One of the best things about the holiday season is all the nostalgic and delicious food we get to enjoy. Lincoln Square has many restaurants, cafés, and bakeries to find your favorite sweet and savory dishes for Christmas, Hanukkah, and the holiday gathering of your dreams!

Looking to celebrate by eating out? On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Nougatine by Jean-Georges (1 Central Park West) is offering a special three-course menu, and Jean-Georges, the two-star Michelin restaurant at the same address, has three- and six-course tasting menu options, available for three people or more on Christmas Day. Robert at the Museum of Arts & Design (2 Columbus Circle) has a three-course menu on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You can also celebrate at MO Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental, New York (80 Columbus Circle), which is serving a festive Christmas Day brunch buffet featuring a beef carving station, caviar, lobsters, and dessert stations—a great way to enjoy the holiday with loved ones.

Lincoln Square is also the perfect place to mark Christmas with a New York classic, Chinese food and a movie. Check out what’s playing at AMC Lincoln Square 13 (1998 Broadway at 68th Street) and Film at Lincoln Center (144 & 165 West 65th Street), and then head to Shun Lee West and Shun Lee Café (43 West 65th Street) for traditional fare in an elegant setting, or order in from Wok City (153 Amsterdam Avenue).

Lincoln Square’s supermarkets make it easy to entertain without cooking all day. Whole Foods Market (10 Columbus Circle) has special catering menus dedicated to Christmas and Hanukkah, Gourmet Garage (155 West 66th Street) has you covered with kosher and non-kosher Hanukkah packages and a winter holiday menu, and Morton Williams (2015 Broadway at 68th Street) has catering options that are great for hosting any holiday party. For an Asian-American twist on Christmas dinner, Momofuku Noodle Bar Uptown (10 Columbus Circle) is also offering a Christmas Bo Ssäm Take-Home Feast, available for pickup on December 23 or 24, featuring brown sugar-glazed slow-roasted pork shoulder with accompanying sauces and sides, ready to reheat at home.

Dessert takes center stage with many specialty items around the neighborhood. Breads Bakery (1890 Broadway at 63rd Street) is known for its babka, but it has many Hanukkah delicacies available for pre-order. At Breads, you can find sufganiyot (deep-fried doughnuts) in five flavors, as well as latkes and rugelach. Rosetta Bakery (1928 Broadway at 64th Street) is where to go for classic Christmas Holiday Specials, including panettone (a dome-shaped Italian sweet bread), and the Rosetta Christmas Tree, an artistic puff pastry composition with fresh custard cream. Maman (152 Columbus Avenue at 67th Street), the French bakery and café, has teamed up with none other than Martha Stewart to create a Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie made with freshly grated ginger. Click here for the rest of their menu, including more holiday-inspired treats! Magnolia Bakery (200 Columbus Avenue at 69th Street) has a wide range of holiday desserts and sampler packs with cute decorations. Cap off a cold winter night with an indulgent hot chocolate with a generous layer of whipped cream from Amorino (44 West 63rd Street) or hot chocolate with marshmallows from Breads Bakery (1890 Broadway at 63rd Street).

Lastly, while Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurants in Lincoln Square are temporarily closed, you can still order one of his many holiday-themed gift boxes or Bûche de Noël in three different flavors. You can also roll up your sleeves with Chef Boulud’s Bake-at-Home Hanukkah Sugar Cookies Kit! Each kit has sugar cookie dough, Hanukkah cookie cutters, and royal icing to decorate for a guaranteed fun time in the kitchen.

With holiday food squared away, all that’s left is to find great gifts. For inspiration, visit the Lincoln Square BID’s Neighborhood Guide for a full list of businesses in the neighborhood and read our recent story about where to find unique gifts nearby.

Whether you’re looking for a meal after a show, post-dinner drinks, or you’re simply a night owl, Lincoln Square has you covered for bars and restaurants that are open late!

There is something for every taste when hunger strikes late in Lincoln Square. Italian restaurant Canto (2014 Broadway between 68th and 69th Street) is open daily until midnight, with the last reservation available at 11:00pm. American restaurant The Smith (1900 Broadway between West 63rd and 64th Street) is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, making it a great late-night spot on weekends. Recent addition to the neighborhood, Olde City (201 Amsterdam Avenue at West 69th Street), an eatery specializing in Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks, is open daily until midnight, though hours may change in the coming months. Steps away from Lincoln Center, there are a few options in The Empire Hotel (44 West 63rd Street) that are perfect for after a performance. Mexican restaurant Rosa Mexicano is open until midnight on Thursdays and 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays, according to their website. Some of the best burgers in the city can be had at P.J. Clarke’s, which is open until midnight on Tuesday through Saturday. For drinks with a fantastic view of the neighborhood, check out The Empire Rooftop, until 1:00am on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 1:30am on Saturdays, and midnight on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, according to their website.

Late-night bars with extensive wine lists and exciting cocktails abound in Lincoln Square. ZiZi Wine Bar (2012 Broadway between West 68th and 69th Street) specializes in the flavors of the Mediterranean and is open until 1:00am Monday through Saturday. French-American Vanguard Wine Bar (189 Amsterdam Avenue between West 68th and 69th Street) is open until 2:00am from Monday to Saturday and midnight on Sundays (kitchen closes two hours before closing time). There are a pair of chic destinations at Mandarin Oriental, New York (80 Columbus Circle, 35th Floor). First, MO Lounge offers spectacular views of Central Park and is open until midnight from Thursday to Saturday (the last seating for dinner is at 10:30pm). Second, The Bar, a reimagined speakeasy inspired by the flavors of the Silk Road, is open until 1:00am from Tuesday to Saturday, according to their website. For great views of Columbus Circle, head to Ascent Lounge in The Shops at Columbus Circle (10 Columbus Circle). Ascent is open until 3:00am on Fridays and Saturdays, 1:00am from Tuesday to Thursday, and midnight on Mondays.

Sometimes nothing hits the spot on a late night like a quick, deli-style meal on the go. For takeaway prepared food and convenience store supplies, check out Gourmet Square (201 Amsterdam Avenue at West 69th Street), open daily until 1:00am, and Alan’s Marketplace (27 Columbus Avenue at West 60th Street), open every day until midnight.

While the performances don’t always go past midnight, it’s worth mentioning Jazz at Lincoln Center‘s Late Night Sessions. On Thursday through Saturday, Dizzy’s Club (10 Columbus Circle) hosts the final set of the night, beginning at 10:45pm. There is a $15 minimum for these performances, which showcase the energy and spontaneity of jazz late into the night. 

Enjoy the night out in Lincoln Square!

Note: Restaurants and bars may change their hours for holidays, private events, or other occasions. We suggest always calling in advance to check current hours and availability. 

Photo credit: The Smith