By Nicole Bayne
Whether you need brunch, dinner or both, here are Northern Virginia restaurants open and serving specials for those who are too worn out from holiday shopping to cook this Christmas.
Christmas Eve Brunch
A La Lucia
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Christmas Eve lunch available with three-course menus and a la carte offerings. / 315 Madison St., Alexandria; 703-836-5123
Fontaine Cafe & Creperie
11 a.m.-3 p.m.; A special Christmas Eve brunch available. / 119 S. Royal St., Alexandria; 703-535-8151
Lansdowne Resort
7-11 a.m.; This Christmas Eve Breakfast Buffet is $8.25 (children) and $12.95 (adults) at the continental buffet or $21.95 for the full buffet. / 44050 Woodridge Pkwy, Leesburg; 703-729-8400
Christmas Eve Dinner
2941 Restaurant
3:30-10 p.m.; A festive, four-course Christmas Eve dinner; $85 per person, children’s menu is $25. For the Christmas Eve Early Bird Special, reserve between 3:30-4:30 p.m. for $75. Dinner features holiday-inspired sweet and savory dishes including Lobster “ Vol Au Vent”, Chestnut Cappuccino, Pheasant Rillette, Filet Mignon, and Pan Seared Turbot and for a sweet finish, classic holiday desserts with creative twists including Bûche de Noël and Gingerbread Parfait. Vegetarian prix fix menus available upon request. Sommelier Jonathan Schuyler will also be providing pairings with each course. Reservations required. / 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church; 703-270-1500
A La Lucia
5-9:30 p.m.; Christmas Eve dinner available with three-course menus and a la carte offerings. Call for more information or reservations. / 315 Madison St., Alexandria; 703-836-5123
Bastille
5-10 p.m.; Reservations only available during this time. Regular menu will be replaced with a special Christmas Eve prix-fixe menu for $85 per person. / 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria; 703-519-3776
Bistro Vivant
4 p.m.; A three-course, prix fixe holiday menu in addition to the regular a la carte menu will be available on Christmas Eve brought by executive chef Katie Busch. Seating is $55 per person excluding tax and tip. Hors d’euevres include a parsnip and pear soup with marcona almonds, coconut and chive, chilled Canadian lobster salade with baby beets, tangerine and harissa yogurt or a foie gras torchon with quince puree and golden raisins. Choose from entrees like Dijon and hazelnut crusted skate wing buttered savoy cabbage, foraged chanterelles and a tomoato-caper sauce, roasted Christmas goose with haricots verts, pommes puree and natural jus or grilled leg of lamb with black mission fig, spelt berries and sugar snap peas. For dessert, choose from orange creme brulee with a graham cracker crust, dark chocolate lava cake with Macallan 12-year Single Malt Butter Scotch and wild berry gelato or red wine poached bosc pear with star anise sabayon and sweet pumpkin seed. Call for reservations. / 1394 Chain Bridge Road, McLean; 703-356-1700
Carmello’s
2:30-8:30 p.m.; Christmas Eve dinner appetizer selections include brick-oven Oysters Rockefeller, spitada de camarao, mini-beef Wellingtons, risotto fritters and calamari fritti, the soups lobster bisque and roasted butternut squash, and the salads autumn mesclun salad, Caesar salad and chopped house salad. Entree choices like lobster mascarpone ravioli, deconstructed veal agnolotti lasagna, pan-seared filet mignon with bacon-wrapped scallops, pan-roasted fish of the day, slow-braised beef short ribs, Portuguese paella Valencia and red-wine-braised Duroc pork shank will be offered. Reservations online. / 9108 Center St., Manassas; 703-368-5522
Del Ray Cafe
Regular restaurant hours; Special prix fixe menus for Christmas Eve will be offered in addition to the regular a la carte menu. Call for more information or reservations. / 205 E. Howell Avenue, Alexandria; 703-717-9151
Fish Market
Open until 9 p.m.; Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. with Christmas Eve dinner specials. Call for more information. / 105 King St., Alexandria; (703) 836-5676
Fyve Restaurant Lounge
6-10 p.m.; Celebrate the night before Christmas by savoring traditional holiday dishes and pairings put together by Fyve’s chef Chris Reed and sommelier Michael Kennedy. $75 per adult or $105 with wine pairing and $30 per child ages four to 12. Bonus: live music for the event. For reservations call or go to their website. / Ritz Carlton Pentagon City; 1250 S. Hayes St., Arlington; 703-412-2762
Goodstone Inn & Restaurant
Seating times are between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. and at 6, at 6:15 and 6:30 p.m.; Goodstone will have some Christmas Eve specials. Limited space available. Call for reservations. / 36205 Snake Hill Road, Middleburg; 540-687-3333
Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill
Seatings at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Enjoy a five-course, holiday dinner for $95 per person with wine pairings available at and additional $30 cost . Call for reservations. / 500 N. Pendleton St., Middleburg; 866-938-7370
Lansdowne Resort
5:30-9 p.m.; This Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet will be held at Lansdowne’s Riverside Hearth for $19.95 per kid age 11 and younger and starts at $60 per adult. Reservations required. / 44050 Woodridge Pkwy, Leesburg; 703-726-1449
Laporta’s Restaurant
4:30-9:30 p.m.; Enjoy Christmas Eve dinner with The Sharon Clark trio singing jazzy Christmas carols. Regular menu available along with chef Douglas Laporta’s Christmas specials and Margaret Laporta’s home-baked desserts. Call for reservations. / 1600 Duke St., Alexandria; 703-683-6313
Magnolia’s at the Mill
4-9 p.m.; Christmas Eve dinner with great food and family. Call to make your reservation. / 198 N 21st St, Purcellville; 540-338-9800
Tuscarora Mill
