If you don’t plan to go out on Christmas Eve, you can visit restaurants with warm spaces and enjoy festive cuisine.
Diners looking for a private, less crowded Christmas party space can refer to the 5 locations suggested below, based on reviews from reputable sites like Tripadvisor and actual surveys. These locations have menus specifically designed for the festive season, dishes prepared in European style or variations incorporating local ingredients.
Ottimo House Trattoria
Address: Lotte Hotel Lobby, Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1
This restaurant is hidden in a “green oasis” right in the center of District 1, separate from the bustling streets of people and cars outside. The restaurant specializes in serving traditional Italian dishes with a menu of oven-baked pizzas, spaghetti, salads, soups, and steaks. The chef running the restaurant is of Italian origin. Diners coming to the restaurant have many seating options such as the bar area next to the open kitchen, where they can observe each step of handmade pizza making. The indoor area has tables for groups, tables for couples, and VIP rooms. The outdoor area is suitable for diners who like privacy, tables are spaced far apart so guests feel comfortable, with views of the swimming pool and green garden of more than 3,000 m2.
During the two main holidays December 24-25, diners dining here can enjoy Christmas choirs and live music performances. Santa Claus was also present to give gifts to the little guests. The party menu on the two days of Christmas costs from 1.2 million VND to 1.4 million VND.
Le Corto
Address: Nguyen Sieu, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
This is a French restaurant run by a French chef. In October, the restaurant was ranked by Tripadvisor as one of the 10 best fine dining restaurants in Vietnam. The travel advisory site describes this as a cozy destination that offers visitors high-end culinary experiences. Chef Sakal Pheoung, born in Cambodia and raised in Savoie, France, is the one who brings soul to the dishes at Le Corto. The menu was conceived by him, reflecting the culinary culture of two destinations closely associated with his life. Tripadvisor suggests that diners coming here should try pan-fried foie gras served with sauce and mango, tofu topped with salmon eggs and herbs grown in Da Lat.
Visitors to the restaurant during Christmas can try food sets designed specifically for the holiday. Set of 5 dishes includes scallops with mango sauce, white cheese and mashed beetroot; crab with lemon foam, sturgeon roe and seafood sauce; lobster served with avocado and passion fruit sauce; baby tenderloin and crushed chestnuts, mushroom and veal sauce; Dessert includes plum ice cream and squash shaved ice; fermented rice cream pudding. Set costs 2.5 million VND per person.
La Villa French
Address: Ngo Quang Huy, Thao Dien, Thu Duc City
The restaurant is a French-style villa hidden in the western neighborhood of Thao Dien, Thu Duc City. This place is quite far from the city center and takes a lot of time to find, but it has a quiet space, separate from the crowds of people coming out to celebrate Christmas. Surrounding the restaurant are trees, a garden with a swimming pool and a dining area.
La Villa French Restaurant also designed its own menu for Christmas Eve December 24 and December 25. Festival-themed dishes include Blue Lobster, Japanese scallops and black truffles. An impressive dish of French cuisine present on the menu is “Pithivier”. This dish has a puff pastry crust wrapped in French Duck breast, baked apples, duck liver, served with black truffle sauce. In addition to the Christmas menu prepared at the restaurant, the restaurant also serves a take-away menu of apple pie and typical festive cakes such as Buche de Noel or Galette des rois.
L’Usine
Address: Many branches
The restaurant has many branches in central locations such as Le Thanh Ton (District 1), Thao Dien (Thu Duc City), Phu My Hung (District 7), Dong Khoi (District 1). The space at each branch has its own mark. The restaurant also constantly changes decoration themes according to special occasions. Currently, all branches are decorated according to the Christmas theme. During the day, this is a coffee, tea, and cake shop. In the evening, the space changes into a restaurant.
Drinks and cakes dedicated to the holiday include log cake, coffee-flavored cappuccino mousse, and peanut butter hot chocolate. Diners coming for dinner can order specially designed Christmas dishes such as lobster spaghetti, pan-fried duck breast served with mashed pumpkin or pan-fried tuna with wasabi sauce.
Tomatio
This is a Spanish-style restaurant with striking red tones, located on Calmette Street, District 1. Entering the restaurant is like entering a house of someone who likes to collect many pictures and souvenirs. The space here is decorated with many details but does not create a confusing feeling. Diners coming to the restaurant are mainly tourists and foreigners living in Ho Chi Minh City.
The restaurant specializes in serving classic Spanish dishes. Christmas Eve here also has a traditional 8-course menu, with a hint of Gaur cuisine such as tube cakes stuffed with crab meat, sea urchin and fennel sauce; amberjack with Iberico black pork broth, grilled beef tenderloin with beef tongue dumplings, foie gras and beef marrow wine sauce; Spanish Christmas cake and rice milk ice cream. An 8-course Christmas-themed meal costs about 1.5 million VND.
($1~24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)