According to GrubHub, 82% of restaurants are closed on Christmas Day, making for a dicey situation for those who a) dislike or don’t celebrate Christmas, and b) can’t cook for themselves. Below, we’ve got a few options for you — many of them at fancy hotel restaurants because, you know, hotels can’t close — as well as a few ideas for Christmas Eve, assuming you won’t have driven or flown somewhere to be harassed by family that evening.
First off, you’ve got your traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner. Both A16 and Incanto are doing them on Christmas Eve, with a variety of tasty seafood options. A16’s will feature a four-course menu for $75 per person, with an optional fifth course (a crab sformato), and wine pairing for $55 additional. Incanto’s preliminary menu is here, and that’s three courses for $49.
Christmas Day
On actual Christmas, the non-Asian options are limited, but GrubHub promises a bounty of sushi, Thai, Chinese, etc. available for delivery.
Then, you’ve got some high-end, hotel restaurant choices, and at least one downscale option for dining out:
Ame - Dine in high style at the St. Regis on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and you’ll be treated to this five-course menu, kicking off with a Dungeness Crab salad and finishing with a mysterious “dessert de Noel.” $95 per person, with $65 for wine pairings.
Americano - Over at the Hotel Vitale, chef Kory Stewart will be doing a special three-course affair on Christmas Day featuring lardo-wrapped Hawaiian blue prawns; and Piedmontese-style rib eye with horseradish creamed Brussels sprouts. $75 per person.
Aurea - The restaurant at the Renaissance Stanford Court will offer a special four-course meal on Christmas for $59 per adult and $19 per child. See the full menu here.
Cafe Flore - Up in the Castro, for a very downscale and low-key Christmas before or after the movies, Café Flore will be open all day, just like they are every holiday.
cityhouse - Over at the Parc 55, cityhouse will be doing a three-course Christmas dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. featuring dishes such as Maple Glazed Stuffed Squab and Salt Crusted Prime Rib.
Level III - This is a pretty mellow option near Union Square, which will likely be refreshingly deserted (unless Macy’s opens early for returns?) - $45 for three courses, $18.50 for kids. Plus there will be cocktails.
And if you’re looking for a quick Sonoma getaway, note that Carneros Bistro at the Lodge at Sonoma is doing a special three-course prix fixe for $55; Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen at the Hotel Healdsburg is only open Christmas Eve, with a special three-course menu for $57, but a few doors down at the new H2 hotel, spoonbar will be open Christmas Day with a $55 three-courser.
