A16 always does the traditional Italian pre-Christmas Eve dinner, Feast of The Seven Fishes. This year chef Chris Thompson includes swordfish carpaccio with olio nuovo and roasted sweet peppers; Dungeness crab with fennel, and grapefruit; and chocolate budino for dessert. Five course and a drink are $75, or do the optional pairings for $60. Reservations required.

Stunning city views contribute to the ambiance of chef Christophe Depuichaffray's lavish holiday buffet meals. On Christmas eve, the many, many options include roasted honey ham and salmon tartlet, while Christmas day means omelet and waffle stations, leading straight into a dinner buffet of prime rib, seafood chowder, and more. Both options include live music, and cost $105 per person, or $59 for children.

In addition to their normal brunch menu, Absinthe's chef Adam Keough has a few specials up his sleeve for Christmas Eve brunch, like Noni’s pastina soup and baked eggs with braised beef short ribs. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Christmas eve and day, Chef Daniel Corey serves a seasonal prix-fixe menu, including a delicate Dungeness crab starter. Choose a prime rib-eye or duck for your main, and finish with eggnog cheesecake or a chocolate tartelet. $80 per person, or $125 with wine pairings. Kids eat for $45.

For a two-Michelin-starred Christmas Eve feast, Chef David Kinch has a 5-course prix fixe offering, market-fresh menu TBD, for $175. Beverage director Jeff Bareilles will offer a premium wine pairing for $175, or a classic pairing for $125. Service starts at 5:30 p.m.

Bocanova in Oakland throws a Christmas Eve crab feast on Monday, December 24th. There is crab two ways, onion gratin with aji Amarillo, wilted arugula with spiced pumpkin seeds, and a spicy gingerbread pudding cake for dessert. $68 per person. Reservations strongly recommended.

Justin Simoneaux does a Christmas Eve lunch with warm Brussels sprout-Gala apple-ham salad, smoked chicken and andouille gumbo, duck-sausage jambalaya, and a fried chicken Po’Boy with shaved cabbage, cajun aioli and bacon vinaigrette. Or, go with a hearty Louisiana plate lunch special, which includes an entrée, side, dessert and drink for $15. Hours on Monday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m..

On Christmas Eve, a four-course prix-fixe will be offered for $55/person, in addition to the regular menu on Christmas Eve. Think Dungeness crab salad with apple gelee, butternut squash ravioli or pan roasted duck with brussels sprouts, chestnuts, and pumpkin puree in a warm, storied Monterey dining room. Closed Christmas day.

Mark Dommen plans a 2-star a la carte menu for Christmas Eve, including hand picked Dungeness crab with green papaya, peanuts, and lime; chestnut soup with smoked squab and black truffle; and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with apple, and dandelion "persillade" salsify. Closed Christmas day.

Ron Siegel offers a Japan-inflected Christmas Eve tasting menu with highlights like Kindai sashimi, slow scrambled Jidori egg with Santa Barbara sea urchin. $125 per person, and $75 wine pairings.

Enjoy a $49 four cours Christmas Eve dinner by chef Aaron Wright. Look for his Pacific Sablefish with cauliflower puree and wild mushrooms, and crispy Pacific oysters with braised greens and pancetta vinaigrette. Hours are 3 to 8 p.m. Closed Christmas Day.

Pork and oyster-loving Scott Youkilis is cooks a family-style Christmas Eve feast, including a rib roast and chocolate namelaka with absinthe meringue. The bar is on Bourbon Nog and classics all night long. $38 (drinks not included). Bar open until midnight.

Hawaiian Ahi carpaccio, wood fire roasted chestnut soup, American Wagu, and sticky toffee pudding are on Charlie Palmer's four course Christmas Eve tasting menu at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg. $57 per person with an optional wine flight.

Enjoy Dungeness crab soup, roasted prime rib, pumpkin and ricotta ravioli, and a cranberry-apple crostata at Americano on Christmas Day. Seatings from 2 to 6:45 p.m. $70 per adult, $35 per child, with an optional $32 wine pairing.

For the seven days leading up to Christmas, Louis Maldonado is offering a seafood-inspired tasting, inspired by the Italian Feast of Seven Fishes. Selections change daily, and could include geoduck, sea urchin, striped bass, Maine eel, whole roasted Dungeness crab, and steelhead roe. $50- $55 per person.