Christmas is right around the corner, and many Philadelphians are beginning to iron down their Christmas Eve/Day brunch and dinner plans — the only problem is with so many options it can be hard to choose where to dine for your festive feast. Metro has got you covered with some of the best and most delicious options in the City of Brotherly Love. Here is where to enjoy dinner and more on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Philadelphia
Where to enjoy dinner and more on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Philadelphia
Urban Farmer
Philadelphians will have multiple opportunities to enjoy the delicious offerings from popular steakhouse Urban Farmer on Christmas Day. From 6:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., guests can dine on some of Urban’s delectable brunch items chock full of both savory and sweet options, then starting at 4 p.m. (seating available until 9 p.m.) guests can also indulge in Urban Farmer’s prix fixe dinner with dishes including foie gras torchon, pepper-crusted venison loin, langoustine thermidor, peppermint torte, spiced egg nog Alaska and more. As a spirited bonus, Philadelphians can also sip on a specialty Holiday Julep made with rye whiskey, grapefruit, mint and sugar.
1850 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, urbanfarmerphiladelphia.com
Amada
Jose Garces’ popular eatery will be celebrating Christmas Eve with its signature endless suckling pig feast. The feast will be accompanied by an array of delicious sides including rosemary white beans, garbanzos con espinacas, herb-roasted fingerlings and grilled green onions. To end the evening on a delicious note, guests can then indulge in Spanish Christmas cookies for dessert. The meal is $60 for adults and $25 for children — Philadelphians can reserve the meal for three different seating times on Dec. 24: 12 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
217-219 Chestnut St., philadelphia.amadarestaurant.com
CO-OP Restaurant and Lounge
The University City eatery will be serving up their full dinner menu from 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. Highlighted items include vegetable crudite, pecorino and herb fries, potato gnocchi, braised beef short rib bolognese, seared Cape May sea scallops, crab fiorelli and much, much more. Guests can also sip on CO-OP’s featured cocktail of the day while there, the “Loves Me Not” made with oval cranberry gin, St. Germain, orange liqueur, pomegranate and cranberry.
20 S 33rd St., coopphilly.com
The Love
The Love will be open on Christmas Day with seating available from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. The Center City hotspot will be serving up their regular menu for all to enjoy, but also a few new specials including a fresh eastern shore crabcake (made with pink grapefruit aioli and steamed bloomesdale spinach), beef and caviar (made with butter-basted filet mignon, caviar and celeriac gratin and pink peppercorn madeira sauce) and eggnog tartufo (made with Olivia’s freshly spun eggnog ice cream, a chocolate shell and candied fruit sauce). Philadelphians can also wash down their meal with a hot buttered rum to end things sweetly.
130 S 18th St., theloverestaurant.com
Red Owl Tavern
Head to Red Owl Tavern on Dec. 24 and 25 to enjoy their annual Chinatown Pop-Up dinner inspired by “A Christmas Story” when Ralphie and his family go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner on Christmas after a mishap with their home-cooked meal. The dinner will include a variety of mouth-watering dishes including pork belly dan dan noodles, peking duck, sweet and sour brussel sprouts, crab wontons, vegetable stir-fried rice, BBQ grilled salmon, a half roasted chicken and more. After indulging in the delicious pop-up menu, guests can also take a photo with the famous leg lamp.
433 Chestnut St., redowltavern.com
Buddakan
Head to Buddakan on Dec. 25 to enjoy your holiday in style. The Old City hotspot will be serving up their regular menu with some of their classic and most popular dishes including tuna tartare spring rolls, spicy rock shrimp bao buns, edamame dumplings, wasabi mashed potatoes, sweet and crispy jumbo shrimp, lobster fried rice, mint chocolate cake, a trio of sorbet and much more. Guests can pair their meal with one of Buddakan’s specialty cocktails, sake options and more from their extensive bar program to complete their meal.
325 Chestnut St., buddakan.com
Square 1682
Philadelphians can head to Square 1682 for both brunch and dinner on Christmas Day to truly make their holiday delicious and memorable. A brunch a la carte menu will be offered from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. with dishes including caramel pecan sticky buns, sweet potato hash, duck wings and waffles, jerk short rib and biscuits, and more; then starting at 4 p.m. guests can indulge in a five-course dinner with Chef Mackenson Horebe’s famous cauliflower curry, Chilean sea bass, candy beet salad, Christmas cookies and more for $65.
121 S 17th St., square1682.com
Parc
Parc will be offering their all-day menu on Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., so there is plenty of time to indulge in this Rittenhouse hotspot’s offerings on Christmas Day. Menu items include an assortment of oysters, ricotta ravioli, salmon tartare, beef bourguignon, Mediterranean sea bass, veal escalope and more. Parc will also be offering Buche de Noel as an indulgent dessert special for Philadelphians to enjoy all day long as well.
227 S 18th St., parc-restaurant.com
Branzino
True to its name, Center city hotspot Branzino will be offering a Seven Fishes feast on Christmas Eve with seating beginning at 5 p.m. According to the release, for $75 per person, seafood lovers will enjoy the following: sea bass crudo with blood orange and watermelon radish; shrimp with burrata and tomato broth; char-grilled octopus with chips and bell pepper sott’acetto; Sicilian style calamari with capers, pine nuts, black currants and olives; squid ink tagliatelle with mussels, calabrian chile and oven-roasted tomatoes; seared diver scallops with cauliflower puree and roasted cauliflower; and pan-roasted cod with calamari and cannellini bean stew. Dinner will then conclude with Branzino’s signature Albanian three-milk cake for dessert.
261 S 17th St., branzinophilly.com
