Where to order Christmas dinner in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario in 2023

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Updated for 2023.

If you’ve discovered the joys of ordering a takeout Christmas dinner in the last few years, you’re not alone. Young families, small groups and people who just don’t like cooking have all taken to the idea. Fortunately, restaurants and caterers in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and beyond are ready and eager again this year to provide you with a tasty holiday meal with all the trimmings—so you can spend the day relaxing with your peeps instead of sweating over the stove.

Wondering where to order Christmas dinner in Ottawa or Eastern Ontario? Check out these places offering holiday dinners for pickup or delivery. If I were you, I’d get my order in quickly, as demand can be high! This is a great way to support local restaurants and caterers, and you’ll get a holiday dinner with almost no dishes. Now that’s a win-win Christmas gift.

P.S.: If you have a favourite restaurant or caterer offering Christmas meals to go that isn’t on this list, let me know and I’ll do my best to add it!

Where to order Christmas dinners in Ottawa

Baccanalle: How about Christmas dinner with a Caribbean twist? My family has ordered several tropical-inspired holiday meals from Baccanalle and they have been DELICIOUS. You can choose jerk-spiced or apple-spiced turkey, with options such as callaloo, and coconut rice and peas. Each meal also comes with goodies like cornbread stuffing and cranberry-sorrel compote. You can order a meal for one, four or eight persons. Baccanalle also offers a vegan holiday feast. Pick up between December 21 and 24.

Biagio’s: This popular Italian restaurant on Richmond Road offers holiday dinners for one, two or four people, including Tuscan roasted cauliflower soup, turkey with all the trimmings, and chocolate cheesecake buddino. Order by December 12. Pick up on December 23 or 24.

Brookstreet Hotel: The Kanata hotel is offering a holiday dinner suitable for up to 10 people, featuring a whole turkey, stuffing, whipped mashed potatoes, veggies, cranberry compote and a litre of gravy. If all that isn’t enough, you can add on everything from a glazed Virginia ham to a truffle royale cake. Order by noon on December 13. Pickup information will be provided when ordering.

Bytown Catering: Bytown has take-home turkey dinners for six to eight people that include turkey, gravy, stuffing and dinner rolls, along with appetizers, potatoes, veggies, salad and a chocolate Yule log. You can add on lots of goodies, such as a maple-glazed smoked ham or sugar pie. Check with Bytown for delivery and pickup dates. (Scroll down the webpage for information, past the catering packages, to see the “holiday “take-home turkey dinner” package.)

Farm Boy: The local grocery store chain offers a Christmas dinner in a box that features either turkey or ham, comes with lots of sides, and feeds six to eight people (pick up on December 22, 23 or 24). There’s also a Christmas indulgence dinner for two with turkey and elegant accompaniments, such as parsnip soup garnished with a spiced pumpkin crunch, parmesan flan with balsamic tomato jam, and cinnamon custard (pick up on December 23 or 24). And to keep the party going, you can order a New Year’s Eve indulgence dinner for two featuring cream of truffle soup, braised beef medallions, salted dark chocolate torte and much more (order by December 27 and pick up on December 31).

NeXT: Ever wished you could enjoy celeb chef Michael Blackie’s cuisine at home? You’re in luck. From his Stittsville restaurant, you can get a five-course Christmas Dinner @ Home dinner for multiples of five guests, which you can pick up or have delivered to your home. The menu begins with a toasted baguette with olive-garlic confit and z’atar-spiced labneh, then ranges through an arugula salad with warm ginger and apple cider dressing, a cauliflower, preserved lemon and turkey confit, a roast galantine of turkey with lots of trimmings, and a ginger-pumpkin cheesecake.

Red Apron: This Centretown shop will be cooking up take-home holiday meals for two, six or eight people, for pickup or delivery on December 23 or 24 (the dates vary depending on the size of dinner ordered). Each package includes herb-roasted turkey, apple-sage stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, veggies and mashed potatoes (in the dinner for eight, the potatoes are mashed with sweet potatoes and topped with a pecan crumble).

Supperworks: This meal-prep company’s Nepean location is currently offering a wide range of holiday meal packages—including versions with prime rib or pumpkin-lentil lasagne instead of the traditional turkey (although that’s available, too). Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower sauté and maple-crumble mashed sweet potatoes are among the many sides you can add to your main package. All you need to do is pop the prepped goodies into the oven or a saucepan. Pickup is available on December 15, 16, 22 and 23.

Thyme and Again: This catering company gives you lots of choices for appetizers, mains, side dishes and desserts, including gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. The many options include bacon-wrapped dates, sage-roasted turkey, herb-stuffed pork loin, brown-butter mashed potatoes, mushroom and lentil Wellington, and gingerbread cheesecake. You can pick up on December 23 or 24, or arrange for delivery. The order deadline is December 16, subject to availability.

The Urban Element: This catering company is offering two Christmas dinner packages: a traditional turkey menu and a menu centered on a vegetarian tourtière. Both are available for pickup between December 22 and 24, and both are available for two, four or eight people. You can also add a range of other treats, such as a cheese board, ready-to-bake cookie dough or an Alsatian tart.

Takeout Christmas dinners in Eastern Ontario

AquaTerra, Kingston: This well-known Kingston restaurant’s take-home Christmas dinner serves six to eight and includes turkey, apricot-pistachio-leek stuffing, whipped potatoes, dessert and more. Order early for pickup on December 23 or 24. Supplies are limited.

Catered Affairs, Kemptville: This caterer is offering a take-home Christmas dinner package for groups of two, four or eight; all include brined turkey, herb and sweet onion confit dressing, whipped mashed potatoes, veggies, sticky toffee cake and more. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian options are available, too. Pick up on December 23 or 24.

C’Est Tout Bakery, Smiths Falls: I’ve enjoyed a lovely takeout picnic from C’Est Tout in the past, so I know they’re great with food-to-go! The holiday meal—including turkey, maple-roasted carrots, sticky toffee pudding and more—is sold individually, giving you lots of flexibility in group size. Order by December 15 for pickup on December 22 or 23. (You can also order extras such as sausage rolls, Yorkshire pudding and holiday cookies à la carte.)

Winchester Catering: Their you-cook-it Christmas dinner includes roasted turkey, bacon and sage stuffing, two salads, roasted potatoes and lots more, with all the instructions you need to prepare it. Check with them regarding pickup dates and instructions.

Do you have another recommendation for where to order Christmas dinner in Ottawa or Eastern Ontario? Let me know!

Want to whip up a global menu yourself, instead of cooking or ordering a traditional turkey? Here’s a list of international grocery stores in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais.

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, northern New York state and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide.

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