Events
Hosted at basileIE + CM Curatorial in Barrio Logan, this pop-up shop will be stocked with art-inspired gifts, including limited-edition prints, tote bags, books, and more.
Date: December 12–14, and 19–21
Time: 3–7 p.m.
Address: 2070 Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan
Sail away during a variety of excursions, from Holiday Champagne Brunches every Sunday in December to a Holiday Gala Dinner Cruise with a three-course meal, music, and more. They even have a cruise pegged to the Parade of Lights, where you’ll get a prime view of the San Diego holiday tradition.
Date: Varies
Price: Varies
The music venue will host its Oh SNAP! It’s a ‘90s Hip Hop and Ugly Sweater Dance Party to kick off the week’s festivities. The 18 and over event will bring out all the classics and nostalgia for a festive night.
Date: December 23
Time: 8 p.m.
Price: $15
Address: 1055 Fifth Avenue, Downtown
The spa at the Sheraton/Westin Carlsbad Resorts & Spa will hold a holiday spa happy hour including a 50 minute massage or facial, small bites, and cocktails. Look for a 25 percent discount on nail services as well as 20 percent off retail and a selection from its 12 Days of Giving spa treatments when you bring a Toys for Tots donation.
Date: December 14
Time: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Price: $109
Address: 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad
The Carlsbad resort has transformed its lobby into a holiday wonderland, with a nine-foot chocolate Christmas tree and Santa’s workshop. And on select days this month, Park Hyatt Aviara will offer a festive tea experience for the whole family with entertainment and storytelling by the “Peppermint Princess” during Teddy Bear Tea. Each child is asked to bring a teddy bear to be donated to Rady’s Children Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House.
Date: Varies
Price: $50 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under (taxes and gratuity not included)
Address: 7100 Aviara Resort Drive, Carlsbad
The US Grant | Holiday Remix Party
Look for a Rockette-inspired performances and gourmet food stations at this event, which includes a $10 Uber code, a chance to win an overnight stay at the hotel, and complimentary sparkling wine for those who purchase six or more tickets.
Date: December 15
Time: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Price: $65
Address: 326 Broadway, Downtown
Listen to performances from local Ben Benavente and American pop folk pair Us The Duo as well as a show from Lythgoe Family Panto theater. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell will perform in Peter Pan & Tinkerbell: A Pirate Christmas and host a meet and greet.
Date: December 16
Time: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Address: 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, UTC
The Westgate Hotel | Christmas & Teddy Bear Teas
This downtown boutique hotel will hold teatime every weekend of the month for its Christmas Teas event held in the hotel’s Bordeaux Tea Room. Teddy Bear Teas is a family affair with a story time reading cast with Santa’s magicians, elves, and Santa himself.
Date: Varies
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Price: Adults $50, Children $35
Address: 1055 Second Avenue, Downtown
Food + Drink
Devil’s Dozen Doughnuts and Kettner Exchange will team up for a holiday event on the donut shops remolded rooftop. A five-course tasting dinner will feature Alaskan king crab cakes, prime rib, and a holiday Yule log. Exclusive seasonal cocktails and wine pairing will also be on the menu.
Date: December 13
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Price: $95
Address: 2001 Kettner Boulevard, Little Italy
Feast of the Seven Fishes | Urban Kitchen Group
The Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition of fasting from red meat for fish until Christmas day will be showcased at Cucina Urbana, Cucina Enoteca, and Cucina Sorella. Executive Chef Joe Magnanelli has created a rotating seafood menu as well as select specials such as grilled swordfish, Saba barbeque eel, and a tarragon risotto with crispy squid and mussels.
Date: December 18-24
Address: 505 Laurel Street, Bankers Hill; 2730 Via de la Valle, Del Mar; 4055 Adams Avenue, Kensington
Spend the holidays at this signature hotel restaurant where its 25 Days of JSixmas will have an Instagramable photo wall, tacky holiday décor, and themed appetizers and cocktails such as its Christmas in San Diego with Henebery whiskey, nutmeg, and Irish cream.
Date: Through December 31
Address: 616 J Street, East Village
The French bakery will have two handcrafted Christmas logs to order. Each serves six to eight people and shoppers can choose between the bakery’s signature bûche with praline cake or the rocher bûche with almond biscuit, chestnut mousse, and chocolate.
Date: Through December 20
Price: $30
Address: 555 G Street, Gaslamp
Miracle on 30th Pop-up | Polite Provisions
A global cocktail bar concept will take over more than 50 locations worldwide including North Park’s Polite Provisions. Through Christmas Eve witness the apothecary-esque bar decked in holiday fair with concoctions such as the Snowball Old Fashioned with gingerbread bourbon, How the Gimlet Stole Christmas with gin, sage, pine and caraway cordial, and the Run Run Rudolph with blanco tequila and iced hot chocolate.
Date: Through December 24
Address: 4696 30th Street, North Park
Nason’s beer advent calendar will have 12 days of deals such as BOGO pretzels, pitchers for $20, wine for $1 with a charcuterie board order, and more.
Date: December 13-24
Price: Varies
Address: 570 J Street, Gaslamp
San Diego’s newest East Coast eatery will be offering three holiday shakes for a limited time. Select from a frozen hot cocoa, Christmas cookie with a sugar cookie custard, and chocolate peppermint.
Date: Through January 2
Time: 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Price: $6.24
Address: 4309 La Jolla Village Drive, UTC
Feast on classics from Sicily during this 4-course dinner designed with some special surprises.
