Christmas Offers & Holiday Cheer in the Bay Area
Let your Bay Area favorites take the lead on this year’s holiday feasts! These Christmas offerings are surely worth celebrating.
San Francisco
50 Moraga Ave, San Francisco, CA 94129
In celebration of Christmas, Colibri will be offering the following specials from December 14-24th during lunch and dinner. Gorditas filled with different guisados (stews/fillings) – tinga, chilorio, cochinita, chorizo con papas, and carnitas. Vegetarian/ vegan options, estofado and soy chorizo will also be available by request. Ponche con Piquete: a traditional Mexican Christmas take on fruit punch.
1 Market St, San Francisco
Guests can enjoy a special Christmas Eve a la carte menu which features One Market Restaurant classic dishes alongside in-the-holiday-spirit dishes. Christmas Eve hours are from 5pm-8pm. RESERVATIONS.
1100 Market Street Hotel Entrance is, 45 McAllister St at, San Francisco, CA 94102
Join San Francisco Proper for a memorable holiday meal around the table at Villon, the hotel’s signature dining experience. Celebrate Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with a multi-course pre-fixe menu from Executive Chef Jason Fox showcasing traditional dishes with chef-driven touches. Pair it with festive cocktails or a reserve wine pairing for the ultimate holiday experience. RESERVATIONS.
Gilda’s at San Francisco Proper Hotel
San Francisco Proper’s newest dining concept from Executive Chef Jason Fox, Gilda’s Salon Dinners, is an intimate and upscale dining experience that is perfect for hosting family or small company get-togethers to celebrate the season! Guests can skip the dishes and enjoy an evening of conversation and connection, while being taken on a culinary journey with Chef Fox’s exceptional 11 course tasting menu highlighting locally sourced and exclusive ingredients. The Kelly Wearstler designed space features a curation of vintage, hand-picked decor, including a pair of 1960’s Italian chandeliers, that sets the mood for a proper holiday dining experience.
Afternoon Nutcracker Tea
Starting December 1st, relish in SF Proper’s time-honored tradition of Nutcracker Afternoon Tea in the art-filled lounge and dining room. Presented by Proper’s pastry Chef, Samara Wales, guests can savor herbal tea, festive sweets, and seasonal bites–plus guests with a Nutcracker Tea reservation will receive raffle tickets for either SF Ballet, SF Broadway or Proper Hotel stays!
Friday & Saturdays | 2-5pm in the Lounge. Sundays | 12-5pm in the Dining Room & Lounge. RESERVATIONS
The SF Proper Hotel will also begin collecting toys to contribute to the SF Firefighters Toy Program for the 2022 holiday season. When dining at Villon or attending Afternoon Tea in the Lounge, guests are encouraged to drop off a new and packaged gift in the lobby toy chest anytime between Friday December 2nd and December 25th. As a thank you for contributing to Proper’s mission to provide a toy to every firefighter’s child, Proper will provide guests with a complimentary glass of champagne to accompany their meal.
AFICI (OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE, CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY)
680 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Chef Eric Upper and the team at AFICI present a special six-course tasting menu ($189 per person) for Christmas Eve, accompanied by a selection of winter cocktails and wine. Largely inspired by dishes from Chef Upper’s childhood, AFICI’s Christmas Eve menu spotlights seasonal flavors in elevated and comforting dishes, from Lasagne with chestnut, huckleberry and wagyu to Roasted Quail with quince, jus and sage stuffing. Complement your Christmas Eve celebration with one of Bar Director Nicholas Bonney’s seasonal cocktails, or let Wine Director Nicholas Keegan guide you through a wine pairing highlighting both local and European wines. RESERVATIONS.
The Vault Garden / The Vault Steakhouse (OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE, CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY)
555 California St.
It’s that time of year again and The Vault is back to make your holiday joyous and spectacular. Join us in The Vault Garden’s very own Winter Wonderland, dining beside San Francisco’s tallest living Christmas tree. Both The Vault Garden and Vault Steakhouse will be serving up a four-course feast for all to enjoy, so cozy up beside one of the fires and let the magic of Christmas be upon you.
International Smoke (OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE, CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY)
301 Mission Street, San Francisco
Chefs Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry present a globally inspired buffet this Christmas Eve! Enjoy chilled shellfish, snow shell crab claws, oysters and more, butternut squash soup, roasted cauliflower with tehina, pomegranate and pistachio and Ayesha’s signature fresh-baked cornbread to start. Favorite holiday main dishes follow from International Smoke’s carving stations including Cedar Smoked Salmon, Honey Glazed Ham and Wagyu Prime Rib with sides like Truffle Mac & Cheese and Potato Puree. End on a sweet note with Gingerbread Sans Rival Cake – a Filipino-inspired layer cake with meringue and cashew caramel buttercream and Dark Chocolate Eggnog Cream Parfait. RESERVATIONS.
