Eat, drink, and be merry this holiday season! Whether you’re looking to go out for a memorable holiday meal or dine in without the dishes and prep work, Houston restaurants are here to keep the season jolly. Want to find out which restaurants are open for Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day? Scroll down!

Quicklinks:

Breakfast & Brunch

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Chapman and Kirby

The Union Kitchen: is rolling out a citywide Santa Brunch on December 13, serving seasonal dishes, the full brunch menu, and complimentary photos with Santa from 11–1 at all five locations. Each spot has its own chef and neighborhood-driven menu, so the experience feels a little different no matter where you go. They’re also collecting toys and gift cards December 13–January 1 for Casa de Esperanza.

Pier 6: A little coastal Christmas magic hits Galveston on December 21, when Pier 6 hosts its Santa Brunch from 11–3 with beachy photo ops, live holiday music, hot cocoa, and kid-friendly patio fun like oyster-shell painting and a letter-to-Santa station. The whole event unfolds alongside Chef Joe Cervantez’s Gulf-sourced seafood and tide-to-table signatures.

Chapman & Kirby: Hey sis, it’s Christmas — and Chapman & Kirby is ringing those Slay Bells loud. Their monthly Queen Brunch returns December 20 with a holiday drag spectacular, and the $35 ticket covers the show plus full access to the brunch buffet. Craft cocktails, mimosa flights, and bottle service keep the vibes high; doors open at 11:45 a.m. and the queens hit the stage at 12:30.
 

Walker Street Kitchen

Marriott Marquis: If the Grinch crashing brunch sounds like your kind of holiday tradition, the Marriott Marquis has the perfect AM fun for you. Walker Street Kitchen transforms into a lively, slightly mischievous holiday scene with a sprawling buffet—made-to-order pancakes and omelets, smoked salmon, pastries, charcuterie—and a visit from everyone’s favorite green grouch. With weekend seatings all December and a take-home holiday treat, it’s a playful way to celebrate the season (no stolen hams this time). Reservations here.

Sunrise House: The Sunrise House is rolling out holiday lattes (both boozy and not) alongside a winter cocktail menu that fits right in with its all-day, sunshine-forward brunch vibe. Think peppermint iced lattes, spiked hot cocoa, and seasonal cocktails like Santa’s Milk & Cookies and Run, Run, Rudolph. The menu slots neatly into Sunrise House’s chef-driven take on brunch classics and health-forward dishes, giving Montrose plenty to sip on this season.

Zanti Cucina Italiana: It’s time to rock around the Christmas tree at Zanti’s “Zanti Claus” Christmas Brunch. On December 20, the restaurant turns into a lively party complete with Santa making the rounds for photos. Expect brunch classics, seasonal specials, a DJ spinning festive beats, and holiday cocktails built for toasting.

Festive Eats

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Buttermilk Baby

Buttermilk Baby (pictured) —Berg Hospitality’s candy-colored, family-friendly spin on the classic American diner—is celebrating the season with a lineup of limited-time treats, from Candy Cane Crush and Santa’s Nog to Snickerdoodle soft serve and boozy-or-not Baileys Hot Chocolate. They’re also adding a Tokyo Smash Burger (golden Wagyu katsu, Kewpie, tonkatsu sauce) to the mix through December 31. And on December 22 from 3–5 p.m., Santa drops in for meet-and-greets, crafts, and kid activities.

Heights & Co: “KEVVVIIIINNNN!” You might hear that ringing from the patio at Heights & Co., where classic Christmas movies are playing all month long alongside holiday cocktails and plenty of patio bites. Guests can settle in under the pergola lights with s’mores boards, seasonal glassware, and a rotating lineup of December favorites.

Turner's: One of Houston’s most decorated and intimate dining rooms is opening for a December-only lunch service that turns the already-glam resto into something out of a vintage holiday film—poinsettias, live music, martinis, the whole show. The limited-run menu leans into Turner’s signature decadence with rich winter dishes and sparkling confections designed for celebratory mid-day toasts. It’s one of the season’s most anticipated reservations!
 

Traveler's Table

Photo by Andrew Hemingway, courtesy of Traveler's Table

Traveler’s Table is celebrating the season with new holiday dinner specials and a cocktail menu built for December dining. Highlights include Blue Crab Carbonara with Parmesan cream, Mediterranean Branzino with citrus aioli, and Japanese-style Texas Wagyu finished with demigurasu—all alongside festive sips like the Mistletoe Margarita and a Gingerbread Old Fashioned topped with a gingerbread thin. It’s a global spin on holiday indulgence from Houston’s most travel-obsessed kitchen.

