Start a new holiday tradition with lunch or dinner on Christmas Eve at LB Steak at Santana Row. LB Steak offers a contemporary take on American classics in its casually elegant dining room. The regular menu will be available at lunch, and diners can choose among steak burgers, salmon salad with mango and candied nuts, and a pulled pork banh mi sandwich. For dinner, enjoy a special four-course prix fixe menu ($75) that includes Oysters Rockefeller, braised Wagyu short ribs, and pan roasted Sonoma duck breast. Finish off with a traditional figgy pudding with rum crème Anglaise, or a persimmon cheesecake with ginger snap crust. A limited regular menu will also be available.

The holidays always feel more glamorous at fine hotels, and the Fountain Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose won’t disappoint with it’s Christmas Day Mistletoe Lunch Buffet. The lavish spread will include a chilled seafood and sushi bar, lavender mustard rib eye roast and honey baked ham, and a festive holiday dessert buffet. $64 per person; $32 for children under 12; complimentary for children under 5. If you can’t wait until Christmas Day to celebrate the season, consider the Fountain’s Nutcracker Tea Service, available Saturdays and Sundays until December 20th ($49 per person). A joint program with the Silicon Valley Ballet, the service includes tea, sandwiches, and scones. Children will receive a special nutcracker toy.

Spend Christmas Day in downtown San Jose, with a stroll through Christmas in the Park or ice skating at Downtown Ice followed by dinner at The Grill on the Alley, just steps away from the action. The Grill on the Alley, open on Christmas Day from 3PM to 8PM, is offering a special three course menu ($82) to celebrate the holiday. Enjoy lobster salad or Miyagi oysters, followed by prosciutto wrapped filet mignon or Colorado Lamb Chops. Then indulge in a choice of desserts, including Hazelnut Kahlua Crème Brulée and pumpkin pie. The Grill on the Alley is also open Christmas Eve, with the restaurant serving lunch and dinner from 11:30AM until 10PM, and the bar open until 11PM.

Have a Joyeux Noël when you spend Christmas Eve at Left Bank Brasserie at Santana Row. Left Bank will be open for lunch and dinner on Christmas Eve, with the last seating at 9PM. A three course prix fixe Christmas menu ($58 per person) will include tempting dishes like truffle scented chestnut cream soup, pan roasted pheasant breast with pumpkin spaetzle, and the classic French holiday dessert, Bûche de Noël. All items are available à la carte, and a reduced regular menu will also be available.

The Fairmont Hotel, in downtown San Jose, puts on a festive Christmas Day brunch buffet that the whole family will enjoy. Adults ($84 with wine service; $74 without) will love the spread of cold seafood, artisanal terrines and pates, and cured meats. A carving station, featuring turkey, rib eye roast, and ham, will be available, along with holiday brunch favorites like eggnog French toast and gourmet omelets. Kids ($37 under twelve; free under 5) will have their own buffet, with turkey, buttermilk whipped potatoes, and – best of all – Jello. Brunch will be accompanied by live piano music and holiday games for children.

Viva, the quintessential neighborhood eatery, will be open on Christmas Eve so that hungry neighbors can get a bite to eat from 4PM to 9PM. Viva’s regular dinner menu will be available, with small plates such as mini crab cakes and grilled Castroville Artichoke, pizzas, and soups and salads. A kids menu features favorites like mini cheese pizza and grilled chicken with mashed potatoes.

With its bright and colorful dining room, Spanish restaurant Cascal looks festive all year long. On Christmas Eve, Cascal will be open and serving their fantastic menu of tapas, ceviche, and paella. Small-plate dining lends itself well to big groups, so bring the whole family, order up a table full of tapas, and toast the holidays with a glass of sangria. Feliz Navidad!

There’s nothing like a taste of home at the holidays, and East Coast Alice will be serving up New York American and Italian classics for home-sick East Coasters and curious Californians on Christmas Eve. Located on Big Basin Way, in the charming town of Saratoga, East Coast Alice features appetizers like house made meatballs and fresh burrata, and hearty entrees including chicken cacciatore and eggplant parmesan casserole. On Christmas Eve, a special Italian Christmas menu will be available, focusing on seafood and including fried fish, seafood puttanesca, and shrimp scampi.

Dio Deka, in Los Gatos, is an elegant destination for Christmas dinner, with a well-appointed dining room and fine Greek cuisine. Dio Deka will be open on Christmas Eve and serving its regular menu, which includes traditional Greek fare like like crispy spanakopita and rich moussaka, as well as an impressive menu of filets, rib-eye, and porterhouse, grilled over mesquite charcoal.

David’s Restaurant, across from Levi’s Stadium, is open 365 days a year, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Their à la carte holiday dinner menu includes lobster bisque, glazed roasted ham, and broiled rack of lamb. A vegetarian menu and a children’s menu are also available.

Arya Global Cuisine in Cupertino will be serving its signature Persian and Italian fare on Christmas Eve. Enjoy pomegranate pistachio meatballs, Persian stews, rice dishes, and kabob platters while toasting the season over something from their global wine list.

Neighborhood favorite Naglee Park Garage will open its doors on Christmas Eve and offer both its regular menu and a special holiday menu. Naglee Park Garage specializes in dishes like pan roasted trout and maple lacquered curry chicken, served with seasonal vegetables like butternut squash with blue cheese and pears and Brussels sprouts and bacon.

Doppio Zero bring Neapolitan-style pizza to Mountain View, with old-school recipes, top-notch ingredients, and a wood-fired pizza oven. But the menu doesn’t stop at pizza – Doppio Zero also offers a full menu of appetizers, like roasted cauliflower and grilled baby octopus, as well as salads, pastas, entrees, and desserts. Stop by on Christmas Eve and wish the chef a Buon Natale!

Spend Christmas Eve at Amber India on Santana Row and you can enjoy great food while searching the gorgeous domed ceiling of LED light stars for the Christmas Star. Menu highlights include dishes from the clay oven such as Tandoori cauliflower and chicken, Tandoor baked breads, and vegetarian curies.

With options like a party at a local winery, a belly dancing show, and fine dining at the area’s best restaurants, our New Years Eve Dining Guide offers plenty of ideas for a fantastic celebration.