DC Restaurants That Go All Out for Christmas: The Most Festive Decorations in Washington (2026)
The restaurants that actually decorate for Christmas, sorted by how far they take it, with a map and booking tips
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Every restaurant in this guide decorates for Christmas, and a few of them barely stop. Filomena in Georgetown fills its dining room with trees, lights and holiday scenes until there is hardly a bare surface left. Martin's wraps its old tavern in greenery and red bows. La Grande Boucherie puts a statement tree in a room built for one. Old Ebbitt and Clyde's post giant nutcrackers at the door, Floriana builds a themed tree on the sidewalk, and the Willard, Riggs and Four Seasons dress their lobbies so the walk to the table is part of the evening.
We've sorted them by how far the decorating goes: restaurants that transform the whole room, restaurants with one showpiece display worth a detour, hotel restaurants where the lobby does the work, and two quieter options for a cozy meal or a drive. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day often have separate menus, hours and booking arrangements, so check those before you book.
Use the map to compare restaurants around Georgetown, Downtown, Penn Quarter and Dupont Circle. Open a pin for what's decorated, where the display sits, and the reservation link.
At a Glance: Which DC Restaurants Decorate for Christmas, and How Far They Go
| Restaurant | Area | What they decorate | How far they take it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filomena Ristorante | Georgetown | The entire dining room: trees, lights, holiday scenes | All the way; the most decorated restaurant in DC |
| Martin's Tavern | Georgetown | Tavern interior and exterior: wreaths, garland, red bows | Fully dressed, in a traditional way |
| La Grande Boucherie | Downtown | Statement tree and holiday dressing in the grand dining room | One big room, done for drama |
| Le Diplomate | Logan Circle | Tree and garlands through the brasserie | Fully dressed, lively |
| 1789 Restaurant | Georgetown | Traditional decorations in the historic townhouse rooms, with a fireplace | Elegant and complete, not showy |
| Old Ebbitt Grill | Downtown | Giant nutcrackers at the entrance, holiday interior | A signature display plus a dressed room |
| Clyde's of Georgetown | Georgetown | Giant nutcrackers at the M Street entrance | The entrance is the show |
| Floriana | Dupont Circle | Annual themed tree outside the townhouse | One outdoor centerpiece |
| Urban Roast Penn Quarter | Penn Quarter | Themed photo spaces inside | Exuberant, room by room |
| Café Riggs | Penn Quarter | Designer tree in the Riggs hotel lobby | One lobby showpiece |
| Café du Parc | Downtown | The Willard's decorated public spaces, nightly caroling | The whole hotel, grandly |
| Bourbon Steak | Georgetown | Four Seasons trees and seasonal displays in the hotel | The hotel, not the dining room |
| Tabard Inn | Dupont Circle | A fireplace lounge and art-filled dining rooms, lightly dressed | The cozy alternative, not a showpiece |
| L'Auberge Chez François | Great Falls, VA | Lights inside and out, decorated trees and fireplaces at a country inn | Fully dressed, and worth the drive |
If the decorations are the point, book Filomena. For the grandest single room, La Grande Boucherie. For a tavern that looks like a Christmas card, Martin's. For a display the kids will remember, the nutcrackers at Old Ebbitt or Clyde's.
DC Restaurants That Transform the Whole Room for Christmas
These five dress the entire dining room. You are surrounded by it from the moment you sit down.
Filomena Ristorante
1063 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Trees in the corners, lights across the ceiling, holiday scenes in every direction: Filomena decorates for Christmas the way a family with decades of ornaments would, which is to say everything comes out. It is the most decorated restaurant in Washington, and the decorations are the reason to book. The meal matches the scale: handmade pasta, rich sauces and substantial Italian cooking, so come hungry and give the evening time. Put it near the top of the reservation list, and if December dinners are full, a lunch or weekday table still gets you the full display. Details: 1063 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Georgetown. On Christmas Eve the dinner menu is served all day, including at lunchtime.
Martin's Tavern
1264 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Wreaths in the windows, garland along the bar and red bows through the booths: Martin's dresses its old Georgetown tavern for December in the traditional way, and the effect is a Christmas card you can eat in. The menu stays comfortable, with shepherd's pie, a tavern burger, seafood and the turkey-and-rarebit Martin's Delight. It's built for a long lunch after shopping or an evening with people you actually want to catch up with, and it suits couples and smaller family tables. Details: 1264 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Georgetown. Book if the meal is the point; the coziness comes with a busy tavern atmosphere.
