli-squid-cheese pasta; and gaze at the beautiful architecture that makes LA so iconic — all while avoiding cooking the big holiday meal. The restaurant, from Michelin-starred Chef José Andrés, has a Christmas menu that includes Chef José’s typical Californian and Iberian flair — a family-style tasting experience, with highlights like hiramasa crudo, Maine lobster tail and the aforementioned vermicelli “mac and cheese.”
A seat will run you $179 per person. The meal is available from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; reserve on OpenTable.
Carousel
Glendale: 304 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203
Hollywood: 5112 Hollywood Blvd #107, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Carousel’s Glendale and Hollywood locations are trusted go-tos for those in the know about Lebanese cuisine. Take it from ICE’s own food writer Olivia Jebrine, who touts the restaurant’s offerings as an “authentic Lebanese meal that will blow your taste buds away.” Both Carousel locations are serving up their signature mezzes and classic entrées family-style — so make sure you come hungry.
The meal is $50 per adult and $30 per child under 10 at the Glendale location, and $48 per adult and $28 per child at the Hollywood location. Reserve on OpenTable.
The Langham Huntington
1401 S Oak Knoll Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106
Pasadena is a family-friendly, beautiful suburb about 20 minutes from downtown LA. It’s also home to ICE’s LA campus and The Langham at The Huntington, a luxury hotel with over 100 years of history in the city. If you’re looking for an old-school, fine-dining experience in an upscale hotel, check out the Christmas Eve and Day offerings at The Langham’s Royce Steakhouse or Terrace Restaurant; or, go all-in on the decadence of the day and book a spot at the Ballroom Brunch Buffet.
Prices vary from $145 to $225 per adult depending on the restaurant. Get the details and make reservations on The Langham’s website.
Orange County Restaurants
Not many Orange County restaurants serve dinner on Christmas Day, but here are some top spots to celebrate Christmas Eve.
The Cellar Restaurant
305 N Harbor Blvd 001, Fullerton, CA 92832
For a classic French-inspired Christmas Eve dinner, look no further than The Cellar in Fullerton. While enjoying beef carpaccio and filet mignon au poivre, you can admire the restaurant’s commitment to its name, from the cobblestone-lined ceiling to its moody, dark booths. The award-winning restaurant’s four-course Christmas Eve dinner is well known in Orange County and gets mentioned in the holiday dinner conversation year after year — for good reason.
The price is $126 per person, with reservations available from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Book on OpenTable.
The Ranch
1025 E. Ball Road, Anaheim, CA 92805
The Ranch describes itself as an upscale restaurant and “saloon,” making it the perfect spot to relax to live country music while enjoying a four-course prix-fixe menu after a Christmas Eve spent at Disneyland. Even for those not spending the holidays at Disney, The Ranch’s numerous accolades and classic steakhouse-style menu speak for themselves.
Dinner costs $190 per person and is served from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reserve on OpenTable.
AnQi Bistro
3333 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
After a long day of frantic last-minute shopping at Orange County’s South Coast Plaza mall, there’s only one correct answer for dinner: prime rib. Specifically, black garlic and herb-rubbed prime rib from Costa Mesa’s own AnQi Bistro. The restaurant (which is attached to the mall) serves a special menu centered around the prime rib on Christmas Eve — composed of dishes that include a bit of the restaurant’s signature Asian fusion flair.
Reservations can be made on OpenTable.
Bonus: Strong Water Anaheim – for after-dinner drinks!
270 S Clementine St, Anaheim, CA 92805
Strong Water is the perfect spot for people who need a strong drink after days of hosting family. It’s also perfect for people who enjoy themed decor, actually-good mocktails and friendly, personalized service. The bar, which is right off the main drag of downtown Anaheim, looks relatively unassuming from the outside (yes, even accounting for the large tiki decor in front), but it’s an otherworldly experience to walk through the door. This bar is so thoroughly decorated and committed to telling a story that you could almost forgive it if the drinks were subpar — luckily, they’re anything but.
Strong Water is offering a “Twelve Nights at Sea” holiday menu stacked with seasonal concoctions and menu favorites. If you want to visit, book your reservation now — they fill up fast.