Brasserie 19: A go-to gathering spot in River Oaks, B19 is always buzzing with friends, familiar faces, and enough holiday décor to light up the block—you truly never know who you’ll run into at the bar. That sets the stage for Le Club du Dimanche: Holiday Edition on December 14, the most anticipated event of the series. From 7–9:30 p.m., Thomas Cokinos takes over the baby grand with holiday classics and seasonal cocktails filling the room.

Want to enjoy delicious Christmas flavors at home? Don’t miss Agnes and Sherman's Christmas Take-Home Party Meal. Their family-style Pork Set with sides serves 4-6 ($275) and features: Char Siu Sakura Pork Collar, lettuce (for wraps), steamed rice, kimchi, and ginger scallion sauce, apple kimchi with arugula, maple labne, and bacon; cabbage and blistered bean salad with nuoc cham, citrus, and crispy shallots; Chinese broccoli with XO sauce; and option to add wines to-go from GM Pam's holiday selection! Order through OpenTable by 12/18 at 10 a.m. Pick up on 12/24 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Seasonal Sips

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Good God Nadine's

Good God Nadine's: Celebrating its first holiday season, Good God Nadine’s is rolling out a lineup of $15 cocktails worth toasting to — and worth pulling your phone out for, thanks to their full-on Instagram-ready presentation. The menu spans a Gingerbread Martini with espresso, The Naughty List with rye and tawny port, Nadine’s Grasshopper, a Pomegranate Hibiscus Smash, and a White Cosmo made with rosemary syrup and white cranberry.

Bar No. 3 at La Colombe d'Or hotel brings its moody glamour to the season with classic and seasonal cocktails served inside the art-filled Mansion just off Montrose Boulevard. The bar is hosting The Merry Minstrels on December 11 and the St. Thomas Jazz Band on December 18 at 6 p.m., adding live holiday carols to its lineup of small plates and late-night drinks. It’s one of the city’s most striking settings for a December cocktail—old Houston soul meets new-era cool.

Endless  Bummer: Some bars hang garland; this one summons a goth-tropical Christmas fever dream. Endless Bummer is flipping the script this season with “A Very Bummer Christmas,” an anti-holiday speakeasy where every cocktail arrives in novelty Christmas drinkware—but the vibe is more purgatory vacation than peppermint cheer. Expect over-the-top drinks powered by fresh juices, liquid nitrogen, and flaming garnishes, plus holiday specials like the Nui Nui, O Rum All Ye Faithful, a hot-buttered rum inspired by an 1862 Jerry Thomas recipe, and the two-person Son of a Nutcracker.
 

Brennan's of Houston - Holiday Cocktails

 Photo by Kason Foster, courtesy of Brennan's of Houston

Brennans of Houston: If you haven’t had a chance to see the newly reimagined Courtyard Bar at Brennan’s, the holidays are the perfect excuse. The fully renovated space blends Parisian bistro influences, New Orleans nostalgia, zinc bar tops, mermaid fixtures, crystal decanter chandeliers, and intimate alcoves—an entirely new backdrop for cocktails and casual dining inside Houston’s iconic Creole house. For the season, the bar is pouring a lineup of limited-time drinks, including the Grinch 75 with gin, Midori, and sparkling wine; Rum, Rum Rudolph with spiced rum and allspice dram; a Peppermint Bark Espresso Martini; a rosemary-kissed Merry Berry Martini; Brennan’s Eggnog spiked with bourbon and spiced rum; and the cozy Gingerbread Man with Stoli and Amarula.
Blue Claw Seafood Restaurant & Bar, the new coastal-chic arrival in Northwest Houston, is celebrating the season with a lineup of $5 holiday cocktails—yes, every single one is five bucks. The menu includes a Rye Butter Old Fashioned with butterscotch and spice, an Indigo Gin Tea with butterfly pea tea and lavender, Irish Eggnog with espresso, a glitter-topped Sparkle & Sleigh, and a Peppermint Espresso Martini.

HiFi: A full-on holiday takeover hits Downtown this month with 12 Days of Christmas, a December 11–24 celebration packed with festive cocktails, themed nights, and a complete winter makeover of HiFi’s vinyl-listening lounge. Seasonal drinks range from spiced espresso martinis and whiskey-spiked hot cider to house-made eggnog. The lineup includes BYOVinyl night, Motown Christmas sets, burlesque shows, mixology and candle workshops, trivia, musical bingo, and a Christmas Eve finale with half-off cocktails.

Open for Christmas Eve

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Le Jardinier

Open on Christmas Day

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Lombardi Cucina Italiana

Photos: Courtesy of the restaurants mentioned in this post. Opening photo: Courtesy of Marriott Marquis Houston.