As is true almost everywhere, Christmas is a holiday that locals celebrate en famille, preparing meals at home that feature seasonal treats like Champagne, sea scallops, roasted birds, truffles (if they can find one), foie gras, and the traditional bûche de Noël.
The vast majority of Paris restaurants will be closed for Christmas (see our calendar of holiday closures), but a few will be open and serving holiday meals. We’ve summarized your options below and will continue to add to this post as we receive additional replies from the restaurants in our guide.
You can also consult our guide to Celebrating New Year’s in Paris Restaurants and our schedule of which Paris restaurants will be closing for (or before, between and after) the holidays.
Christmas Eve (Le Réveillon de Noël)
Staggeringly Expensive (more than 600€ without wine)
- Le Cinq - 700€ will get you a special Christmas menu accompanied by a jazz quartet (go earlier to listen to the gospel choir from 3:30-6:30pm).
- Le Meurice – for 650€ not including drinks, the menu includes sea scallops, sea bass with celery and citrus, lobster with jerusalem artichokes, warm game pâté, and desserts.
Very Expensive (more than 200€ without wine)
- Lucas Carton - For 299€ with wine or 229€ without wine, the menu includes lobster carpaccio marinated in lemon and bergamot with crusty almonds and a parmesan cheese cigar, glazed foie gras with exotic fruits, scallops with truffles and roast capon with celery root and truffle risotto. Finish it off with the delightful-sounding “Sweet Pear and Ginger interlude.”
- L’Arpège will be open for lunch and dinner with “festive options”, but no fixed menu.
- La Tour d’Argent will be open on December 24 and December 25, serving their “normal” à la carte menu.
Expensive (more than 90€ without wine)
- Le Violon d’Ingrès – for 150€ (not including wine) their Christmas Eve menu includes mi-cuit foie gras, sea scallop tartare with a citrus marinade, Lobster “cooked like a gratin dauphinois” served with trout eggs and Arvuga caviar, truffled volaille de Bresse, and truffled Brie de Meaux. Also served at a reduced price on Christmas Day.
- Les Ombres - for 170€ per person including all-you-can-drink Champagne (but no other wine), the menu includes amuses bouche, starters of foie gras and sea bass, roasted scallops, roast capon and several desserts, plus coffee, mineral water and an Eiffel Tower view. Reserve online.
- Le Marché du Lucas- for 98€ (not including drinks), the menu includes an amuse-bouche, steamed duck liver in cabbage leaf, Culoiseau young hen breast, creamy truffle risotto, an equally-delightful sounding “Christmas interlude” and then a candied chestnut Vacherin (meringue cake). This is the more casual bar above the restaurant Senderens (described above).
Moderate (less than 90€ without wine)
- Au Clocher de Montmartre – For 69€ including a a glass of Champagne, a bottle of wine and bottled water, Au Clocher de Montmartre is offering a Christmas Eve menu with a choice of foie gras or comté ravioli served in a velvety pumpkin soup with a truffle emulsion, filet of sea bass or guinea fowl with mushrooms, and a choice between two Buche de Nöel. Also includes coffee and mignardises. Prepayment required. Reserve online.
- Chamarré Montmartre – For 89€ not including wine, they will be serving a 6-course menu, starting with oysters and caviar, steamed seabass, Poularde de Bresse and mushrooms, rounded off by a citrus Buche de Nöel. Deposit of 50€ per person required at reservation. Reserve online.
Christmas Day (le jour de Noël)
- Le Meurice – For 650€ not including drinks, their Christmas menu includes sea scallops, sea bass with celery and citrus, lobster with jerusalem artichokes, warm game pâté, and desserts.
- Le Cinq will be open for lunch and dinner, serving a 450€ special menu.
- Les Tablettes – will serve a 170€ (260€ with wine) Christmas menu, served for lunch and dinner on the 25th. You will be served amuse-bouches, a starter, fish, a pre-main course (of course), a main course, cheese, desserts, chocolates and coffee. Includes: scallops, macaroni with black truffles, capon with caramelized fruit and vegetables, Brillat Savarin with Armagnac-marinated dried fruits
- Le Violon d’Ingres – for 100€ not including wine (50€ less than Christmas Eve) their Christmas Day menu includes mi-cuit foie gras, sea scallop tartare with a citrus marinade, Lobster “cooked like a gratin dauphinois” served with trout eggs and Arvuga caviar, truffled volaille de Bresse, and truffled Brie de Meaux. Reservations only.
- L’Arpège will be open for lunch and dinner with “festive options” but no fixed menu.
- L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Saint-Germain will be open, but is not necessarily doing a special holiday meal. No reservations.
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