Houston Restaurants That Go All Out for Christmas (2026)
Rooms full of Christmas, decorated dining rooms and hotel holiday meals worth planning December around.
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These are the Houston restaurants that decorate for Christmas. Some go all out: a Montrose Italian spot with lights on every wall, a steakhouse that becomes a holiday showroom, a French brasserie hung with ornaments. Others are dining rooms dressed for a long December dinner, or grand hotels where gingerbread, trees and afternoon tea are part of the meal.
If you only book one, make it Riva's for the biggest display, Taste of Texas for a family dinner, Annabelle Brasserie for a dressed-up brunch, or The Houstonian for a full hotel Christmas evening. Most decorations go up in mid to late November and stay through December.
Houston's Most Festive Christmas Restaurants at a Glance
| Restaurant | Neighborhood | Decorations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riva's Italian Restaurant | Montrose | Goes all out | Friends or a date who love Christmas at full volume (13+ only) |
| Taste of Texas | Memorial / west Houston | Goes all out | A family steak dinner across generations |
| Annabelle Brasserie | Autry Park | Goes all out | A glamorous brunch or birthday lunch |
| Turner's | Uptown | Decorated dining room | A formal Christmas date |
| Brennan's of Houston | Midtown | Decorated dining room | Dinner before a show; Santa brunch Dec. 5 |
| Brasserie 19 | River Oaks | Decorated dining room | A lively dinner with friends |
| Cleburne Cafeteria | West University area | Tree and holiday music | An easy, lower-cost family meal |
| Rainbow Lodge | Timbergrove | Cozy cabin | A fireside Christmas date |
| Brenner's on the Bayou | Rice Military | Rustic bayou room | Steak dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day |
| TRIBUTE at The Houstonian | Memorial Park area | Hotel Christmas | A slow evening with the gingerbread and lights |
| Hotel Granduca (Remi) | Uptown Park | Hotel Christmas | Holiday tea, Santa breakfast, Christmas Day brunch |
Houston Restaurants that Go All Out for Christmas
These three are the reason to read this guide: rooms where the decorations are the main event.
Riva's Italian Restaurant
1117 Missouri St, Houston, TX 77006, USA
If you want the biggest Christmas display in Houston, start here. Every wall of this old-school Montrose Italian spot is covered in lights, garlands and ornaments, with oversized holiday figures and a few more additions each year; decorating starts the week before Thanksgiving. Come for pasta and Italian comfort food, then take your time looking around. A fun pick for friends or a date who likes Christmas at full volume. Details: No children under 13. Seating is arranged by phone at 713-529-3450, so call ahead, especially with a group.
Taste of Texas
10505 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77024, USA
Taste of Texas turns its steakhouse into a Christmas showcase, with garlands, lights, jeweled trees and a nutcracker collection big enough that walking the room is part of the evening. The easiest recommendation for a family dinner that spans three generations. The 6-ounce filet is $48 and includes a trip to the salad bar, homemade bread and a side. Details: Reservations open 30 days ahead; largest table seats 12. No strollers in the dining room. Christmas Eve opens at 10:30 a.m., with waitlist names taken until 7 p.m.; closed Christmas Day. The decorations are up from early November through New Year's Day. The November decoration tours are sold out and separate from dinner reservations.
Annabelle Brasserie
811 Buffalo Pk Dr Ste 100, Houston, TX 77019, USA
Annabelle changes its decor with the seasons, and Christmas is its most glamorous turn: the overhead floral canopy gets layered with oversized ornaments, wrapped presents, ribbon and greenery. Ask for an indoor table. The menu is classic French brasserie (onion soup, raclette, steak frites); at brunch, pain perdu is $19 and the 6-ounce steak frites $42. Book it for a dressed-up December brunch or birthday lunch. Details: Two-hour table limit. A 3% operations fee is added to the check.
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Decorated Dining Rooms for a Christmas Dinner in Houston
These restaurants dress up for the season without taking over every surface. Choose one when the meal matters as much as the decor. For something quieter, Rainbow Lodge trades the lights for fireplaces in a century-old log cabin.
Many festive restaurants close or change hours on December 25, so confirm before you plan around one. Brenner's on the Bayou, at the end of this section, is open for dinner on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and Remi at Hotel Granduca (below) serves Christmas Day brunch. Taste of Texas is closed on Christmas Day.
Turner's
1800 Post Oak Blvd. Entrance on, Ambassador Way, Houston, TX 77056, USA
Turner's decorates its intimate, old-fashioned dining room for long December dinners, and last season it added holiday lunches with live piano. The most formal Christmas date on the list: Dover sole, truffle chicken pot pie ($45) and beef Wellington for two ($120). Book it for an anniversary or a December birthday. Details: Strict dress code for men (jacket, long-sleeved button-up, slacks, dress shoes; no jeans or sneakers). 3% operations fee. Parties of five or more book by phone; cancelling within 48 hours costs $75 a person. Entrance on Ambassador Way. Closed Christmas Day.
