Food & Drink

Dining in a winter wonderland

If you’ve got a little free time during the holidays, wallow in the festive spirit while you still can by visiting these restaurants with over-the-top holiday decorations. Rolf’s German restaurant in Gramercy is often the go-to place for Christmas lights gone mad, but it’s crazy crowded as well, so check out these spots for an abundance of seasonal joy with
tasteful decor and tastier eats.

DINING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

*Dream Downtown
(355 W. 16th St.; 212-229-2559; dreamdowntown.com)

For the holidays, the Dream’s lobby has been transformed. But this wonderland isn’t full of cheesy snowmen. Instead, it’s an enchanted forest filled with magical animals including a giant (formerly live) polar bear.

Marble Lane, the steak joint and bar, provides great views.While you dine, the polar bear keeps watch along with his stuffed winter-weather friends: a caribou, an owl and a white peacock. Faux snow abounds.

PHOTOS: NEW YORK’S MOST FESTIVE RESTAURANTS

“The property’s owner was tired of being underwhelmed and overcharged by designers,” says Michael Lindenbaum, the hotel’s managing director. So for the holidays, the staff took over — to the delight of visitors who come in from the cold to check out the vignettes.

“We get a lot of offers from guests to buy the polar bear,” laughs Lindenbaum. But if the bear ever leaves the hotel, Lindenbaum gets first dibs. “I actually want to put it in my house,” he says.

DON’T MISS: The Dream got the 9-foot bear from TaxidermyMuseum.com. The plan was to rent it just for the holiday season, but due to its overwhelming popularity, the hotel is currently deciding on a place to display it year-round.

An adult male polar bear can weigh from 900 to 1,500 pounds alive, but postmortem and preserved, he comes in at 350. And don’t worry — this polar bear lived a rich, fulfilling life in the Arctic before he died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes.

TREAT YOURSELF: While you stroll through the scenery, sip on Marble Lane’s signature holiday cocktail, the “Holly & Ivy,” a blend of Belvedere grapefruit, Grand Marnier, POM juice and rosemary syrup, created by beverage director William Ward ($14). If all those animals are making you hungry for meat, sit down with the carne asada, a New York strip steak with poblano, cippolini onion and pico de gallo ($48).

FELIZ NAVIDAD

*Mamajuana Cafe and Wine Bar
(247 Dyckman St.; 212-304-1217; mamajuana-cafe.com)

Mamajuana’s combo of Taino Indian tradition and Old World Spanish vibe gives the place a flair you won’t find at your typical rice-and-beans joint. Outside, owner Susana Osorio spent $32,000 to light six trees (with 20,000 bulbs!) on her block and a neighboring one. “All of the businesses here have appreciated the decorations,” says manager Emmanuel Salazar.

DON’T MISS: A cup of Mamajuana’s holiday punch, made of apple cider, rum, clove, cinnamon, All Spice and a mystery mix of Mamajuana herbs ($9).

TREAT YOURSELF: To the delicious Mamajuana Paella ($30).

SEASONAL UNDER THE SEA

*Oceana (120 W. 49th St.; 212-759-5941; oceanarestaurant.com)

For four years now, Oceana’s executive pastry chef, Jansen Chan, has designed and created a huge gingerbread lighthouse for the window, as a nod to the seafood restaurant’s name. Having studied architecture at Berkeley, Chan is well-suited for the job and, this year, his creation is art deco-themed and stands approximately 6 feet tall (it gets bigger every year).

Chan builds the structure with inch-and-a-half-thick gingerbread that his team begins making in October, and uses sugar that has a caulk-like texture, to cement it. The lighthouse is entirely edible, but Chan doesn’t recommend nibbling at its windows — because it’s been there since Thanksgiving. “I think pieces just fell off,” he says, “but they disappear all the time.” Each day, Chan takes care to repair pieces that have broken or gone missing. “It draws a crowd to the window when I’m working on it,” says Chan. “People think I’m going to do something magical.”

DON’T MISS: The adorning scenery below the lighthouse is composed entirely of familiar sweets from your local Duane Reade. “We like to use everyday candy because it’s more fun when people see candies they identify with,” says Chan. “So there’s a KitKat fence, Nerds pathway and lollipop trees.”