PABU Izakaya – OFFERING ITS NIGHTLY DINNER MENU CHRISTMAS EVE, closed Christmas Day
101 California Street
PABU Izakaya is open for service on Christmas Eve, offering its nightly dinner menu and omakase menu (Chef’s Tasting menu). A classic Japanese izakaya experience by Michael Mina and Keita Tominaga, PABU is a destination for world-class sashimi, sushi, grilled meats, a modern, seasonal cocktail menu and features an extensive list of wine, speciality cocktails, Japanese whisky and sake – expertly paired with your meal by Sake Master Stuart Morris. Enjoy PABU’s signature “Happy Spoon”, a variety of dishes to share like Japanese Wagyu Strip Loin and Prime New York Strip, nigiri and sashimi, grilled dishes from the robata, and more.
KAIYO Cow Hollow (Open Christmas Eve / Closed Christmas Day)
1838 Union Street, San Francisco, California 94123
Guests can enjoy a 4-Course Prix Fixe menu and expect favorites like tiradito, anticucho, house sushi & rolls, plus additional specials including a seafood tower, nikkei oysters and Kaiyo’s famous leche de tigre shots.
From the bar enjoy two festive drink specials, the Señor Clause and Run Run Rudolph, in addition to our full cocktail, wine, beer and sake offerings. RESERVATIONS.
Canela (CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY (SUNDAY) AND CLOSED MONDAY)
2272 MARKET ST. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114-1506
Christmas Eve 2022: Timing: Saturday, December 24th, Dine in Only. Price: $89 per person; Available for Dine-in and to-go. The to-go meal will come chilled with easy reheating instructions. RESERVATIONS.
East Bay
200 Marina Boulevard, Berkeley, California, 94710
The Berkeley Boathouse will be offering a memorable holiday experience overlooking the Berkeley Marina. Between December 23 and 25, celebrate the holiday week with a multi-course pre-fixe menu from Executive Chef Evan Crandall showcasing traditional holiday dishes with influences by the sea, from Marin Miyagi Oysters and Chef’s Special Clam Chowder to Rock Salt Encrusted Prime Rib and Sonoma Duck Leg Stuffed with Pumpkin Hazelnut Risotto. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Bay Area luminaries Patrice De Arman and Vic Artiga will serenade dining guests from 4:30-8pm. Make your reservation on OpenTable.
Pomella (Open until 3pm on Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day)
3770 Piedmont Ave Unit B, Oakland, CA
Go to Pomella’s online store to pre-order chef Mica Talmor’s popular holiday treat Butternut Bastilla (vegetarian), house-made Italian rainbow cookies and other special seasonal items. Pomella also offers a catering menu for the holidays that includes delivery and set-up. Or take the hassle out of entertaining by booking a memorable holiday event on Pomella’s heated patio or indoors at a communal table.
South Bay
Adrestia at TETRA Hotel (Christmas Week; open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day)
400 West Java Drive, Sunnyvale
A Nikkei-inspired Christmas Dinner at Adrestia (available December 20 through Christmas Day)
Executive Chef Hideki Myo and Food & Beverage Director Ana Artadi take inspiration from their Japanese and Peruvian backgrounds to present a four-course Nikkei-inspired Christmas dinner, available at Adrestia through the holiday week (December 20 through Christmas Day, December 25). Menu highlights include Jagaimo Rellenas – plant based “beef”, toma-katsu sauce, Corvina Nikkei, ahi panca with konbu dashi and Wagyu Lomo Saltado with whisky barrel aged soy sauce, fries and black rice. End the meal with a traditional Peruvian dessert – Panetón Bread Pudding with tahitian vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate
Nikkei-cuisine is a combination of both Japanese and Peruvian ingredients and is a cooking style that prominently features Peruvian ingredients molded by Japanese techniques. The style of cuisine dates back to the late 1800s when Japanese immigrants arrived in Peru. Chef Myo and Ana have collaborated on a menu that showcases food at the center of their cultures – offering guests a new way to celebrate the holidays this year.
The Nikkei Christmas menu is $125 per person and includes a complimentary Pisco Sour to start. Additional beverage pairing is $85. Adrestia is open for dinner nightly from 5pm – 10pm. On Christmas Day, the restaurant is open from 4pm – 8pm. RESERVATIONS
Healdsburg
344 Center St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Let Valette take the lead on this year’s Christmas feast. Dustin Valette’s eponymous restaurant will be offering a special Christmas Eve package, featuring a ready-to-heat Filet Mignon with Veal Demi-Glace, Valette’s signature Osetra Caviar with homemade brioche, egg, onion, and creme fraiche and a special three-pack of Valette Wines. Available for pick up at Valette on December 23.