Restaurants open on Christmas Day in Toronto and Vancouver: how to find a table

Christmas Day is the quietest day of the year in Canadian restaurants. A majority of independent places close so their staff can be with their families, and transit runs a reduced service. That leaves visitors, people far from family and anyone who does not want to cook with a puzzle. Which restaurants are open? Each year's answer is different, so the useful skill is knowing which kinds of places stay open and how to find them.

What kinds of restaurants are usually open on Christmas Day?

• Hotel restaurants. Large hotels in Toronto and Vancouver often serve a festive buffet or a set menu on Christmas Day, with seatings and a fixed price.
• Chinese restaurants. In many Canadian cities, Chinese restaurants have long opened on Christmas Day, and dim sum and banquet meals fill up. Richmond, Scarborough, Markham and Chinatown districts are known for this.
• Pho and other Vietnamese restaurants, some Korean, Indian, Middle Eastern and Thai restaurants, which are run by owners who do not mark the holiday in the same way.
• Fast-food chains and diners, with reduced hours.
• Cinema complexes and entertainment venues, with food counters.
• Airport and station food courts.

A restaurant that is open does not mean its full menu is available. Some run a reduced menu.

How do you find an open restaurant?

1. Search in early December. Many restaurants post their holiday hours on their own pages and social media a few weeks ahead.
2. Phone. If a page says nothing, call. A phone answered in the afternoon of 24 December is a good sign.
3. Look at hotel pages. Hotels publish their Christmas menus in November.
4. Ask a neighbour or a local community group. Locals know which places stay open.
5. Check again on 24 December. Hours posted on third-party listings are often out of date.

Do you need to book?

Yes. Open restaurants fill up because there are fewer of them. Hotel seatings sell out, and Chinese restaurants fill with large family groups. Book as soon as you know your plans. Some places require a deposit or prepayment for Christmas Day.

What does Christmas dinner cost?

Set menus and buffets at hotels are usually priced per person, with different prices for children. A restaurant may add a holiday surcharge or a service charge for large groups. Menu prices do not include tax. Ontario adds 13 percent HST, British Columbia adds 5 percent GST to food, and alcohol carries an extra provincial tax in BC. At a table with a server, a tip of 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount is normal.

What if you cannot find an open restaurant?

• Takeout and prepared meals. Some grocery stores, delis and restaurants sell Christmas dinners to take home, ordered in advance.
• A picnic or a hotel breakfast. Hotels often serve breakfast to guests and visitors.
• Food banks and community meals. Many churches and community groups hold free Christmas dinners that welcome anyone.
• Friends and neighbours. Many Canadians invite people who are alone to join them.

What about Christmas Eve and Boxing Day?

Christmas Eve is a busy dinner night, with festive menus and early closes. Boxing Day, 26 December, is a public holiday in Ontario, so many Toronto restaurants have reduced hours, and it is not a statutory holiday in British Columbia, so more Vancouver restaurants open. Hours change every year, so call ahead.

What about New Year's Eve?

Many restaurants run special menus on 31 December, often with two seatings. Book in November. New Year's Day is a statutory holiday, and many places close or open late.

Are Christmas markets a good option?

Yes. Toronto's Distillery District and Vancouver's Christmas Market usually run through the weeks before Christmas, with food stalls and seasonal treats, but both close on Christmas Day or earlier. Check their pages.

How do you eat well on a budget on Christmas Day?

A hotel buffet is the most expensive option. A Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant meal is usually less costly, and sharing dishes keeps the bill down. Takeout and picnic ingredients bought on 23 or 24 December cost less than a restaurant meal. Some community organizations and churches serve free dinners, which are open to anyone who wants company.

What if you have dietary needs on Christmas Day?

Tell the restaurant when you book. Hotel kitchens are used to allergy requests and can often prepare a separate plate if they know in advance. Smaller restaurants running a reduced holiday menu may not be able to adapt, so ask before you commit.

How do you remember a good Christmas Day table?

Once you find a place that is open and does Christmas well, you want to find it again. In the Mosey app, rate the dish you ate and write a line about the day, such as "set menu, quiet room, kind staff". Keep a list called Christmas away from home with a section for dinner and one for the morning coffee, and share the invite link with friends who are also far from family.

Tags like Group Dining and Wheelchair accessible help the next person choose, and your note tells them what the day felt like.

More guides to read next:

• Food tours in Toronto and Vancouver: are they worth it, and how to choose one
• Restaurant deposits and cancellation fees in Canada: what diners should know (2026)
• Canadian holidays and restaurants: what is open in BC and Ontario (2026)

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.

On Christmas Day, open the Mosey app and rate the dish that felt like a gift.