Brennan's of Houston
3300 Smith St, Houston, TX 77006, USA
Brennan's dresses its elegant Creole dining rooms for the holidays and hosts Brunch with Santa on Saturday, December 5, 2026, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ($79 adults, $38 children, plus tax and service; call 713-522-9711, no online booking). From December 1 through 23, the Réveillon menu ($115) runs four courses, from lobster bisque to bread pudding soufflé. At dinner, start with turtle soup and leave room for bananas Foster. The easiest dinner before the ballet, symphony or theater: the B-Line shuttle ($5 a person) runs to the Wortham, Jones Hall, the Alley and the Hobby Center. Details: Online reservations open up to two months ahead for parties of six or fewer. Book the shuttle and holiday services by phone. Business casual, jackets preferred.
Brasserie 19
1962 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019, USA
Brasserie 19 decorates its busy River Oaks dining room for the season and has hosted piano nights and Christmas carols through December. The liveliest room on the list and the one to book for dinner with friends: oysters to start, then filet frites or trout almondine with a bottle of wine. Details: $10 valet or free parking in The Driscoll at River Oaks garage. Check the restaurant's calendar for 2026 music nights.
Cleburne Cafeteria
3606 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005, USA
Cleburne puts up a decorated tree and plays holiday music, and the effect is pure nostalgia: trays, homestyle cooking and almost no ceremony. The easiest Christmas meal on the list for grandparents and young kids. Online, turkey and dressing with cranberry sauce is $16.75 and chicken-fried steak $12.75, with sides priced separately. Details: Cafeteria service, no reservations; prices on the line can differ from the online menu. Open Sunday–Friday, closed Saturdays. Go earlier in the day in December.
Rainbow Lodge
2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, TX 77008, USA
If cozy matters more than decorations, book Rainbow Lodge: a century-old log cabin on White Oak Bayou with timber walls and fireplaces, about as close to a winter evening as Houston gets. Smoked duck gumbo, rainbow trout with lump crab ($42) and a wild game mixed grill ($57), plus steak, seafood and a vegetarian winter squash entrée. Details: Reserve an indoor table; the decks are uncovered. Business casual, no jacket needed. Some steps in the historic building; call 713-861-8666 for easier access.
Brenner's on the Bayou
1 Birdsall St, Houston, TX 77007, USA
A rustic steakhouse room beside Buffalo Bayou, and the rare festive-season table open on both holidays: Christmas Eve 5–9:30 p.m. and Christmas Day 5–10 p.m. Steak and seafood, with German potatoes and apple strudel. Not related to Brennan's of Houston, the Creole restaurant on Smith Street. Details: Book the holiday hours through the restaurant's location page.
Hotel Christmas Dining in Houston
Houston's grand hotels do Christmas on a bigger scale than any one restaurant, so plan the meal as part of a longer visit. If you're already in Uptown, The Post Oak Hotel's decorated lobby is worth a detour; its Bloom & Bee restaurant has a blown-glass flower ceiling all year, and the hotel books its own holiday events: Brunch with Santa at Bloom & Bee runs December 19, 20 and 24, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. ($95 adults, $58 kids, plus tax and gratuity), and Christmas Day dinner is three courses, noon–8 p.m. ($120 adults, $58 kids). Details and booking are on the hotel’s holiday page.
Granduca's events each have their own booking page: Holiday Tea, Breakfast with Santa and Christmas brunch at Remi. The Houstonian's public displays are listed on its holidays page.
TRIBUTE at The Houstonian
111 N Post Oak Ln, Houston, TX 77024, USA
The Houstonian fills its wooded grounds with lights and decorated trees and builds Merry Mansions, a gingerbread display above the Great Room's stone fireplace. Arrive early, walk the lobby, then sit down at TRIBUTE, where the cooking pulls from Texas, Louisiana and Mexico. Good for visiting family or a date who loves a grand hotel lobby. Details: Merry Mansions (November 27–January 1) and Mistletoe Moments (November 24–December 25) are open to the public. The tree lighting and Frosty's Follies brunch are for hotel guests and members only; a TRIBUTE reservation doesn't include them.
Hotel Granduca (Remi)
1080 Uptown Park Blvd, Houston, TX 77056, USA
Hotel Granduca turns the season into bookable events, the most kid-friendly hotel option on the list. Holiday Tea runs Fridays–Sundays from December 4, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. ($95 adults with prosecco, $55 ages 2–8, gingerbread cookie decorating). Breakfast with Santa is Saturday, December 19, 9:30–11:30 a.m. ($75 adults, $55 children, 75 guests). Remi's Christmas Day brunch runs December 25, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., à la carte, from Texas pecan French toast to $48 Barolo-braised short rib and bûche de Noël. Details: Each event books through its own link on the Granduca holidays page; a regular Remi table doesn't include them. Tea cancellations within 72 hours forfeit prepayment.
Tips for a Festive Christmas Dinner in Houston
Check December 25 before you plan around it. Brenner's on the Bayou and Remi are the Christmas Day options here, and Taste of Texas is closed.
Bringing kids to meet Santa? Brennan's and Granduca host Santa meals, and the rest of the city's visits are in our guide to seeing Santa in Houston.
Make it an evening. Follow dinner with a drink at one of Houston's Christmas bars and holiday pop-ups or a walk through the city's best Christmas lights; The Houstonian's Merry Mansions is in both guides.
Eating out on Thanksgiving first? Brenner's and Cleburne Cafeteria are both in our Houston Thanksgiving restaurants guide.
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