20 NYC Restaurants Open on Christmas Day for Groups

Hotel restaurants are the classic play among NYC restaurants open December 25, and The Alderman sits inside the Motto by Hilton at 150A West 48th Street. Custom walnut millwork, curved banquettes, and a golden-age New York feel that actually suits a Christmas dinner. The menu runs classic American tavern food. Fresh oysters, smash burgers, roasted duck. The duck is the right call for a holiday table.

Semi-private sections of the dining room handle groups up to about 50, and a full buyout gets you the dining room and bar for 80 to 100 guests. The kitchen builds flexible menus for private dining, so a set holiday menu is an easy ask. Times Square on Christmas Day is chaos outside, but that works in your favor here. Everything nearby is open, and relatives staying in Midtown hotels can walk over.

If your version of Christmas dinner involves tablecloths and quiet luxury instead of a DJ, Park Rose is the most traditional option on this list. The private dining room seats 12, which is exactly the size of most family Christmas dinners. The main dining room takes 50 semi-private, and a full buyout handles 150.

It sits in NoMad near the Flatiron, an easy ride for guests coming from anywhere in Manhattan. The PDR is genuinely private, not a roped-off corner, so toasts and gift exchanges stay in the family. Good for multi-generational groups where grandma does not want to shout over bar noise.

Skinos is a Greek restaurant at 123 Washington Street in the Financial District, a short walk from the Oculus and the World Trade Center. The room is the draw. Cherry blossom installations overhead, a koi pond, modern Greek cooking on the plate. It photographs well, which matters when half your group will post the dinner.

Capacity is serious for a large group Christmas dinner. The private section holds 150, with semi-private space for 100. No minimum spend options exist here, which is rare for a room this dressed up. FiDi is dead quiet on December 25, so parking and car service are painless.

Little More on Reade Street, between West Broadway and Church, is one of the better-looking rooms downtown. A 45-foot marble bar sits under a 16-foot spirits library, serpent murals run along the walls, and the cocktail program comes from Apotheke alumni. The drinks are actually good, not just pretty.

The food menu is built for groups who want fun over formality. Vertical spiral lasagna, birria ramen, crab mac and cheese, plus caviar if someone in the family is feeling generous. Sections are flexible. Tables upfront seat 40, the back areas take 35 to 65, the downstairs speakeasy holds 40, and the entire upstairs fits 150. A Christmas dinner here feels like a party instead of an obligation.

If your family does seafood for the holidays, The Folly is the move. It sits at 92 West Houston where Greenwich Village meets SoHo, a short walk from the Broadway-Lafayette stop. The room feels like a cozy ship's galley. Oysters, lobster rolls, craft cocktails, and a vintage photo booth to document the matching sweaters.

The private mezzanine takes 30, the private room plus mezzanine handles 90, and a full buyout fits 175. There are also no minimum spend options, so a smaller holiday dinner does not require a corporate budget.

The Ten Bells has been pouring natural wine on the Lower East Side since 2008, and the room still feels like a secret. Dim lighting, zero pretension, a wine list full of small producers you have not heard of, and tapas built to go with the bottles. It also runs one of the best dollar-oyster happy hours in the city.

For groups, the Mural Room takes 22, the Communal Room 35, combined rooms 60, and a full buyout fits 100. This is the Christmas dinner for the family that argues about wine instead of politics. Chinatown and the LES are two of the few neighborhoods that stay genuinely alive on December 25, so the walk after dinner has options.

Stripes is an exposed-brick, high-ceilinged room in Greenwich Village with floor-to-ceiling windows and a full-service kitchen that builds menus around your group. Passed hors d'oeuvres, buffet, or plated, and they welcome outside catering too, including kosher. That flexibility matters a lot for December 25 dinners where everyone's dietary requirements show up at once.

The full buyout holds 97, and bar packages scale all the way down to coffee service and alcohol-free setups. They even have an in-house live band if you want carols done properly. For a Christmas dinner NYC large group booking where the host wants full control of the menu, this is the easiest room on the list.

Highwater sits 25 floors up inside Hotel Indigo at 120 Water Street, and the panoramic skyline view does most of the decorating for you. Being inside a hotel helps with holiday availability, since hotels have guests to feed on December 25 no matter what.

The indoor loft space handles dinner in any weather, the water-view room works for seated groups around 30, and the patio takes 40 when it is not freezing. Private sections run up to 200, with a no-minimum-spend option for groups of 50. Good for a group that wants the holiday dinner to feel like an event, not just a reservation.

A glass-ceiling atrium is a smart pick for a Christmas Day lunch or early dinner. Natural light pours in all afternoon, and if it snows, you get the full effect without the wet socks. The Hudson Yards Hotel atrium and sun deck hold 75 as a fully private space.

It sits in Midtown West near Times Square, another hotel property that keeps running through the holidays. Works well for family gatherings with kids, daytime corporate holiday lunches, and any group that wants a private, self-contained room instead of a section of a busy restaurant.

T-Squared Social is the Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake venue at 7 East 42nd Street, directly next to Grand Central. For families with teenagers or a group that goes stir-crazy sitting at a table for three hours, this is the answer. Duckpin bowling, golf simulators, darts, ping pong, and the largest TV screen in NYC for whichever game is on December 25.

Party suites and golf bays each hold 20 semi-private, and food and drink packages run from party platters to cocktail growlers. The Grand Central location means out-of-town relatives on Metro-North can get here without anyone driving. Book it for Christmas afternoon and let the kids burn energy while the adults hold down the bar.

Not every Christmas dinner needs white tablecloths. PubKey is a proper Greenwich Village dive steps from Washington Square Park, with a 1930s ceiling, a checkered floor, and what regulars will tell you is one of the best burgers in the city. It also happens to be a Bitcoin bar, which gives your uncle something new to talk about.

