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Caviar panna cotta at Quince
Bonjwing Lee

Where to Dine on Christmas Eve in the Bay Area

There’s family-style, prix fixe, a la carte, dishes showered in truffles, and more to choose from

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Caviar panna cotta at Quince
| Bonjwing Lee

Restaurants around the Bay Area are preparing for cozy, luxurious Christmas Eve dinners. Save up energy for the following morning by leaving the cooking to someone else and dine on dishes like Dungeness crab, caviar, roast goose, and more. Feast of the Seven Fishes dinners can be found around town, or go big with dry-aged prime rib, and truffles.

It’s recommended to make a reservation or call ahead; these special dinners often book up at the last minute.

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Acacia House by Chris Cosentino

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Christmas Eve brings a special menu to Acacia House, featuring a $98 prix fixe from chef Chris Cosentino. Roasted monkfish, sea urchin spaghettini, and negroni sorbet are highlights; dishes will also be available a la carte. Reservations are available between 5:30 and 9 p.m.

Bob McClenahan

It’s the annual 12 Days of Tamales at Copita from December 12th through December 23. Head over the bridge for chicken and salsa verde tamales with cream, queso fresco, and cilantro or cochinita pibil tamales; each day is different so check ahead. The menu is available at lunch and dinner: buy one tamale for $8, or get a to-go order of 12 for $72 to feed the whole crew. Reservations are available online here.

Copita
Eater Archives

A16 is hosting its yearly Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner with a $105 prix fixe. Feast on a seafoood-focused, family-style menu, with optional wine pairings. There will be limited availability for walk-ins at the bar.

Copper Spoon Cocktails & Kitchen

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One of the very few late night Christmas Eve options is found at this quirky Oakland spot, where food specials like whole Dungeness crab and festive cocktails like a pink peppercorn hot toddy can be consumed from 5:30 p.m.- midnight.

Copper Spoon

Perle Wine Bar

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Join chef Rob Lam for a four-course meal with such decadent options as oysters with uni, foie gras, and salmon eggs; beef and bone marrow tartare; and duck a l’orange. Despite all the choices, there is just one for dessert: buche de noel. It costs $89, excluding tip and tax.

Maybeck's

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In addition to the full menu, the restaurant’s famous beef Wellington will be on the menu, accompanied by its excellent list of Champagne and sparkling wine.

La Folie

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Russian Hill’s classic french restaurant will serve a special menu for $210 per person. Choose from luxurious dishes like lobster risotto or scallops with celery root puree, and end with a chestnut and whiskey buche de noel.

For the ultimate, three-Michelin-starred holiday dining experience, gourmands can shell out for Quince’s $335 per person Christmas Eve tasting menu ($295 optional wine pairing). Cannelloni of Tsar Nicoulai Caviar with celeriac, beetroot, and horseradish, and Christmas rib of Wagyu beef with short rib red wine “crèpe”, wild mushroom and salsify “frites” are just a few of the dishes on the menu. Reservations start at 5 p.m.

Matt Morris

Lungomare

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More Feast of the Seven Fishes can be found at Lungomare in Jack London Square. Scallop and clam risotto, cioppino, and more can be found on the special holiday menu. The prix fixe menu is $65 per person with optional $85 wine pairings, with some a la carte dishes available.

Lungomare

Barbacco

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Christmas eve lunch and dinner will be available at Barbacco with rich pastas like tagliata with seared nY strip, and grilled king trumpet mushrooms. Reservations can be made online here.

Top of the Mark

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There’s nothing more festive than staring down at the twinkling lights of San Francisco. Top of the Mark will serve a dinner buffet with a menu inspired by SF neighborhoods. “Fisherman’s Wharf” will include selection of fresh seafood, caviar, and oysters, while filet mignon, dim sum, sushi,and more will round it out. The $145 per adult and $65 per child ages 4 – 12; seatings are between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and reservations are required.

Top of the Mark

International Smoke

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Ayesha Curry and Michael Mina’s SoMa restaurant will offer a buffet style menu for $85 per person (regular menu will not be available). Feast on an oyster raw bar, or smoked prime rib, honey glazed ham, ribs and all the sides.

Café de la Presse

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Take a break from last minute shopping and indulge in a four-course prixe fixe for $95. From 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. dine on turkey roulade with black truffle and dried fruit stuffing, beef wellington, and more.

Bluestem Brasserie

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Bluestem will be open on Christmas Eve with its full menu and special holiday additions. Aunt Chrystl’s Austrian Punsch and other festive cocktails will be available, as well as all manner of holiday desserts from consulting pastry chef Lori Baker. Reservations can be made online here.

Chili House SF

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Take a break from egg nog and rich holiday sweets with fiery chicken with explosive chili peppers or poached fish with flaming chili oil. Chili house is open on Christmas Eve, offering its tableside Peking duck service (which requires a reservation 24 hours in advance). Over in Chinatown, sister restaurant Z & Y will also be open.

Fiorella

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Italian hotspot Fiorella will serve a few special a la carte dishes for Christmas Eve: baccala stew with nduja, tonno scottato with Marla Bakery bread, squid ink spaghetti with Dungeness crab, and wood-roasted whole snapper with broccoli rabe.

Surround yourself with the eclectic style of the Proper Hotel and dine on four courses at Villon. The menu includes ceviche and fennel salad and chorizo chowder with crab noodles, among other things. Dinner will be $90 per person, with optional wine pairings for $40. Reservations can be made online beginning at 5:30pm.

Cockscomb Restaurant

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Dine on a prix fixe, family-style menu for $85 per guest at chef Chris Cosentino’s meaty SoMa restaurant. Four courses include dishes like baked oysters, Dungeness crab fregola, porchetta, and wine-barrel-smoked Liberty duck. Check out the menu here.