La Grande Boucherie
699 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA
A tall Christmas tree in a tall, richly detailed room: the Downtown brasserie's holiday dressing suits its theatrical style, and the tree has the space to make an impression. This is the dramatic choice for a date, a holiday birthday, or the dinner where everyone decided to dress up. Steaks and French classics anchor the menu, so the night can be frites and a glass of red or a seafood tower and a bottle. Details: 699 14th Street NW, Downtown, the Washington branch. Ask about the main dining space when you reserve; the tree is the room's centerpiece and a quieter corner won't show it.
Le Diplomate
1601 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
A Christmas tree, garlands through the dining room and the noise of a full brasserie: Le Diplomate decorates generously and then fills the place, which is most of the fun. French onion soup, steak frites, roast chicken and the burger keep the menu approachable, and it works equally well as brunch, lunch or dinner. Details: 1601 14th Street NW, Logan Circle. Book indoors; the decorated room is the point and the sidewalk cafe is a different experience in December. A weekday lunch helps if dinner is full.
1789 Restaurant
1226 36th St NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Traditional holiday decorations through a historic Georgetown townhouse, antique furnishings and a wood-burning fireplace: 1789 decorates completely but quietly, in keeping with the building. It's the pick for a Christmas-season dinner that feels intimate and considered, an anniversary, dinner with parents, or an evening that deserves several courses and a bottle. The seasonal American menu sets it apart from the Italian and French rooms above. Details: 1226 36th Street NW, Georgetown, dinner only. The fireplace is in one dining room; ask which room your reservation can be placed in if it matters.
One Showpiece Display: DC Nutcrackers and Christmas Trees Worth a Detour
Each of these has a single signature decoration you'd cross town to see, with a dressed room or a playful space behind it.
Old Ebbitt Grill
675 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA
The enormous holiday nutcrackers flanking the 15th Street entrance are a Washington landmark for the season, and the old saloon interior is decorated behind them. Oysters are the obvious start, but the menu covers seafood, burgers and familiar American dishes, with a children's menu, which matters when several generations are at the table. Details: 675 15th Street NW, Downtown. A practical anchor for a holiday afternoon near the White House, especially once the National Christmas Tree opens. Reserve a dining table; it's busy and sociable.
Clyde's of Georgetown
3236 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
The giant nutcrackers at the M Street entrance are Clyde's signature holiday moment, so take a minute with them before heading inside to the wood-paneled tavern and its comfortable dining nooks. A broad American menu is the practical advantage: burgers, sandwiches, seafood and a dedicated children's menu make it easy to feed a mixed group. The room is more restrained than Filomena's, which is the point when you want a Christmas moment with familiar food and a relaxed occasion. Details: 3236 M Street NW, Georgetown. Book for a family lunch, an early dinner with children, or a casual catch-up.
Floriana
1602 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Floriana's annual outdoor tree, built with a new theme each year, is a Dupont Circle event in itself and rewards a closer look before you go in. The decoration is on the sidewalk, so see it on the way in, then settle into the townhouse for handmade pasta, steaks and chops. It suits a date or a small dinner with friends, especially with a walk through the neighborhood. Details: 1602 17th Street NW, Dupont Circle. Choose an indoor table for the meal and enjoy the tree before or afterward.
Urban Roast Penn Quarter
916 G St NW # C-2, Washington, DC 20001, USA
Themed Christmas spaces built for photos: Urban Roast decorates its Penn Quarter location room by room, and the result is exuberant rather than elegant. Come with a group that wants pictures, a casual bite and something sweet. Brunch, shared plates, hot chocolate or dessert are the right uses, and the menu includes a dedicated hot-chocolate-and-s'mores selection; for a long special-occasion dinner, the rooms above are the better choice. Details: 916 G Street NW, Suite C-2, Penn Quarter, the G Street location, not the Wharf branch. Layouts change each season, so ask which space you'll be seated in.
Hotel Restaurants in DC Where the Lobby Does the Decorating
The dining rooms here are handsome but restrained; the Christmas display is in the hotel around them, so leave time for the walk in.
Café Riggs
900 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
The Riggs hotel commissions a designer Christmas tree for its lobby each year, and the tree is the reason this hotel is on the list. Café Riggs, a contemporary American brasserie with French influences, gives you a proper meal to build the visit around: breakfast through dinner plus weekend brunch, with shellfish and a well-made cocktail for an indulgent December lunch. Details: 900 F Street NW, Penn Quarter. The tree is in the lobby, not the dining room, so plan to see it before or after you eat.
