ABC Kitchen
A selection of a la carte items and a $98 prix fixe menu from this Union Square eatery is at the top of our wish list. Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like homemade ricotta ravioli or roasted cod with cauliflower.
Traif
This type of Chinese dinner doesn't only happens in your dreams. Even so, whoever crafted concoctions like General Tso-style sweetbreads, ginger-scallion lobster sliders, and spicy foie gras soup dumplings better be at the top of Santa's nice list.
RedFarm
Go for the Pacman-style dumplings, stay for the Christmas Day specials: We're talking BBQ duck with dried Japanese plum sauce, and not one, not two, but seven types of seafood specials. A win-win.
Mile End
Sorry, sugarplums, but the only thing dancing around our minds is a Chinese feast ($65 per person) of corned beef and kraut wontons, hot and sour soup with chicken liver dumplings, and, obviously, fortune cookies.
Le Bernardin
Truffles on truffles on truffles is what we expect from chef Eric Ripert's special holiday tasting menu. Try and score a seat in one of the private dining rooms — because there's no gift like the gift of luxury.
Trattoria Il Mulino
It's the Feast of Seven Fishes, so there's no excuse not to dig in. Grilled octopus with olives? Pan-seared scallops with winter squash? Yes and yes, please.
Tiny's and the Bar Upstairs
Because, eating out isn't really eating out unless you're doing it in a quaint pink townhouse. Kick back and chow down on the most savory American dishes.
The John Dory Oyster Bar
Forget milk and cookies. April Bloomfield knows exactly the way to our hearts stomachs. The oyster bar's prix fix celebration ($95 per person) is everything we could ever ask for: lobster bisque, tagliatelle with bottarga, rock shrimp and crispy pig ear, and littleneck clams with bone marrow.
Reynard
For its super fancy five-course dinner ($85 per person), this spot's going full Christmas with foie gras, roasted Christmas goose, and, you guessed it, figgy pudding.
Fatty Crab
At the end of the day, traditional Chinese food on Christmas trumps all. That's what the downtown favorite will be serving this year — and if you thought they did inventive Asian cuisine well, just wait 'til you see what they do with the classics.
Wallsé
A little slice of Austria, right in the West Village. $140 gets you too many selections to count, but we recommend going full-throttle and adding a Champagne flight.
Cherche Midi
Lobster ravioli, steak frites, and some secret holiday specialties make for the most fabulous of dinners at Keith McNally's latest eatery.
Kitchenette
The closest thing you'll get to Mom's cooking. A hot turkey dinner, delicious mac and cheese, and a roast pork loin is enough to make you feel like you're home for the holidays, even if you're not.
Mas Farmhouse
If you're going to splurge on food, it might as well be farm-fresh and superbly delicious, right?
Perry Street
The $108 per person price tag may be steep, but we'd spend an arm and a leg to get a taste of some Jean-Georges delicacies. The four-course prix fix menu includes a plethora of those babies, like spicy tuna tartare and roasted lobster with smoked chili butter. If you're not into dishing out a pretty penny, a la carte is the way to go.