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Where to Eat on Christmas in San Francisco

by Allie Pape Dec 17, 2013, 7:44am PST

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by Allie Pape Dec 17, 2013, 7:44am PST

4 comments / new

The crisp photos in the map below were captured with the 13MP camera on the all-new Samsung Galaxy Note® 3. What's more, when paired with the Samsung Galaxy Gear™, you can receive calls, emails, and texts—and snap pictures in the moment—all from your wrist. The next big thing is here. >>

[Photos: Patricia Chang]

While restaurants clamor for patrons to drop money on special meals just six days later, Christmas Day is a dining wasteland in San Francisco for those who don't feel like hitting up their nearest Chinese joint. But for those who don't feel like cooking for their families (or putting up with their families at all), a few options are available, from prix-fixe feasts to stunning ocean views to gigantic steaks. To round out the Christmas offering, we've also added a few prime spots to savor the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, or drop some serious cash before resorting to Stouffer's on Christmas proper.

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Locanda

Locanda's Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner ($90 adults, $45 kids) will include gulf shrimp and burrata panzarotti (filled savory pastries) and a charcoal-grilled stuffed whole trout, among other dishes. More info here.

557 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

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A16

A16's Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes will offer yellowtail crudo and octopus stew at the Marina location ($80, with $65 optional wine pairings), and Dungeness crab and squid ink tonarelli and whole roasted trout with white truffles at the Rockridge location ($75, with optional $60 wine pairings).

2355 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123

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Incanto

Christmas Eve at Incanto also means Feast of the Seven Fishes time, with a menu of seafood salad, linguini with clams, roasted fish with olives and kumquats, and tiramisu. Dinner is $65; wine is extra.

Open in Google Maps

1550 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94131

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Frances

Melissa Perello is offering a $90 four-course prix fixe menu (with optional $40 wine pairings) for Christmas Eve. While specifics aren't available yet, we imagine there will be lumberjack cake involved.

3870 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

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Also featured in:

La Folie

For sheer indulgence, it's hard to beat La Folie for Christmas Eve, with wild mushroom risotto, John Dory topped with lobster mousse, and a chestnut-whiskey bombe for dessert. Dinner is $160 with an optional $85 wine pairing; for extra decadence, add on an ounce of Osetra caviar, blinis, and lobster for $120.

2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

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Keiko à Nob Hill

Keiko provides another lavish Christmas Eve option with their $195 prix-fixe menu, featuring the option to pair dinner with a bottle from the owner's private collection of vintage wines.

1250 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94109

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Bisou

One of the few non-Chinese restaurants outside of downtown to stay open for Christmas Day, Bisou will offer a $75 four-course prix fixe with truffled scallop carpaccio, Maine lobster, duck breast, and pecan pie as options.

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2367 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

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Campton Place

Enjoy an Indian-influenced Christmas Day meal with options like Maine lobster with spiced carrot pilaf, slow-cooked monkfish tail, and seared beef filet with black truffles. It's $125 per person for four courses.

340 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108

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Also featured in:

Ame

Ame gets in its Feast of the Seven Fishes just in the first course, with small preparations of seven kinds of seafood. There's also sauteed fluke fillet and herb-roasted venison. Christmas Day dinner is $112/person, with optional $65 wine pairings.

689 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

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Sutro's at Cliff House

For a view of the water that will make even a solo Christmas Day special, the Cliff House at sunset makes a pretty great choice. The bistro will offer breakfast and lunch from from 9 am-1 pm and classics like prime rib and pork chops a la carte at dinner, while Sutro's will have tuna tartare, Dungeness crab ravioli, and Christmas goose available a la carte from 11 am-9:30 pm.

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1090 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121

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Luce

Christmas Day at Luce can go one of two ways: there's a $45 brunch buffet with unlimited sparkling wine and mini hot dishes until 2:30 pm, then a more sophisticated $85 prix fixe (wine pairings $45) at night, with dishes like uni and new potato, slow-cooked lamb loin, and roasted squab. More info here.

Open in Google Maps

888 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103

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Bob's Steak & Chop House

For the Christmas Day diner who'd rather skip the fussy prix fixes and go to town on a giant steak, we offer Bob's. Another option in this genre is Osso Steakhouse, which will also be serving on Christmas.

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500 California St, San Francisco, CA 94104

Visit Website

1300 on Fillmore

Southern-fried Christmases abound at 1300 on Fillmore, which is offering a whole prime rib this year for their first-ever holiday feast. Tickets are $65 per person and $32 for kids.

1300 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

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Also featured in:

New Asia Restaurant

Care for some comedy with your Chinese food? Kung Pao Kosher Comedy is offering a Christmas Day prix-fixe complete with laughs from an all-Jewish comedic lineup. Options include a seven-course meal for $64, or cocktails and vegetarian dim sum for $44.

