Where to Indulge in Holiday Lunch in Boston
Here’s the 2025 rundown on special weekday lunch menus available around the city this holiday season, featuring luxurious steaks, seafood, and lots more.
Holiday lunch at Yvonne’s in Downtown Crossing. / Photo by Lisa Richov
One particularly fun aspect of the holiday season in Boston is special holiday lunches: Some of the city’s typically dinner-only spots add a midday meal to their schedule temporarily, and some others that do regularly serve lunch make it extra fancy for the season. It’s a nice way to jazz up your winter break—or sneak out of work for a leisurely afternoon eating black truffle roasted duck or a nice cut of steak with a side of champagne.
Here are the details for eight holiday lunches to try around Boston in December 2025.
Last updated November 2025.
See also: The Ultimate Holiday Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Merrymaking in Boston
Grill 23 & Bar always decks the halls. / Courtesy photo
Grill 23 & Bar
WHEN: December 3-5, 9-12, and 16-19, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Reservations (strongly encouraged)
This award-winning steakhouse always gets fully decked out for the holiday season, filling its grand two-story space with wreaths, Christmas trees, and twinkling lights. All of which means it’s the perfect time of year to swing by the usually-dinner-only restaurant for a power lunch that will impress with a variety of festive specials. The usual à la carte menu is on offer, with tempting additions like a lobster roll and a burger (which is usually only available at the bar).
161 Berkeley St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-542-2255, grill23.com.
Haley.Henry
WHEN: December 5, 12, 19, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. | Reserve (find the holiday lunch bookings near the bottom of the page)
The intimate Downtown Crossing wine bar is offering a $55 four-course holiday lunch that includes dishes such as scallop crudo with grapefruit and Sichuan peppercorn; house-made pasta with winter squash; and vanilla spiced cake with cranberry compote. Plan on ordering some wine, because this is a killer wine bar! (And if you find yourself in the Fenway neighborhood this month, sibling spot Nathálie will also be serving a holiday lunch menu on select dates as well—see details below.)
45 Province St., Downtown Crossing, Boston, 617-208-6000, haleyhenry.com.
Nathálie’s hazelnut torte from the 2023 holiday lunch menu. / Photo by Joe St. Pierre, styling by Madison Trapkin
Nathálie
WHEN: December 5, 12, 19, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. | Reserve (find the holiday lunch bookings near the bottom of the page)
One of Boston’s finest wine bars, Nathálie continues to impress seven years in with its focus on intriguing small-production, natural wines. But don’t forget that there’s food, too! Though the usual dinner menu is a compact but delightful selection of snacks and a few larger plates, for just a few beautiful days in December, the crew is pushing the petite kitchen to its limits with a $55 three-course holiday lunch prix fixe featuring options such as roasted sunchokes with black truffle dip; porchetta with mojo verde and crispy potatoes; and coquito flan. (See sibling spot Haley.Henry’s holiday lunch plans above.)
186 Brookline Ave., Fenway, Boston, 857-317-3884, nathaliebar.com.
Nautilus Pier 4’s Peking-inspired duck. / Courtesy photo
Nautilus Pier 4
WHEN: December 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, and 27-28 and January 2-3, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Reserve (reservations open 14 days in advance)
This Nantucket export made a splash when it expanded to Boston’s Seaport in 2021, serving a flavor-packed Asian-fusion menu that dances from Sichuan dandan noodles to barbecue Korean-style short ribs. For the holiday season, the restaurant—typically open for lunch on Saturdays only—is getting dressed up in festive greenery by Best of Boston florist Winston Flowers and serving a special holiday lunch with regular menu staples (like the Peking-inspired whole roasted duck) and seasonal specials (like a holiday burger with foie gras dipping sauce).
300 Pier Four Blvd., Seaport District, Boston, 857-957-0998, thenautilus.com/boston.
Nine. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Nine
WHEN: December 11-14 and 18-21, from 12 to 2:30 p.m. (with the bar open for lingering after) | Reserve
Beacon Hill newbie Nine is taking over the tradition of holiday lunch where its predecessor, No. 9 Park, left off. The special lunch menu for Nine’s inaugural holiday season includes goose for two with accoutrements, plus various à la carte items. Be sure to try some gins.
9 Park St. Pl., Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-936-3440, ninerg.com.
Tonino
WHEN: November 28 and December 5, 12, and 19 | Reserve (find the holiday lunch bookings near the bottom of the page)
The tiny Italian JP gem is hosting its first holiday lunch this year, available for bookings of six to 12. The family-style meal—including three savory courses of Tonino staples—is $75/person, and wine pairings and festive bottle selections will be on offer.
669A Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, 617-524-9217, toninojp.com.
Holiday decorations at the Venetian in Weymouth. / Photo by Paige Harding/PAH Photography
The Venetian
WHEN: Weekends in November and daily in December | Reserve (look under “Experiences”)
All dolled up for the holiday season, the Venetian offers a three-course family-style lunch. Choose an appetizer for the table (such as crispy fried mozzarella with spicy vodka sauce or Caesar salad) and an entrée for each person (such as eggplant parmigiana or rigatoni Bolognese), with Italian dessert bites for the table wrapping up the meal.
909 Broad St., Weymouth, venetian-weymouth.com.
Yvonne’s lobster Savannah from the 2023 holiday lunch menu. / Photo by Joe St. Pierre, styling by Madison Trapkin
Yvonne’s
WHEN: December 5, 12, 13, 18, and 19 | Reserve
Swanky downtown hot spot Yvonne’s carries on the very long legacy of its predecessor at 2 Winter Pl., Locke-Ober, with an annual holiday lunch full of glamour, nostalgia, and modern interpretations of the historical restaurant’s classics. You’ll want to dress up for this white-tablecloth feast, as servers in timeless white dinner jackets will be making martinis and torching baked Alaska tableside and serving elegant dishes such as black truffle roast chicken and steak tartare. Just be sure to make reservations ASAP if you want to partake in this highly popular annual tradition.
2 Winter Place, Downtown Crossing, Boston, 617-267-0047, yvonnesboston.com.
A version of this guide appeared in the print edition of the December 2023/January 2024 issue with the headline “It’s the Most Wonderful Lunch of the Year.”