Date: December 24
Price: $59+ for adults (they can customizer simpler meals for children)
Address: 2820 Roosevelt Road, Liberty Station
Christmas Eve + Day Dinners
This upscale eatery is offering three-course tastings for the holiday. Try crispy duck confit, butternut squash agnolotti, and ginger bread cake with blood orange.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve dinner 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Christmas day dinner 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Price: Christmas Eve and day dinner $85, Children $40
Address: 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, Rancho Bernardo
During Christmas week, Bistro 39 will host a holiday three-course prix-fixe menu. Find an arugula and strawberry salad, jumbo bacon-wrapped scallops with a honey-lime glaze, as well as a mocha mud pie with coffee ice cream and a chocolate cookie crust.
Date: December 24-31
Time: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Price: Adult $32 | Children $15
Address: 3939 Ocean Bluff Avenue, Del Mar
The tapas bar will serve dinner all day along with its three-course Christmas menu. The menu includes a croqueta Valencia, pan roasted Chinook salmon, and café ahogao.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve dinner 11 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. | Christmas day dinner 11:30 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Price: $39.50
Address: 353 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp
The oceanfront-dining destination will have a prix-fixe Christmas Eve dinner as well as a Christmas day lunch and dinner buffet. Dishes such as hazelnut crusted butter fish, applewood smoked jidori chicken, seafood paella, and chocolate peppermint Yule log can be found across menus.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve dinner 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Christmas day lunch buffet 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Christmas day dinner buffet 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Price: Christmas Eve dinner $55 – $64 | Christmas day lunch/dinner buffet Adult $69, Children $24
Address: 1 Ponto Road, Carlsbad
Take in the San Diego skyline at this bayfront restaurant on Christmas day. The three-course prix-fixe menu includes dishes such as a Brussels sprouts and candied bacon salad, eight-ounce center cut, filet mignon, and house-made churros.
Date: December 25
Time: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Price: Adult $54.95 | Children $13.95
Address: 880 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island
Against the shores of Lake San Marcos dine at this North County destination with its three-course dinner. Menu items include glazed pork belly, crab stuffed sole, ancient grains, and a holiday affogato. Wine pairings are an additional $20.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve and day dinner 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Price: Christmas Eve and day dinner $60, children $30
Address: 1025 La Bonita Drive, San Marcos
Kona Kai Resort & Spa | Vessel Restaurant + Bar
Kona Kai’s culinary team will host a three-course dinner with dishes like lobster bisque, black truffle risotto, and braised lamb shank. Finish it off with a chocolate fudge fritter.
Date: December 25
Price: $49 per person
Address: 1551 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island
Grab a table where the Pacific meets the La Jolla cliffs at this scenic restaurant on Christmas Eve with specials such as its open ocean barramundi, Nebraska Imperial Kobe beef New York, and its Spindrift Trilogy with Maine lobster tail, diver scallop, and wild prawn. On Christmas find a variety of dishes from purple haze goat cheese brûlée to a gluten-free tangerine ponzu glazed organic tofu.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve dinner 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Christmas day noon – 7 p.m.
Price: Varies
Address: 2000 Spindrift Drive, La Jolla
This restaurant in The Ranch serves the lighter side of French cuisine and will offer a three-course dinner for the holiday. On the menu find seared bison carpaccio, breast of duck and seared foie gras, and a Christmas log with pear, pecans, praline mouse, and meringue.
Date: December 24
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Price: $94.50
Address: 6009 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe
An exclusive holiday menu will be presented in three courses at this downtown French-hued American restaurant with dishes such as house-made raviolo, pan roasted scallops, and pumpkin cheesecake.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve and day dinner 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Price: Christmas Eve dinner $87.50 | Christmas day dinner $72.50
Address: 2550 Fifth Avenue, Bankers Hill
Christmas at Balboa Park is made more special at The Prado’s holiday three-course prix-fixe dinner. Find dishes such as a baby beet salad with Sonoma goat cheese, driver caught scallops, and an eggnog crème brûlée with an almond cookie.
Date: December 24
Time: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Price: Adult $54.95 | Children $13.95
Address: 1549 El Prado, Balboa Park
The beach front property will host a Christmas Eve three-course prix-fixe dinner which will include dishes such as a curried lentil soup, mojo marinated pork chop, and a warm dark chocolate and whiskey cobbler. On Christmas find a buffet with samplings of fresh-shucked oysters, braised Angus beef short ribs, and coconut panna cotta.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve dinner 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Christmas day buffet 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Price: Christmas Eve dinner Adult $49.95, Children $13.95 | Christmas day buffet Adult $59.95, children 7-12 $16.95, children under 6 free
Address: 800 Seacoast Drive, Imperial Beach
The restaurant at the Sheraton/Westin Carlsbad Resorts & Spa is hosting a Christmas Eve prime rib dinner and Christmas Day three-course meal. Dishes for the latter include a creamy cauliflower soup, Portobello risotto, and a mini Yule log.
Date: December 24-25
Price: From $22 for Christmas Eve dinner; $65 for Christmas Day dinner
Address: 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad
Rancho Valencia’s signature restaurant will have a three-course dinner Christmas Eve to include Brandt beef tenderloin, and a pistachio mousse cake. On Christmas find a live musical event with fine dining stations such as live sushi and pasta, a carving table, and cold seafood. Reservations are recommended.
Date: December 24-25
Time: Christmas Eve dinner 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Christmas day buffet 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Price: Christmas Eve dinner $125 | Christmas day buffet Adult $125, Children 3-11 $55, Children under 3 free
Address: 5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Santa Fe
San Diego Holiday Events & Dining Guide 2017