Rich Table

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Rich Table isn’t offering a special holiday menu, but it will be open for dinner from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Luckily the menu is plenty festive already, with items like tajarin with Perigord black truffle, brown butter, and chestnuts, and excellent cocktails to match. RT Rotisserie will also be open for a more casual dinner.

Eater Archives

Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant

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The restaurant will open at 11:00 a.m. for lunch, with the last seating at 8:00 p.m. A la carte menus will be served all day, in addition to an $85 per person four-course menu with festive items like grilled beef and bone marrow bearnaise and smoked beat puree. A good option for out-of-towners; lunch will provide the best views though, as the sun sets early.

Canela Bistro & Wine Bar

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A special prix fixe menu will ring in the holiday with dishes like dry-aged prime rib with horseradish cream, and cracked crab with garlic, herbs, preserved lemon, and spices. The menu is $65 per person with optional wine pairings and a la carte dishes. The regular menu will also be available.

Locanda

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In keeping with Italian tradition, Locanda’s chef Melissa Reitz will serve an all-seafood dinner with a four-course, family-style meal. Dishes like sunchoke tortelli with Dungeness crab and wild nettles, and fantasia di pesce with grilled cod, manila and razor clams, Tomales mussels, gulf shrimp, smoky brodo, and pickled chili mayonnaise. Dinner is $150 per adult, $75 for children, and $72 for wine pairings (prices are all-inclusive of tax and gratuity).

Locanda

Acacia House by Chris Cosentino

Christmas Eve brings a special menu to Acacia House, featuring a $98 prix fixe from chef Chris Cosentino. Roasted monkfish, sea urchin spaghettini, and negroni sorbet are highlights; dishes will also be available a la carte. Reservations are available between 5:30 and 9 p.m.

Bob McClenahan

Copita

It’s the annual 12 Days of Tamales at Copita from December 12th through December 23. Head over the bridge for chicken and salsa verde tamales with cream, queso fresco, and cilantro or cochinita pibil tamales; each day is different so check ahead. The menu is available at lunch and dinner: buy one tamale for $8, or get a to-go order of 12 for $72 to feed the whole crew. Reservations are available online here.

Copita
Eater Archives

A16

A16 is hosting its yearly Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner with a $105 prix fixe. Feast on a seafoood-focused, family-style menu, with optional wine pairings. There will be limited availability for walk-ins at the bar.

Copper Spoon Cocktails & Kitchen

One of the very few late night Christmas Eve options is found at this quirky Oakland spot, where food specials like whole Dungeness crab and festive cocktails like a pink peppercorn hot toddy can be consumed from 5:30 p.m.- midnight.

Copper Spoon

Perle Wine Bar

Join chef Rob Lam for a four-course meal with such decadent options as oysters with uni, foie gras, and salmon eggs; beef and bone marrow tartare; and duck a l’orange. Despite all the choices, there is just one for dessert: buche de noel. It costs $89, excluding tip and tax.

Maybeck's

In addition to the full menu, the restaurant’s famous beef Wellington will be on the menu, accompanied by its excellent list of Champagne and sparkling wine.

La Folie

Russian Hill’s classic french restaurant will serve a special menu for $210 per person. Choose from luxurious dishes like lobster risotto or scallops with celery root puree, and end with a chestnut and whiskey buche de noel.

Quince

For the ultimate, three-Michelin-starred holiday dining experience, gourmands can shell out for Quince’s $335 per person Christmas Eve tasting menu ($295 optional wine pairing). Cannelloni of Tsar Nicoulai Caviar with celeriac, beetroot, and horseradish, and Christmas rib of Wagyu beef with short rib red wine “crèpe”, wild mushroom and salsify “frites” are just a few of the dishes on the menu. Reservations start at 5 p.m.

Matt Morris

Lungomare

More Feast of the Seven Fishes can be found at Lungomare in Jack London Square. Scallop and clam risotto, cioppino, and more can be found on the special holiday menu. The prix fixe menu is $65 per person with optional $85 wine pairings, with some a la carte dishes available.

Lungomare

Barbacco

Christmas eve lunch and dinner will be available at Barbacco with rich pastas like tagliata with seared nY strip, and grilled king trumpet mushrooms. Reservations can be made online here.

Top of the Mark

There’s nothing more festive than staring down at the twinkling lights of San Francisco. Top of the Mark will serve a dinner buffet with a menu inspired by SF neighborhoods. “Fisherman’s Wharf” will include selection of fresh seafood, caviar, and oysters, while filet mignon, dim sum, sushi,and more will round it out. The $145 per adult and $65 per child ages 4 – 12; seatings are between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and reservations are required.

Top of the Mark

International Smoke

Ayesha Curry and Michael Mina’s SoMa restaurant will offer a buffet style menu for $85 per person (regular menu will not be available). Feast on an oyster raw bar, or smoked prime rib, honey glazed ham, ribs and all the sides.

Café de la Presse

Take a break from last minute shopping and indulge in a four-course prixe fixe for $95. From 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. dine on turkey roulade with black truffle and dried fruit stuffing, beef wellington, and more.

Bluestem Brasserie

Bluestem will be open on Christmas Eve with its full menu and special holiday additions. Aunt Chrystl’s Austrian Punsch and other festive cocktails will be available, as well as all manner of holiday desserts from consulting pastry chef Lori Baker. Reservations can be made online here.

Chili House SF

Take a break from egg nog and rich holiday sweets with fiery chicken with explosive chili peppers or poached fish with flaming chili oil. Chili house is open on Christmas Eve, offering its tableside Peking duck service (which requires a reservation 24 hours in advance). Over in Chinatown, sister restaurant Z & Y will also be open.