Don’t want to cook on Christmas? Here’s where to eat on Dec. 25 in Miami
If the trauma of cooking a Thanksgiving turkey is lingering unpleasantly in your memory, you may want to have someone else do the cooking on Christmas.
A few restaurants in Miami, Miami Beach and around town are ready to serve you.
Here are a few of the spots open on Christmas Day for brunch, lunch and dinner. All of the specials listed are good for Dec. 25 only unless otherwise noted. Prices don’t include tax and gratuity.
Adrift Mare
The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at Hotel AKA Brickell is offering a three-course holiday meal. Starters include a lobster roll, oysters or Parker rolls, and main courses include prime rib roast or grilled King Crab legs, served with sides to share like truffle stuffing, crispy potatoes, saffron rice and broccolini. Dessert is a caramel custard tart with sesame ice cream or dark chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream.
5:30-10:30 p.m.; $98 per person, minimum two people; 1395 Brickell Ave., 25th floor of Hotel AKA Brickell; complimentary valet parking available; www.adriftmare.com; 305-503-6500.
Bourbon Steak
A fixed-price menu is on offer at Chef Michael Mina’s Aventura steakhouse, starting with a choice of oysters, tuna tartare, foie gras, shrimp cocktail and roasted bone marrow. Entrees include filet mignon, ribeye, roasted half-chicken, miso-glazed sea bass or glazed short rib, with sides like truffle mac and cheese, potato puree and creamed spinach with crispy shallots. Lots of dessert choices, too.
5-11 p.m.; $180 per person; JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, 19999 W Country Club Drive, Aventura; OpenTable; www.bourbonsteakmia.com; 786-279-6600.
Brasserie Laurel
Chef Michael Beltran’s upscale French restaurant in downtown Miami will offer a prix fixe menu served family-style that starts with caviar, oysters and lobster cocktail and striploin tartare. The main course features salmon en croute and prime rib plus side dishes. Dessert is Rum Baba or poached pear with caramelized white chocolate.
5-10 p.m.; 698 NE First Ave., G170 at Miami Worldcenter; $90 per person; www.brasserielaurel.com; 305-330-9048.
Eva
Ariete Hospitality’s newest restaurant in CocoWalk will offer a Mediterranean menu for Christmas with such dips as spicy feta and hummus, starters such as arugula with figs and baked eggplant. Main course is a choice between roast chicken with chestnut stuffing or roast lamb. Dessert is orange pie with chocolate baklava and ice cream.
5-10 p.m.; $75 per adult, $45 per child under 12; 3015 Grand Ave. at CocoWalk, Coconut Grove; www.evacoconutgrove.com; 305-603-9009
Icebox Cafe
Both locations of this restaurant (Miami Beach and Hallandale) will be open regular hours on the holiday with its regular menu, including brunch. The restaurant, which serves American favorites, is famous for its luscious desserts, and it’s Christmas. Give yourself a gift and have two.
Miami Beach: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; 1855 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach; iceboxcafe.com; 305-538-8448
Hallandale: 10 a.m.- 10 p.m.; 219 NE Third St., Hallandale Beach; 754-777-7255
Isabelle’s
This restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove is offering a brunch with an eggs and omelet station, a seafood raw bar and a hot cocoa bar. Other highlights include gingerbread pancakes and five-peppercorn rubbed rib eye with roasted Brussels sprouts and pancetta.
11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; $110 per adult, $65 per child 5-12; 3300 SW 27th Ave., Miami; reservations required; 305-644-4675 or by email at isabellescoconutgrove@ritzcarlton.com
Italica Midtown
This Italian a la carte brunch includes French toast with Nutella, Asiago cheese-stuffed gnocchi with short rib and — of course — pizza. Yes, you are allowed to eat pizza on Christmas.
11 a.m.-4 p.m.; 3201 First Ave., Miami; italicaus.com; 786-850-2600
Lightkeepers
This oceanfront spot at the The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne will feature a special buffet with caviar, sushi and chilled seafood, carving stations, a kids’ buffet and desserts. A beverage package for wine, beer and sparkling wine is available for $39 plus tax.
12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.; $185 per adult, $69 per child; 455 Grand Bay Drive, Key Biscayne; ritzcarlton.com; 305-365-4156
Mayfair Grill
The restaurant at the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden in Coconut Grove will offer a three-course dinner with choices like winter greens, wood oven crab dip and pozole, with such entrees as sour orange pork loin, prime rib roast and grilled red grouper, with a gingerbread roulade cake as dessert. A kids’ menu includes grilled ham with cherries and pineapple, green beans, masthed potato, cornbread and sugar cookies. Also available on Dec. 24.
5-11 p.m.; 3000 Florida Ave., Miami; $65 per adult, 21 per child; Resy; www.mayfair-grill.com; 305-441-0000
Ocean Social by Chef Tristen Epps
Spend the holiday by the beach with a four-course holiday feast (also available on Christmas Eve). Start with yellowfin tuna tataki or foie gras ganache tart, then enjoy a second course of potato and crab dumpling or honeynut squash lasagna. Main course has three choices: Szechuan honey-glazed duck, Mishima wagyu eye of rib or King salmon. Dessert is a chocolate ganache bar or coquito Basque-style cheesecake.
5-9 p.m.; $110 per person; 4525 Collins Ave. at the Eden Roc Miami Beach; OpenTable; www.edenrochotelmiami.com/ocean-social; 786-961-6043.
Red Rooster
The Overtown restaurant from Marcus Samuelsson and partners is serving up a fixed-price dinner family-style. Choose two items from the “small shares” list — cornbread, salt fish cakes and pumpkin fritters, Caesar salad — then choose an entree such as Cajun spiced smoked turkey breast and barbecue pulled turkey legs, smothered curry turkey wings or St. Augustine shrimp perlot. Desserts include Key lime bread pudding and chocolate bourbon pecan pie.
4-10 p.m.; 920 NW Second Ave., Miami; $75 per adult; $20 for kids under 12; redroosterovertown.com; 305-640-9880
The Strand at Carillon Miami
Enjoy a holiday brunch at this Miami Beach hotel with $28 bottomless mimosas and an a la carte menu that includes griddled chocolate bread pudding; whole wheat apple pancakes; Panettone French Toast; pistachio waffles; lobster Benedict; steak au cheval; or a fried chicken sandwich.
11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; 6801 Collins Ave.; Miami Beach; Open Table; www.strandcarillonmiami.com; 305-514-7474
Zeru
Enjoy coastal Mediterranean Basque cuisine in Brickell via three-course meal that opens with bites like black cod brandada or Iberian ham croquette, then moves on to wild mushroom cannelloni or figs and foie brioche. Main course is a choice of roast turkey or suckling pig, with brie cheesecake with roasted figs and cognac ice cream for dessert or dates with nuts, golden ingot and whisky ice cream.
5:30-11 p.m.; $165 per person with cava; $185 per person with champagne; optional wine pairing $60; 1395 Brickell Ave., Miami; www.zerumiami.com; 786-809-1395
