Suggestions for restaurants on Christmas Day

[nuggetito]

I was suppose to be back home for the holidays but unfortunately, I'm stuck in the city for Christmas. On the bright side, a couple of friends from out of town will be visiting and I'm thinking of bringing them to a nice, relatively inexpensive restaurant. I know this is a longshot but apart from chinese food, is there anywhere else that's open with a nice ambience and good food??

[jdmetz]

I went to the Odeon in Tribeca for dinner on Christmas a few years ago. Good food, good crowd, friendly service and reasonable prices - not cheap, but reasonable. They also had a really good buche de noel special dessert that night.

[picklesister]

I don't know how helpful this is, but all Jean Georges restaurants are open on Christmas - the least expensive probably being Spice Market (which, as a family style menu, can be kept to a reasonably low cost) but also includes Mercer Kitchen and Perry Street.
I went to the Cupping Room Cafe on West Broadway for brunch a few Christmases ago - it's lovely but the food is terrible.
And don't forget hotels! They're open every day of the year! A lot of nice hotels have super fancy restaurants attached to them, but you might try calling some mid-priced hotels - ie- Black Duck in the Park Avenue Hotel on 28th and Park, Thor in the Hotel on Rivington, Gemma in the Bowery Hotel. Good luck!

[kathryn]

The Maze Gordon Ramsay will have a five-course Christmas Day menu. Not sure it's "relatively inexpensive" though. Depends on where your friends are from. Did you check opentable.com?

See also:
http://www.restaurantgirl.com/restaurantgirl/2007/12/christmas-eve-d.html
http://newyork.citysearch.com/roundup/38187#g2
http://www.amny.com/news/local/am-xmas1206,0,1102404.story
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/465186
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/462084

[nuggetito]

Thanks for the links, I haven't heard of OpenTable before but it looks like a lifesaver! My friends have been on a roadtrip through the US and are heading back to HongKong.. that's why Chinese food wasn't really on the top of my list and they're down to their last few pennies ;) we might go with Spain as suggested in the amny link...thanks!

[Jane A.]

La Mangeoire (French-53rd & 2nd) has a $40. prix fixe from noon 'til evening. I think the menu is on their website. I don't know if you consider that inexpensive enough. You'll have to add drinks, taxes & tip.

[Raisel]

I think you may have to settle for Chinese, that is de riguer on Christmas day.