Sleigh the season at these San Diego restaurants, where specialty menus are sure to add cheer to your Christmas Eve or Day plans.
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AVANT's Under The Mistletoe cocktail; PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
Indulge in a special four-course menu on Christmas Eve and Day between 4 and 8 p.m. at AVANT. The festive feast will include mushroom bisque, beet parfait, honey-glazed liberty duck leg, wagyu strip loin, Alaskan halibut and Santa’s gingerbread cookies made with buttercream, Bailey’s and spruce needle. How sweet! Book your table here.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visit L’Auberge Del Mar’s signature restaurant to enjoy a bountiful Christmas Day buffet. For $170 per adult and $40 per child, guests can enjoy roasted chestnut soup, chilled seafood, prime rib, roasted leg of lamb, creme fraiche pommes puree and more. Make a reservation here.
Save room for a decadent eight-course tasting experience on Christmas Eve at La Jolla’s Ambrogio by Acquerello. Michelin-starred chef Silvio Salmoiraghi will walk guests through Salmon Dell’Alaska Marinato, Ostriche Al Vapor, a choice of filet mignon or A5 Japanese wagyu and dessert. Plant-based eaters can also request a vegetarian or vegan version of the menu. Click here to make a reservation.
Amaya at Fairmont Grand Del Mar
In anticipation of Santa’s arrival, celebrate with a four-course Christmas Eve dinner at Amaya, where a winter green salad, Tai snapper crudo, Spanish turbo and a warm chocolate tart, among other tastes, will be offered. On Dec. 25, Amaya will provide another four-course menu, highlighted by beef Wellington, porchetta, blackened salmon, profiteroles, pavlova, and more. Come hungry! Reservations are available here.
Toast Christmas Day steps from the sand at JRDN at Tower23. The beachfront restaurant will offer a decadent three-course dinner from 2 to 7 p.m. Choose from a winter salad, seafood chowder or beef meatballs to start, followed by an entree of prime rib, glazed ham, seared scallops or roasted mushroom risotto. Good luck deciding between the Frozen Cocoa (chocolate pot de creme, peppermint biscotti, cranberry gingersnaps and toasted marshmallow ice cream) or Snowman (almond pavlova, nutmeg chantilly, white chocolate snow tart crumbles and coconut water granita) for dessert! Reserve your spot here.
Chef William Eick embraces the Japanese tradition of enjoying fried chicken and strawberry shortcake during the holidays with his Christmas Eve Karate Night dinner at Oceanside’s Matsu. The six-course tasting menu will highlight fried chicken in myriad cuts and styles—think chicken breast with cornbread, honey and jalapeno or chicken wings with Kakitamajiru and caviar. Specialty sake pairings and a sweet finish of strawberry shortcake ensure a festive Dec. 24. Make a reservation here.
It's all about breathtaking views at Mister A's. PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS
Take Christmas to great new heights at Mister A’s. The sky-high restaurant will offer a three-course prix fixe dinner with seatings between 4:30 and 8:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve and a three-course prix fixe menu on Christmas Day with seatings between noon and 3 p.m. and 4 and 7:30 p.m. Chef Stephane Voitzwinkler will offer a plentiful menu featuring a black truffle and mushroom tarte, Maine lobster tagliatelle, ribeye steak frites, prime beef tenderloin Wellington, sticky toffee pudding, butterscotch tapioca and much more. Pair those tastes with a festive cocktail from the Elf on the 12th drink menu. Rebel Without a Claus, anyone? Book your table here.
On Christmas Eve, raise a glass of Yule Ball or Hot Butterbeer at Bird Rock’s Paradisaea as you explore its three-course prix fixe menu. French onion soup, prime rib with Yorkshire pudding and sticky toffee pudding will have you feeling holly jolly in no time. Book your table here.
Enjoy a beautiful Christmas Day brunch at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
Savor the season’s splendor at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa’s Christmas Day brunch. Offered from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the celebration will include not only carving and seafood stations and sweets but will also include live music, horse-drawn carriage rides, cookie decorating, arts and crafts for the little ones, and plenty of other merry touches. Call 858.759.6246 to make a reservation.
Serēa Coastal Cuisine at Hotel del Coronado
Head to the historic Hotel del Coronado hotel to enjoy a four-course menu from 5 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24. Highlights include bigeye tuna tartare, ras el hanout-crusted lamb lollipop, prime ribeye, lobina bass and Catalan stew, among other choices. A chocolate and hazel tarte or bourbon creme Catalana will sweeten the affair. Click here for the complete menu and to make a reservation.
As the waves crash and the sun sets, gather around a table at The Marine Room to experience a four-course prix fixe menu on Christmas Eve or Day. You’ll begin with an amuse bouche of red pepper-glazed goat cheese and Iberico ham, braised leek and micro greens, before choosing from coconut curry squash bisque, a winter garden salad, Caesar salad, hamachi tataki or a mushroom torte. Then, select from entrees ranging from Iberico pork chop, filet mignon and ora king salmon to Georges bank scallops and matcha soba primavera. Your choice of a strawberry rhubarb tart or eggnog panna cotta ensures your sweet tooth is tended to. Make a reservation here.
Valle at Mission Pacific Hotel
The Michelin-starred Valle offers a wonderland of flavors courtesy of chef Roberto Alcocer on Christmas Eve. Choose from a four-course or eight-course tasting menu with an optional wine pairing. The contemporary Mexican restaurant will spice the evening up with spiny lobster, black cod, wagyu Wellington, and indulgent buñuelo with roasted corn chocolate mousse and turon ice cream. Make a reservation here.
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