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772 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

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San Tung Chinese Restaurant

It shouldn't surprise anyone that non-celebrants' tastes on Christmas Day run to Chinese restaurants, which are open, open, open. But if it's San Tung's dry-fried chicken wings you crave, get there early: the line gets longer, earlier, with each passing year.

1031 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

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Also featured in:

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Locanda

557 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Locanda's Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner ($90 adults, $45 kids) will include gulf shrimp and burrata panzarotti (filled savory pastries) and a charcoal-grilled stuffed whole trout, among other dishes. More info here.

557 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Visit Website

A16

2355 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123

A16's Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes will offer yellowtail crudo and octopus stew at the Marina location ($80, with $65 optional wine pairings), and Dungeness crab and squid ink tonarelli and whole roasted trout with white truffles at the Rockridge location ($75, with optional $60 wine pairings).

2355 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Visit Website

Incanto

1550 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94131

Christmas Eve at Incanto also means Feast of the Seven Fishes time, with a menu of seafood salad, linguini with clams, roasted fish with olives and kumquats, and tiramisu. Dinner is $65; wine is extra.

Open in Google Maps

1550 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94131

Visit Website

Frances

3870 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Melissa Perello is offering a $90 four-course prix fixe menu (with optional $40 wine pairings) for Christmas Eve. While specifics aren't available yet, we imagine there will be lumberjack cake involved.

3870 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Visit Website

La Folie

2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

For sheer indulgence, it's hard to beat La Folie for Christmas Eve, with wild mushroom risotto, John Dory topped with lobster mousse, and a chestnut-whiskey bombe for dessert. Dinner is $160 with an optional $85 wine pairing; for extra decadence, add on an ounce of Osetra caviar, blinis, and lobster for $120.

2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

Keiko à Nob Hill

1250 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Keiko provides another lavish Christmas Eve option with their $195 prix-fixe menu, featuring the option to pair dinner with a bottle from the owner's private collection of vintage wines.

1250 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Visit Website

Bisou

2367 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

One of the few non-Chinese restaurants outside of downtown to stay open for Christmas Day, Bisou will offer a $75 four-course prix fixe with truffled scallop carpaccio, Maine lobster, duck breast, and pecan pie as options.

Open in Google Maps

2367 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Visit Website

Campton Place

340 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108

Enjoy an Indian-influenced Christmas Day meal with options like Maine lobster with spiced carrot pilaf, slow-cooked monkfish tail, and seared beef filet with black truffles. It's $125 per person for four courses.

340 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108

Visit Website

Ame

689 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Ame gets in its Feast of the Seven Fishes just in the first course, with small preparations of seven kinds of seafood. There's also sauteed fluke fillet and herb-roasted venison. Christmas Day dinner is $112/person, with optional $65 wine pairings.

689 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Visit Website

Sutro's at Cliff House

1090 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121

For a view of the water that will make even a solo Christmas Day special, the Cliff House at sunset makes a pretty great choice. The bistro will offer breakfast and lunch from from 9 am-1 pm and classics like prime rib and pork chops a la carte at dinner, while Sutro's will have tuna tartare, Dungeness crab ravioli, and Christmas goose available a la carte from 11 am-9:30 pm.

Open in Google Maps

1090 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121

Visit Website

Luce

888 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Christmas Day at Luce can go one of two ways: there's a $45 brunch buffet with unlimited sparkling wine and mini hot dishes until 2:30 pm, then a more sophisticated $85 prix fixe (wine pairings $45) at night, with dishes like uni and new potato, slow-cooked lamb loin, and roasted squab. More info here.

Open in Google Maps

888 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Visit Website

Bob's Steak & Chop House

500 California St, San Francisco, CA 94104

For the Christmas Day diner who'd rather skip the fussy prix fixes and go to town on a giant steak, we offer Bob's. Another option in this genre is Osso Steakhouse, which will also be serving on Christmas.

Open in Google Maps

500 California St, San Francisco, CA 94104

Visit Website

1300 on Fillmore

1300 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

Southern-fried Christmases abound at 1300 on Fillmore, which is offering a whole prime rib this year for their first-ever holiday feast. Tickets are $65 per person and $32 for kids.

1300 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

Visit Website

New Asia Restaurant

772 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Care for some comedy with your Chinese food? Kung Pao Kosher Comedy is offering a Christmas Day prix-fixe complete with laughs from an all-Jewish comedic lineup. Options include a seven-course meal for $64, or cocktails and vegetarian dim sum for $44.

Open in Google Maps

772 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Visit Website

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

1031 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

It shouldn't surprise anyone that non-celebrants' tastes on Christmas Day run to Chinese restaurants, which are open, open, open. But if it's San Tung's dry-fried chicken wings you crave, get there early: the line gets longer, earlier, with each passing year.

1031 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

Visit Website

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