Most Festive Christmas Restaurants in Atlanta (2026)
The Atlanta restaurants that decorate for the holidays, plus rooftop igloos and two Buckhead hotel teas, with 2026 dates as they're announced.
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These are the Atlanta restaurants that decorate for Christmas: dining rooms filled with lights and trees, themed transformations that change every year, and heated igloos on a rooftop above Ponce City Market. If the reason you're going out in December is to sit somewhere that looks and feels like the holidays, start here.
The guide covers intown Atlanta plus Sandy Springs, Chamblee, Alpharetta and Marietta, with two Buckhead hotel holiday teas at the end. More than half have set their 2026 dates, and each card says where things stand. These are festive picks for the whole season, not a list of restaurants open on Christmas Day.
Just want a drink somewhere festive? Our Atlanta Christmas bars and holiday pop-ups guide covers the bar side of the season.
Atlanta's Most Festive Christmas Restaurants at a Glance
| Restaurant | Area | 2026 dates | The decorations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amore e Amore | Inman Park | Now through the season; Santa dinners Nov 27–Dec 17 | North (Highland) Pole: lights, trees and ornaments in nearly every corner |
| Bistro Niko | Buckhead | To be announced | Big nutcrackers, garlands, lights and oversized reindeer |
| Santa's Hideaway at AltaToro | Midtown | Nov 20–Jan 10 | Heated, enclosed patio in lights and garlands, with weekend fire shows |
| The Blind Elf at Tin Lizzy's | Midtown | Opens Nov 6 | Over-the-top Christmas takeover at its new Midtown home |
| Holiday Cantina at Chicheria | Upper Westside | Nov 28–Jan 1 | Mexican holiday theme across the entire restaurant |
| 9 Mile Station igloos | Ponce City Market rooftop | Nov 27–Feb 14 | Private heated dining igloos with skyline views |
| Wood's Chapel BBQ | Summerhill | To be announced | Elf-themed transformation in 2025 |
| Rreal Tacos | Midtown, Buckhead, Beltline | Coming soon; dates to be announced | Christmas pop-ups with full decor and holiday drinks |
| La Semilla | Reynoldstown | To be announced | Caribbean Christmas theme in 2025 |
| The Select | Sandy Springs | To be announced | Upside-down Christmas trees hung from the ceiling |
| Lagarde American Eatery | Chamblee | To be announced | Festive makeover and seasonal cocktails |
| The Cape | Avalon, Alpharetta | To be announced | New winter theme; Cape Ski Haus with igloos in 2025 |
| Elf'd UP at UP on the Roof | Downtown Alpharetta | Nov 20–Dec 27 | Wall-to-wall kitsch across the bar and rooftop terrace |
| Hamp & Harry's | Marietta Square | Mid-November through New Year's | Room-by-room themes; Nutcracker in 2025 |
| Mac's Chophouse | Marietta Square | To be announced | Trees, evergreen wreaths and candlelight |
| Gianni & Mac's | Marietta Square | Opens Nov 20 | Après-ski chalet on the enclosed patio, plus dining igloos |
| Marietta Melt Yard | Marietta | From Nov 13 | Home Alone takeover with 10,000 lights |
| Astor Court, The St. Regis | Buckhead | Nov 27–Dec 24 | Afternoon Tea with Santa, with the hotel's towering tree |
| Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead | Buckhead | Nov 28–Dec 20 | Winter Wonderland High Tea |
Festive Christmas Restaurants in Atlanta
Intown is where you'll find the biggest transformations, from Amore e Amore's packed Inman Park dining room to the igloos on top of Ponce City Market. Santa's Hideaway, The Blind Elf, the 9 Mile Station igloos and Elf'd UP also appear in our Christmas bars and holiday pop-ups guide, which covers them as drinks-only stops.
Amore e Amore
467 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
Amore e Amore's North (Highland) Pole puts lights, Christmas trees and ornaments in nearly every corner, the most complete Christmas takeover on this list. The Italian menu holds up its end with lobster ravioli in Champagne sauce, meatballs, lamb osso buco and seafood. Santa and Mrs. Claus only join dinner on set nights, when kids get their own menu and can write letters to Santa. Details: Santa dinners are November 27 and December 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17. Children 12 and under are welcome until 7:30 p.m. The Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes is $130 per person. Closed Mondays.
Bistro Niko
3344 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30326, USA
Bistro Niko dresses its dining room in large nutcrackers, garlands, lights and oversized reindeer, giving a classic French bistro dinner a real dose of holiday glamour. It's the pick for a date or dinner with visiting parents over coq au vin and steak frites. Lunch and weekend brunch work if you'd rather go in daylight. Details: 2026 decoration dates to be announced.
