A variety of restaurants are open for Christmas Eve dinner on Saturday, December 24. Here are some of the most festive (and delicious) options, including a number that feature seafood-centric menus for the Italian tradition: Feast of the Seven Fishes.
1226 36th St., NW
This Georgetown establishment comes alive on Christmas Eve with wreaths, garlands, and carols by the Washington Men’s Camerata. Chef Samuel Kim presents an à la carte menu featuring seasonal dishes like bucatini with chicken livers, white truffle risotto, and pancetta-wrapped monkfish.
Details: Dishes are priced from $15 to $60 each.
974 Palmer Alley, NW
Head to CityCenterDC’s stylish Italian restaurant for a four-course, family-style Feast of the Seven Fishes. Chef/owner Amy Brandwein’s menu includes grilled octopus and bucatini with littleneck clams.
Details: The meal costs $65 per person; wine pairings cost an additional $40.
1601 14th St., NW
Le Diplomate goes all out with holiday decorations with abundant fresh garlands, twinkling lights, and a tree. The brasserie is open until 9 pm on Christmas Eve, making it a festive spot for cocktails or an early dinner.
Details: Call for reservations and more information.
601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Chef Fabio Trabocchi and his team at Fiola are providing a Feast of the Seven Fishes prix-fixe menu, plus à la carte options. Patrons can try a variety of seafood dishes with luxe ingredients, including baked Maine scallops with winter black truffle, and gnocchi with Alaskan king crab. Over at Fiola Mare, the five-course seafood tasting menu includes grilled baby octopus and butter-poached Maine lobster.
Details: At Fiola, the prix fixe menu costs $150, and diners can also order four dishes and dessert à la carte for the same price. At Fiola Mare, the five-course tasting menu costs $150.
777 I St., NW
Chef Victor Albisu is known for meats at his South American steakhouse, but he’s offering a Latin take on the Feast of the Seven Fishes for the holidays. A four-course menu offers surf-and-turf dishes like bison tartare with smoked oyster dressing.
Details: The meal costs $78 per person.
2201 14th St., NW
Chef Mike Isabella’s Feast of the Seven Fishes returns this year with a bountiful five-course spread from chef de cuisine Elliot Drew featuring oysters, seafood brodo, and snow crab arrabbiata.
Details: The meal costs $65 per person; Italian wine pairings cost an additional $35.
800 F St., NW
Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s American brasserie serves up a Christmas Eve à la carte menu. Expect Asian-influenced entrées like pan-roasted duck breast with tatsoi and foie gras mousse, and roasted Hokkaido scallops with beets, cauliflower, and Szechuan peppercorn emulsion.
Details: Entrées are priced around $30 each. Reservations are recommended, and valet parking is available for $10.
301 Water St., SE #109
Chef Ben Pflaumer is putting his stamp on the time-honored tradition of Feast of the Seven Fishes with a multi-course, family-style seafood dinner. The whole family can enjoy bucatini nero, local crab ravioli, wood-grilled swordfish, and a whole roasted lobster.
Details: The meal costs $65 per person.
1200 16th St., NW
This elegant dining room inside the Jefferson Hotel offers a three-course meal with dishes like seared diver scallops with crispy sunchokes, and duck breast with red beet gnocchi.
Details: The meal costs $118 per adult and $55 per child (ages 12 and under). Valet parking is included.
8296 Glass Alley #110, Fairfax
This Mosaic District restaurant offers a menu for the French version of New Year’s Eve, Le Réveillon de Noël. Chef Jennifer Carroll serves three courses of French-Mediterranean fare including lobster bisque, roasted turkey with apple-chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce, and bûche de noël (French for “yule log”).
Details: The meal costs $35 per person.
800 Connecticut Ave., NW
Celebrate Christmas Eve blocks from the White House at this elegant New American, which offers a three-course menu. Choose from first courses like coffee-crusted venison carpaccio and entrées like pan-roasted monkfish with braised bacon and clams, or Christmas goose with brussels sprouts.
Details: The prix fixe menu costs $60 per person, or $95 with wine pairings.
575 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Wolfgang Puck’s haute Chinese restaurant adjoining the Newseum brings back the Christmas Eve duck dinner. Specifics are still TBD, but if it’s anything like last year, you’re in for a whole duck feast.
Maxine is an editorial fellow passionate about covering food, news, and politics. Her work has also been published in Forbes, Marie Claire, and Inside Higher Ed. She recently graduated from Brown University with honors in nonfiction writing.