4-8 p.m.; A Christmas Eve celebration featuring a three course dinner from $54 to $65 per person determined by the guest’s chosen entree. Call for reservations. / 203 Harrison St., Leesburg; 703-771-9300
Villa Mozart
5:30-10 p.m.; A three-course dinner for $69 excluding tax and tip. Credit cards required for reservations. Call for more information. / 4009 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax; 703-691-4747
Christmas Day Brunch
America Eats Tavern by José Andrés
7 a.m. -2:30 p.m.; José Andrés’ America Eats Tavern will feature signature brunch offerings, a savory special, and a hands-on cookie buffet for an additional $12, including an assortment of their team’s favorite holiday cookies, as well as a sugar-cookie decorating station. For a hearty Christmas favorite, José will feature a Roast Roseda Prime Rib with mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, cranberry Brussels sprouts and maple anchovy jus for $39. Call for more information. / 1700 Tysons Blvd, McLean; 703-744-3999
Fyve Restaurant Lounge
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Christmas brunch will be served from for $90 per adult and $40 per child age four to 12. Complimentary flutes of champagne or mimosa are included. Reserve now. / Ritz Carlton Pentagon City; 1250 South Hayes St., Arlington; 703-412-2762
Grille at Morrison House
All day; A special Christmas Day brunch will feature figgy pudding beignets with house made beignets and confectioners’ sugar; reindeer “blackbuck antelope” carpaccio with juniper aioli, candied elderberry jam, crispy shallots and fine herbs; buttermilk huckleberry pancakes with vanilla butter and warm Virginia maple syrup; and corned beef hash and local farm eggs with house corned brisket, over-easy eggs and brioche toast. Call for reservations, $50 per person. / 116 S. Alfred St., Alexandria; 703-838-8000
Harriman’s Virginia Piedmont Grill
9 a.m. -3 p.m., last seating at 1 p.m.; After a morning filled with opening gifts, replenish your energy with a sweet and savory Christmas Day brunch. $50 per person, $25 for children. Call for reservations. / 500 N. Pendleton St., Middleburg; 866-938-7370
Lansdowne Resort
7-11 a.m.; The Christmas Day Breakfast Buffet will be at Lansdowne’s Riverside Hearth Restaurant for $8.25 per child age four to 11 and $12.95 per adult for the continental buffet or $21.95 for the full buffet. Reservations required.
11a.m. -2 p.m. The Christmas Day Brunch Buffet, also at Riverside Hearth, is $65 for adults and $19.95 for kids ages four to 11. Reservations required. / 44050 Woodridge Pkwy, Leesburg; 703-726-1449
Legal Sea Foods
8 a.m. -4 p.m.; The Christmas Day Ho-Ho-Holiday Feast features seafood a la carte as well as holiday specials. Reservations recommended and private dining rooms must be reserved in advance at the Reagan National Airport location. / 2401 Smith Blvd., Arlington; 571-551-5988
Bistro L’Hermitage
Noon-9 p.m.; Feast on the prime rib of beef for Christmas Day, or try another entree offered on their Christmas menu: roasted turkey, braised lamb shank, filet mignon, beef short ribs, freshly broiled Atlantic salmon or Essy’s signature crab meat imperial. The full dinner menu will be available until 10 p.m. Essy’s recommends reserving a seat early. / 4030 Lee Hwy, Arlington; 703-525-7899
6-10 p.m.; A bountiful holiday dinner complete with both traditional and Christmas inspired cuisine and live music. $75 per adult or $105 with wine pairing and $40 per child ages four to 12. Reserve now. / Ritz Carlton Pentagon City; 1250 S. Hayes St., Arlington; 703-412-2762
4-7 p.m.; The festive, three-course Christmas Day Dinner at Lansdowne’s Piedmont’s Table is $75 per person, $19.95 for kids. Reservations required. / 44050 Woodridge Pkwy, Leesburg; 703-726-1449
Noon-9 p.m.; The Christmas Day Ho-Ho-Holiday Feast features seafood a la carte as well as holiday specials. Reservations recommended and private dining rooms must be reserved in advance.
Sunday, December 21 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.; The Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia is bringing people together for the holidays by lighting candles, singing songs, enjoying entertainment, eating sufganiyot (donuts) and gelt (chocolate coins). To celebrate, Gypsy Soul restaurant will be featuring a Chanukah feast with a challah bread appetizer, the beet-cured Tazmanian sea trout with latkes, dill crème fraiche and cured trout roe, an Oak Park matzo ball soup with dill, toasted chicken skins and schmaltz, the 45-day corned beef brisket with braised onions, horseradish condiment and ember roasted root vegetables and the heirloom squash kreplach with black walnuts, brown butter and sage and for desserts, the sweet kugel with cottage cheese, raisins and cinnamon ice cream or the sufganlyot with elderberry jam. / 8296 Glass Alley, Merrifield; 703-992-0933
Last day for pick up is December 23. For those having family over for the holidays, Portofino is offering lasagna pickup special for large groups, frozen upon request. $65 for half and $120 for full and will include sauce and bread. Call to place your order. / 526 23rd St. S., Arlington; 703-979-8200
Self-proclaimed “the most affordable delivery service in the area” MunchQuick is offering a special holiday feast starting at $40. Ready-to-eat and delivered right to your door with no delivery fees on Christmas Day only. The meal includes organic grass-food roasted turkey or spinach and turkey bacon stuffed beef tenderloin with white wine truffle sauce, giblet gravy, cheddar biscuits, Paprika whipped mashed potatoes, roasted winter vegetables, green bean casserole, turkey bacon, brown sugar Brussel’s sprouts and Grand Mariner souffle with vanilla sauce. For every order placed, one meal is delivered to a family in need. Order online.