Santa's Hideaway at AltaToro
33 Peachtree Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA
AltaToro wraps its heated, enclosed patio in lights, garlands and holiday decor, then serves its full Latin menu there alongside holiday cocktails. All ages are welcome, so it works for a family dinner as well as a night out with friends. Go on a Friday or Saturday between 7:30 and 10 p.m. to catch the fire shows. Details: November 20, 2026 – January 10, 2027. Select "Santa's Hideaway" when you book, not "Main Dining Room." There's no minimum spend, but everyone seated needs to order.
The Blind Elf at Tin Lizzy's Midtown
77 12th St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA
The Blind Elf has moved from Buckhead to Tin Lizzy's Midtown, covering the taqueria in over-the-top decorations and twinkling lights. It's open for lunch as well as dinner, which makes it the easy pick for a festive midday meal or an office outing. Tin Lizzy's tacos and queso stay on the menu, joined by short rib sliders, brie fondue and winter squash arancini, plus mocktails and a kids' menu. Details: Opens November 6, daily from 11 a.m. No closing date has been posted. Validate inside for two free hours in the on-site garage.
Holiday Cantina at Chicheria
202 Chattahoochee Row NW Ste c, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
Chicheria's Holiday Cantina takes over the entire restaurant with festive decorations and warm lights, inspired by Mexican holiday celebrations, with Posada Enchiladas, Yuletide Tortilla Soup, a build-your-own Fiesta de Tacos plate and mezcal hot chocolate on the holiday menu. The whole menu is gluten-free, which makes it an easy call for a group with mixed dietary needs. Details: November 28, 2026 – January 1, 2027. Chicheria becomes Amasa Westside at the same address in late November, so look for either name when you book. It's not the Amasa in Alpharetta.
9 Mile Station Dining Igloos
Ponce City Market, 1829, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA
The heated dining igloos on the Ponce City Market roof turn dinner into a winter outing with the skyline all around you. Each seats up to six for two hours, with its own server and the full 9 Mile Station menu. Book the dining igloos, not the Skate the Sky lounge igloos. Details: November 27, 2026 – February 14, 2027. Igloos are $150 for Sunday–Thursday dinner or weekend brunch and $200 for Friday–Saturday dinner, plus a $25 per person minimum and 20% gratuity. Prepaid and nonrefundable.
Wood's Chapel BBQ
85 Georgia Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, USA
Wood's Chapel went full Elf in 2025, with movie-themed decorations, photo spots and seasonal food and drinks through the Summerhill barbecue restaurant. It's the easiest family pick: smoked brisket, pork, chicken and turkey, a big dining room, and a game room with foosball and shufflepuck for kids who finish first. Details: 2026 theme and dates to be announced.
Rreal Tacos
100 6th St NE #110, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA
Rreal Tacos turns its Atlanta taquerias into Christmas pop-ups, with over-the-top decor, holiday cocktails and seasonal specials alongside the usual tacos and margaritas. Go with friends in holiday sweaters for a lively night, or bring kids for lunch or an early dinner before the bar crowd arrives. Details: Midtown, Buckhead and BeltLine (699 Ponce, next to Ponce City Market) locations. A Christmas bar is listed as coming soon. Participating locations and dates are still to be announced.
La Semilla
780 Memorial Dr SE Unit 4A, Atlanta, GA 30316, USA
La Semilla went Caribbean for Christmas in 2025, giving the dining room a tropical take on the holidays with coquito, hot chocolate and festive cookies. The whole menu is vegan Latin American cooking, so it's the natural pick for a plant-based group that wants a proper celebration dinner, with rum and agave cocktails and nonalcoholic options at the bar. Details: 2026 theme and dates to be announced.
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Festive Christmas Restaurants in Metro Atlanta
The suburbs decorate just as seriously. Each of these works best as its own night out rather than a stop on an intown crawl, so pick the one closest to you. In Marietta, leave time to stroll the Square before or after dinner.
The Select
6405 Blue Stone Rd Suite 200, Sandy Springs, GA 30328, USA
The Select hangs upside-down Christmas trees from the ceiling and strings colorful lights through the restaurant and bar. It sits next to the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center at City Springs, so it's an easy dinner before a show, and French onion soup, braised short rib and steak frites suit a dressed-up evening. Details: 2026 installation dates to be announced.