TREAT YOURSELF: Try a festive appetizer, such as lobster tater tots ($16) from the bar menu. Or make it a wintry party with a pitcher of Big Apple Collins, composed of house spiced Laird’s apple brandy, house mulled apple cider, and citrus ($50). Want to taste one of Chan’s creations you can actually eat? Try the made-to-order apple brandy souffle with sour apple cream and maple soy sorbet ($14), and finish with a cozy cup of Valhrona chocolate mocha with Barrington Gold coffee ($7).

DECK THE BOWS

*The Water Club (The East River between 29th and 32nd streets; 212-683-3333; thewaterclub.com)

In addition to its amazing East River vistas, the Water Club’s interior views can’t be missed. Outside, large multicolored lights welcome you in, as do red and green flags that replace the traditional nautical ones. But it’s the 9-foot wreath hanging above the front doors that really takes the decor to a whole new level.

Inside, the main event is a custom-built train display, featuring three separate train-track routes and 15 little houses. “We’ve had it for many years,” says the Water Club’s interior designer, Marley O’Brien, “but it takes a lot of work to put together each year.”

DON’T MISS: Full-size trees within the miniature train display host more than 1,000 Old-World Christmas handcrafted glass ornaments, and the entire club boasts more than 6,000 lights. Feast your eyes on another tree covered entirely with poinsettias.

TREAT YOURSELF: Warm up with lobster bisque for your appetizer ($11) before enjoying fresh Maine lobster, de-shelled tableside and served with butter melted over a candle (market price). The Mashed Potatoes O’Keeffe (named after the owner) are a favorite side dish, thanks to a house mixture of cream, butter, raw onions and scallions ($7). For a warm winter dessert, let your taste buds marvel at the molten chocolate cake with peppermint-stick ice cream from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory ($11).

YE OLDE IRISH TWINKLES

*Lillie’s (13 E. 17th St.; 212-337-1970; lilliesnyc.com)

Lillie’s charming vintage-style decorations pull in visitors and keep them around for warm drinks and merriment.

“We built such a beautiful bar, it’s got to be oozing with warm, Christmas flavor,” says bartender Ronan Kerr.

“I decorated with everything I grew up with — every bow, every tinsel,” he says in his Irish brogue. “Except for the nutcrackers. We don’t have those in Ireland.”

Despite the temptation to go overboard, Lillie’s tries to keep things understated. “This is our third year, and it hasn’t gotten more elaborate. It’s gotten more refined,” says Kerr. Rather than decking out the place in lights, Kerr focuses on classic elements such as little trees on the mantle made of vintage balls.

DON’T MISS: Outside, two vibrant toy soldiers welcome visitors. The smiling, drumming soldiers were a surprise the owners dropped off for Kerr. “The owners came in with them one day three years ago. So we named them after the owners, Frank [McCole] and Tommy [Burke],” he says.

TREAT YOURSELF: The hot toddy ($12) is a winter favorite, as is the Jean Marie angus beef burger, served on a pretzel bun with caramelized onions, crispy pancetta, melted brie and julienned pears ($15).

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

*Pete’s Tavern
(129 E. 18th St.; 212-473-7676; petestavern.com)

Opened in 1864, Pete’s Tavern began pouring on the Christmas decorations in 1959. A crew of nearly a dozen hauls the decorations in from Long Island, and spends four and a half nights setting them up after close. The most impressive twinkle on the ceiling above the bar area: a grid of more than 10,000 red lights and white painted branches. “We were thinking we’d have to cut it back a little bit because it’s so costly, but thank goodness business is very, very good,” says general manager Gary Egan, who’s been with Pete’s 25 years. The air conditioner runs constantly because of the heat from the lights. Another reason Pete’s is perfect for the present-giving season? O. Henry wrote “The Gift of the Magi” here.

DON’T MISS: The showcase window displays, such as a carousel that spins. “The kids love it,” says Egan.

TREAT YOURSELF: Pete’s 1864 Ale, a full-bodied amber ale, is brewed upstate exclusively for the Tavern ($6.25 a pint).