Café du Parc
at Willard InterContinental, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA
The Willard dresses its grand lobby and public spaces for an old-fashioned Washington Christmas, and for 2026 it has announced complimentary nightly lobby caroling from December 1 through December 23. Café du Parc, the hotel's French brasserie, is the full-restaurant way into that setting, serving throughout the day with time to walk the decorated spaces before or after your table. Details: 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Downtown. Christmas Day brunch on December 25, 2026 is served in the Willard and Crystal Rooms with the dessert spread in Peacock Alley: $195 per adult, $85 for children ages 5-12, children four and under complimentary, plus a 25% service charge and 10% sales tax; seatings at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., booked through the hotel's holiday dining team. Afternoon tea in Peacock Alley or the Willard Tea Room is a separate reservation with its own holiday calendar and pricing; choose Peacock Alley for the grand corridor.
Bourbon Steak
2800 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
The Four Seasons in Georgetown puts up Christmas trees and seasonal displays through the hotel, and Bourbon Steak is the dinner that goes with them: a modern American steakhouse with luxury-hotel service, for a December dinner that's meant to be the main event. The decorations are in the hotel rather than the dining room, so allow time in the public spaces on the way in. Details: 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Georgetown. For a daytime meal, Seasons is the hotel's separate breakfast, lunch and brunch restaurant; its 2026 holiday programs will need their own bookings once announced.
Cozy, and Worth the Drive
Two more for a winter celebration: one for a fire and a quiet room, one for a country inn lit up for the season.
Tabard Inn
1739 N St NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
The cozy alternative rather than a decorated one: a fireplace in the lounge, dining rooms filled with art, and a seasonal menu that gives you a reason to settle in after a cold walk. The appeal is the warmth of an old inn, with a gentler emphasis on Christmas spectacle; choose it when the ideal holiday outing is conversation over a meal and a drink by the fire. Details: 1739 N Street NW, Dupont Circle. The fireplace lounge and the main dining rooms are different spaces, so ask about the lounge if a fireside seat matters.
L'Auberge Chez François
332 Springvale Rd, Great Falls, VA 22066, USA
Lights inside and out, decorated trees and fireplaces: the Great Falls country inn has an established Christmas tradition, and the French and Alsatian cooking makes it a complete evening away from the city. The main restaurant's multicourse format suits a celebration with a partner or parents; give the meal time and plan the journey around it. Details: 332 Springvale Road, Great Falls, Virginia, a separate trip rather than a Downtown add-on. Jacques' Brasserie is the more casual option at the same property. The restaurant lists Christmas Day as a closure, so choose an earlier date or watch for Christmas Eve booking details.
Make an Afternoon or Evening of It
A Georgetown Christmas meal. Browse M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, then settle into Filomena, Martin's or Clyde's: Filomena when the decorations are the main attraction, Martin's for a tavern dressed like a Christmas card, Clyde's when the nutcrackers and a broad menu make the family logistics easier. For a more formal evening, book 1789 and give dinner a generous stretch of time.
A classic Downtown evening. Build the outing around Old Ebbitt's nutcrackers, La Grande Boucherie's tree or the Willard's lobby. Once the National Christmas Tree display opens, it's a natural companion to dinner in this part of town, and the Willard's December caroling gives an ordinary reservation a seasonal edge.
A Penn Quarter holiday afternoon. Pair the DowntownDC Holiday Market with the Riggs lobby tree and lunch at Café Riggs. Urban Roast is the playful choice for brunch, photos and a cocoa-and-dessert stop.
What to Know Before Booking a Decorated Restaurant in DC
Check that the decorations are up before you pick the date. Most of these restaurants decorate for December; a November booking may land before the display is ready, and decorations don't all stay up for the same length of time in January. Look for the restaurant's current seasonal photos or announcement first.
Book the room the decorations are in. Outdoor tables, hotel lounges and separate dining rooms can produce very different visits at the same address. Floriana's tree is outside; Riggs's tree is in the lobby; Urban Roast's themed rooms vary; at 1789 and Tabard Inn, ask about the room if the fireplace is important.
Try lunch or a weekday if dinner is full. The decorations are the same at noon. That helps most at the Georgetown favorites and Le Diplomate, and an earlier meal often works better with children. It doesn't automatically mean a cheaper holiday menu: Filomena serves its dinner menu throughout Christmas Eve.
Match the budget to the kind of meal. Clyde's and Martin's let you keep the order simple. At 1789, Bourbon Steak and L'Auberge, plan for a more substantial occasion. For a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day package, look at the full price, including required service charges and tax, before comparing it with an ordinary reservation.
Give a group a little more lead time. High chairs, stroller space, step-free access or a dietary accommodation are worth raising while arranging the reservation, especially in older townhouse settings where one room can work differently from another.
Save this list for December
Save the collection to keep every pin, the decoration notes and the booking links on your phone, then filter by Georgetown, Downtown or Penn Quarter when you're planning the week.
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