Lagarde American Eatery
5090 Peachtree Blvd Suite D-100, Chamblee, GA 30341, USA
Lagarde gives its Chamblee restaurant a festive makeover for the holidays, with seasonal cocktails to match, adding Christmas cheer to an already colorful room. The New Orleans-inspired menu covers a mixed group: jambalaya and shrimp po'boys for anyone leaning into Nola, a smash burger for anyone who isn't. Weekend brunch is another way in. Details: 2026 dates and seasonal drinks to be announced.
The Cape
700 Avalon Blvd, Alpharetta, GA 30009, USA
The Cape reinvents its winter look from year to year: an earlier Pink Christmas, then the 2025 Cape Ski Haus with fondue, a firepit and heated igloos. Pair it with holiday shopping at Avalon. The everyday menu leans South African and coastal, with whole red snapper, tuna tataki and ostrich sliders. Details: 2026 theme, dates and any igloo packages to be announced. The main dining room, covered rooftop and winter setups are different bookings.
Elf'd UP at UP on the Roof
33 S Main St, Alpharetta, GA 30009, USA
UP on the Roof buries its bar and cocktail terrace in kitschy, wall-to-wall Christmas decor, and the full dinner menu comes with it. Bring a lively group in their tackiest sweaters. Families are welcome before 8 p.m., and Brunch with Santa runs November 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details: November 20 – December 27, from 3 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The pop-up bar is walk-in only, and reservations are just for the heated outdoor tables.
Hamp & Harry's
168 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060, USA
Hamp & Harry's decorates room by room: in 2025 a Nutcracker theme gave each space its own storybook setting, following other elaborate themes in earlier years. American small plates, seafood, steaks and seasonal entrées mean the decorated rooms come with a full dinner. Book the restaurant; High Note, the music room, is separate. Details: Mid-November through New Year's, with a full holiday menu. Theme to be announced.
Mac's Chophouse
19 N Park Square, Marietta, GA 30060, USA
Mac's keeps Christmas traditional, with trees, evergreen wreaths and candlelight around a steakhouse dining room. Pick it over Hamp & Harry's when the group wants steak, wine and a classic holiday feel rather than a themed spectacle, like dinner with visiting family or a December anniversary. Details: 2026 holiday details to be announced.
Gianni & Mac's
85 Church St, Marietta, GA 30060, USA
Gianni & Mac's turns its enclosed patio into The Tipsy Chalet, an après-ski pop-up with twinkling lights, fur throws, boozy hot chocolate and a shareable ski gondola cocktail. The dining igloos go further: up to six guests share a four-course Italian-alpine menu at $75 per person, with a bottle of champagne and a round of limoncello included. Families should aim for one of the two Santa meals. Details: Opens November 20. Igloos carry a $400 minimum per reservation. Dinner with Santa is November 30, 5–9 p.m., and Lunch with Santa is December 21, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Marietta Melt Yard
800 Whitlock Ave NW, Marietta, GA 30064, USA
Melt Yard goes all in on Home Alone, with film-inspired installations throughout the restaurant, 10,000 lights inside and out, and pizza served in Little Nero's boxes. It's the most fun family pick in the guide: a themed menu, holiday movies and an arcade for kids who finish first. Walk-ins and reservations both work. Details: From November 13. End date to be announced.
Christmas Afternoon Tea in Atlanta
For a dressed-up afternoon instead of dinner, two Buckhead hotels run holiday teas with 2026 dates already listed. Book the tea itself, not a regular restaurant table.
Astor Court at The St. Regis Atlanta
88 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305, USA
The St. Regis goes big for the holidays with a towering Christmas tree, and Astor Court's 90-minute Afternoon Tea with Santa adds seasonal sweets, savory bites, live music and visits from Santa and an elf. It's the dressiest Santa outing in this guide. Details: November 27 – December 24, 2026. $110 ages 11 and up, $95 ages 3–10, before tax and holiday charges; prepaid and nonrefundable.
Waldorf Astoria Holiday High Tea
3376 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30326, USA
The Waldorf's Winter Wonderland High Tea is the grown-up version: scones, savory bites, seasonal sweets and a pot of tea, with a glass of house sparkling wine included and Champagne upgrades available. If Santa's the priority, book the hotel's separate Children's Tea with Santa instead, at $95–$155 per person. Details: November 28 – December 20, 2026, $155 per person.
Before You Book
- Book the experience you want. An igloo, a Santa tea and a regular table can be separate bookings at the same address.
- Match your date to the decorations. Restaurants serve normal dinner before the holiday setup goes up, so if the decor is the point, pick a date inside the announced run.
- Plan Santa separately. Decorations don't mean Santa shows up at every meal. Book the specific Santa seating or event.
More interested in cocktails than dinner? See our Atlanta Christmas bars and holiday pop-ups guide.
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