The Attic back room holds 85 with skylights, TVs, and custom food menus for private events. Banquettes take 35, and the whole venue fits 125. Good for a casual December 25 gathering, an orphan Christmas with friends, or any group that would rather watch the game than carve anything.

Velvet Brooklyn sits at 174 Broadway in Williamsburg, a short walk from the Marcy Avenue J/M/Z stop near the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. Exposed brick, vintage chandeliers, warm lighting, and a disco ball. It reads holiday party without you hanging a single decoration.

The full venue holds 110, the Velvet Room takes 60, and the Main Bar fits 50. Customizable catering, specialty cocktails, AV gear, a pro DJ controller, coat check, and a private restroom are all in the building. For Brooklyn-based families and friend groups, this saves everyone a trip over the bridge on Christmas Day.

Loft Story is three venues stacked into one Greenpoint building. A 2,000 square foot main loft with 3D projection mapping, a rooftop terrace with Empire State and Freedom Tower views, and a 1,000 square foot speakeasy below. The projection mapping is the party trick. Falling snow across every wall of your Christmas dinner, synced to the music.

It seats 120 for dinner, holds 200 standing, and a full buyout takes 270. There is a commercial kitchen on site, or bring your own chef, which makes a custom holiday menu simple. Bar packages start at $30 a head with mixologists included, and the loft and speakeasy are approved for late nights. Two minutes from the Nassau Avenue G stop.

Here is the workaround when every restaurant is booked. Rent The Farm SoHo at 447 Broadway and cater your own Christmas dinner. It is a 1,000 square foot historic loft with 15-foot ceilings, huge windows, reclaimed wood bar tables, antique props, and rustic Americana warmth that fits the holiday without trying.

Outside catering is allowed, which means your favorite restaurant that closes on December 25 can still feed your family through its catering arm. The main space holds 50 with a projector, sound system, and dimmable lights built in. Budget for the $200 cleaning fee plus optional bartender at $45 an hour. A short walk from Canal Street, which runs nearly every train in the city.

ART SoHo sits on the 11th floor of the Arlo SoHo hotel at 231 Hudson Street, and the indoor space keeps it usable in December. You still get the Freedom Tower and Hudson River views through the glass, and 3,000 square feet of flexible layout means dinner, cocktails, or both.

The semi-private section holds 50 and a full buyout runs to 250 reception-style. Craft cocktails, wine, and shareable plates like tacos keep it relaxed rather than fussy. Another hotel property, which again works in your favor for holiday dates. Good for a larger friend-group Christmas or a company gathering squeezed between the holidays.

Unlisted sits on the 11th floor above Freeman Alley, the street-art-covered lane off the Bowery between Rivington and Stanton. The sunset view across downtown is the reason to book it, and in late December that sunset lands around 4:30 PM, right as a Christmas Day gathering gets going.

The cocktails are playful and served in artist-inspired vessels, and event packages come with passed canapés like cheeseburger sliders, tuna tartare on plantain chips, and pigs in a blanket. A premium open bar with Casamigos and Hendricks is available. Full buyouts run up to 300, though the room works best when it feels like an exclusive cocktail-and-bites Christmas rather than a seated feast.

Seed Library comes from cocktail legend Mr Lyan, and it might have the best drinks on this entire list. Retro interiors with a contemporary edge, intimate lighting, and a full buyout capacity of 90 in the Flatiron and NoMad area.

Think of it as the second act of your Christmas Day. Dinner somewhere else, then a buyout here for cocktails, a dance floor, and a late night. It also works as the whole event for groups who treat December 25 as a cocktail holiday rather than a turkey holiday. No judgment. Honestly, some respect.

Sour Mouse is a 6,000 square foot game hall at 110 Delancey, directly next to the Essex Street F/M/J/Z stop. Eight regulation pool tables, ping pong, foosball, local art on the walls, and live bands or DJs on a stage with a 14-foot projector screen. The Lower East Side stays busy on Christmas, and this room matches that energy.

You can reserve up to half the venue for 100 guests or buy out the whole thing for 250. Craft cocktails and shareable bites like charcuterie keep people fed between games. This is the pick for a big mixed group where a formal seated dinner would die a slow death.

Sugar Mouse, sibling to Sour Mouse, sits at 47 3rd Avenue near Astor Place and wraps the entire room in 360-degree visuals powered by more than 40 projectors. Ask about winter and holiday-themed visuals and the whole venue becomes your Christmas backdrop. Underneath the tech it is still a fun hall. Ping pong, pool, foosball, a stage, and a dance floor.

Half the venue takes 200, the full space holds 400, and the main dancefloor section works for 60. Bar service covers cocktails, beer, and wine with shareable food options. Good for a big December 25 night out, a friend-group Christmas, or a company party running right up against the holiday.

Deluxx Fluxx started as an art installation by FAILE and BÄST and lives inside the Webster Hall building on East 11th Street, a short walk from Union Square. Custom arcade cabinets, original artwork everywhere, an immersive blacklight room, and a Danley sound system that hits hard. Nothing else in the city looks like it.

The full venue holds 400 private, with booths for 12 to 20 if you want a smaller reserved pocket. LED screens throughout can run custom holiday visuals. This is where Christmas Day dinner ends and Christmas night begins. Pair it with an early dinner nearby and bring the whole crew over after.

That is 20 real options for a group dinner or gathering on December 25, covering formal dining rooms, hotel restaurants, lofts you can cater yourself, and places to keep the night going after the plates are cleared. Holiday hours and minimums change year to year, so the smart move is to confirm before you commit. Tell Litty's concierge your date, group size, and budget, and they will check Christmas Day availability and lock in the booking for you, free.