If you need a break from cooking an elaborate holiday meal this year, Santa has a solution. We’ve rounded up great restaurants to tuck into this Christmas to save you the trouble of basting a turkey, baking for ten (eleven, if you include St. Nick’s cookies) and avoiding that pesky mistletoe. So eat, drink, and be very merry this Christmas.
The Spot: A16 San Francisco
The Cuisine: Italian-American
The Nabe: Marina/Cow Hollow
The Dish: Executive Chef Chris Thompson is preparing Feast of the Seven Fishes dishes such as the Yellowtail crudo with blood orange, yogurt, dill and fennel, an octopus stew with potato, green olives and cecineri and grilled swordfish with caponata, caper berries, golden raisins and pinenuts.
The Damage: The a la carte menu is priced at $80 per person with optional $65 wine pairing.
The Details: For Christmas Eve dinner, reservations will extend from 5:00 -10:00 pm. 2355 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 771-2216
Fig ginger pumpkin bread pudding from Burritt Room
The Spot:Burritt Room + Tavern, Mystic Hotel
The Cuisine: American
The Nabe: Union Square
The Dish: Highlights include the Pacific Dungeness crab ravioli with harissa-spiced heirloom pumpkin, winter kale and treviso salad with charred grapefruit, roasted beets and goat feta, and the orange-glazed Liberty Duck breast with crispy confit duck leg. Indulge in desserts like the persimmon cobbler with pomegranate syrup and house-made ice cream or sticky toffee pudding with brown butter rum ice cream.
The Damage: Three-course dinner menu at $55 per person and $105 with wine pairings
The Details: Advance reservations are available from 5-10 p.m. for Christmas Eve dinner. 417 Stockton St. San Francisco, (415) 400-0561
The Spot: Urban Tavern
The Cuisine: American
The Nabe: Tenderloin
The Dish: Appetizer choices include crab bisque with root vegetables and a puff pastry dome or winter greens with cured olives, hearts of palm, pancetta and a pomegranate vinaigrette. Main course choices are the grilled swordfish loin with smashed fingerling potato, sorrel, olive and preserved lemon relish or pork tenderloin with turnips, beets and greens, and a cider reduction. For dessert, choose between a warm apple strudel with vanilla gelato or the mint chocolate chip layer cake with whipped cream.
The Damage: $39.95 per person for a three-course prix fixe holiday menu, with children dining at $17.95.
The Details: Christmas Eve and Day dinner will be served from 5 till 10:30pm. 333 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, (415) 923-4400
Palio d'Asti Verdure en Casseruola
The Spot:Palio d’Asti
The Cuisine: Italian
The Nabe: FiDi
The Dish: For Christmas Eve dinner, braised cod and pan-roasted swordfish are served as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. On Christmas Day, main course choices include braised pork shank with prosciutto, porcini mushrooms, and creamy polenta, the grilled Black Angus New York Strip Steak with chard and horseradish cream, the fish of the day, steamed clams and mussels with spicy broth and garlic bread, pan-roasted chicken with panzanelle salad, and chard casserole.
The Damage: Christmas Eve: a six-course prix fixe menu for $79 per person and a four-course prix fixe menu for $65 per person on Christmas Day.
The Details: On Christmas Eve, dinner will be served from 6pm till 9 and from 4pm till 9 on Christmas Day, and children can eat for $25. 640 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, (415) 395-9800
The Spot:
Ajanta Restaurant
The Cuisine: Indian
The Nabe: Berkeley, East Bay
The Dish: Tandoori portobello mushrooms, chicken chaat, and Tandoori scallops as appetizers and main dishes are Tandoori lamb rib chops, green fish curry, and chicken makhanwals
The Damage: $27.50 for the Chef’s Tasting Menu, and $24.50 for a vegetarian option
The Details: On Christmas Eve, lunch will be served from 11:30am till 1:30pm and dinner from 5:30 to 9:30pm. 1888 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, (510) 526-4373
Pumpkin tart at Parallel 37
The Spot:Parallel 37, The Ritz-Carlton
The Cuisine: American
The Nabe: Chinatown
The Dish: Christmas Eve specials include the Nantucket Bay scallops with pumpkin risotto and caramelized brussel sprouts, line-caught Halibut with Dungeness crab and red wine ragout and for dessert, a cranberry tart with eggnog ice cream. On Christmas Day, Chef Michael Rotondo will serve Muscovy duck with spiced parsnips, candied ginger and huckleberry jus, espresso-dusted beef tenderloin, Black Mission fig ravioli with wild mushrooms, followed by the butterscotch cake with candied hazelnuts and spiced crème fraiche as a sweet treat.
The Damage: The four-course menu is $95 per adult and $45 per child.
The Details: Dinner will be served on Christmas Eve from 5:30pm till 9:30, and from noon till 7:30pm on Christmas Day. The chef’s table can accommodate a group of ten and the private dining room can seat twenty. Reservations are accepted. 600 Stockton Street @ California, San Francisco, (415) 773-6168
The Spot: Luce, InterContinental SF
The Cuisine: American
The Nabe: SoMa
The Dish: Executive Chef Daniel Corey will serve dishes such as the Mendocino uni and new potato with smoked bonito, sesame, and white soy and a roasted breast of squab and leg confit with quince, brussels sprouts, and pomegranate.
The Damage: $85 per person or $130 with wine pairing, and children are half price.
The Details: A four-course prix fixe dinner on Christmas Eve and Day will be offered from 5pm till 9. 888 Howard St, San Francisco, (415) 616-6566
Ahi tuna at Bocanova
The Spot:Bocanova
The Cuisine: Pan-American
The Nabe: Jack London Square, Oakland
The Dish: In honor of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Chef Hackett has combined the seven fishes into three courses, featuring dishes like the salt-cured Ahi Tuna with soy vinaigrette, sea bass Yucatan soup with grapefruit and tomato and swordfish with a Dungeness crab salad.
The Damage: The prix fixe menu is $68 per person. Children can eat for $28.
The Details: Christmas Eve dinner will begin at 5pm. Vegetarian options are available, and reservations are accepted. 55 Webster St, Oakland, (510) 444-1233
The Spot: The Cavalier
The Cuisine: English
The Nabe: SoMa
The Dish: A three-course menu of English-inspired seasonal favorites by chef Jennifer Puccio. The first course includes options like the Hen Egg Hollandaise and a Curried Mushroom Soup. For a main entree, Chef Puccio offers a choice of Roast Christmas Goose, Housemade Ham, Lamb, and Anglesey Sea Bass; Yorkshire Pudding is among the choice of sides along with Scalloped Potatoes or a vegetable side of English Peas, Carrots and Pearl Onions. For dessert, indulge in the traditional English Eton Mess - a dessert made with strawberries, meringue and cream (a chocolate version is available as well). Alternate dessert options include a Citrus Trifle and a Cheese Plate.
The Damage: $75 per person plus an additional $50 for wine pairings.
The Details: Christmas reservations will be taken from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Reserve online or at (415) 321-6000. 360 Jessie St @ 5th.
