Various East Bay restaurants are offering special menus for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. On Dec. 24, you’ll notice that many of the restaurants mentioned below will be serving a Feast of Seven Fishes, in the tradition of many Italian-American families who eat fish and seafood on Christmas Eve. Then, on Dec. 31, we’ve compiled a list of dining spots offering a festive and delicious end to 2018. As always, reservations are highly recommended for holiday dining.
Let the holiday feasts begin!
Christmas Eve
A16 in Rockridge will once again prepare its annual Feast of the Seven Fishes, a special Italian-style seafood dinner with optional wine pairings. The meal is served family-style, at $105 per person. The restaurant will also be offering a limited walk-in menu at the bar. A16, 5356 College Ave. (near Manila), Oakland
Bardo Lounge and Supper Club on Lakeshore Avenue will serve a special $80 prix fixe supper (menu TBA), but expect to feel like you’ve stepped foot into a ’60s dinner party, complete with a cocktail served from a punch bowl. Seatings start at 5 p.m. Reservations can be made on Resy. Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, 3343 Lakeshore Ave. (near Mandana), Oakland
Benchmark Oakland will offer its regular menu, along with a special Feast of the Seven Fishes a la carte menu, featuring seven different fish dishes prepared in various ways. And Benchmark Kensington will have a special holiday meal featuring beef brisket, holiday cookies and a 2013 Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco. Benchmark Oakland, 499 9th St. (at Washington), Oakland; Benchmark Kensington, 1568 Oak View Ave. (at Colusa), Kensington
Copper Spoon in Temescal will be open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, serving a special food and drink menu, that includes whole Dungeness crab and bar specials like a cardamom-spiced hot apple cider and pink peppercorn hot toddy. Copper Spoon, 4031 Broadway (at 40th), Oakland
Donato & Co. in the Elmwood will be cooking up three specials on Christmas Eve: Gulf-prawns with smoked eggplant puree and home-made spicy ‘nduja and ricotta; a seafood stew served with garlic bruschetta bread; and Italian panettone with lavender crème de pot, dark chocolate sauce and pistachio praline. The regular menu and pre-fixe will also be available all night until the kitchen closes at 9 p.m. Donato & Co., 2635 Ashby Ave. (near College), Berkeley
Lake Chalet on Lake Merritt’s shores will be open all day (from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.), serving a menu of a la carte items and, for dinner, an $85 four-course prix fixe dinner, with choice of grilled beef rib cap with bone marrow bearnaise, smoked beet purée, roasted beets and fondant potato or roasted local petrale sole with black garlic, black mission figs and wild mushrooms. Lake Chalet Seafood Bar and Grill, 1520 Lakeside Dr. (near 14th), Oakland
Lalime’s in Westbrae will offer a five-course Feast of Seven Fishes dinner. The price is $60 per person, and there are two seatings, at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Lalime’s, 1329 Gilman St., (between Neilson and Tevlin), Berkeley
Lungomare in Jack London Square will be open from noon to 8 p.m. for a Feast of Seven Fishes feast. The dinner starts with a Marin Miyagi oyster amuse bouche and a first course of crab and caviar; diners have choices for the second and third courses, which including a scallop and clam risotto and cioppino. There are two seatings, at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., for $60 a person, or $85 with wine pairings. Lungomare, One Broadway, Oakland
Perle Wine Bar in Montclair will host a prix fixe Christmas Eve dinner featuring choices for each course, such as Oyster Supreme, with uni, foie gras and salmon caviar for an amuse bouche; roasted bone marrow tartare for a first course and Duck L’orange for the main course. One dessert — Bûche de Noël — ends the meal on a festive note. Dinner is $89. Perle Wine Bar, 2058 Mountain Blvd. (near LaSalle), Oakland
Revival Bar + Kitchen in downtown Berkeley will serve a special prix fixe menu of the restaurant’s “highlights of the year.” The meal starts with an amuse bouche for the table — warm olives and brandade toasts, followed by choices for each entree, including options like baked California oysters, confit duck leg and breast with red wine sauce, and sticky toffee pudding. Dinner is $75. Christmas cocktails and a la carte wine pairings are available. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, but vegan meals require pre-order reservations. Revival Bar + Kitchen, 2102 Shattuck Ave. (at Addison), Berkeley
New Year’s Eve
Abstract Table will ring in the New Year with a special five-course menu. Expect dishes like smoked ocean trout three ways and Japanese honey cake with Fresno chili ice cream. The meal starts at 7:30 p.m. and costs $90 a person. Reservations are required at resy.com. Abstract Table
at The Gastropig, 2123 Franklin St. (between 21st and 22nd), Oakland
Bardo Lounge and Supper Club will host a “Mid-Century NYE Cocktail Party,” featuring an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, music by Calvin Keys’ Jazz Quartet, party favors and a midnight Champagne toast. Mid-century attire is encouraged. Party starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $125. Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, 3343 Lakeshore Ave. (near Mandana), Oakland
Beer Baron Bar & Kitchen in Oakland will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a masquerade party featuring a live DJ and balloon drop. Tickets are $115, and include unlimited drinks, unlimited food and a Champagne toast at midnight! The party starts at 8 p.m.; don’t forget your mask! Beer Baron, 5900 College Ave. (at Chabot), Oakland
Benchmark Oakland will be open from 5-9 p.m., serving its regular a la carte menu, along with an $85 four-course prix fixe dinner, featuring traditional Italian winter holiday dishes. An optional pairing of wines by the glass will be available at an extra cost. Benchmark Kensington will be open for the same hours, and offer its regular menu, along with Dungeness crab specials and a sparkling rose. Both locations will offer guests party favors to ring in the new year. Benchmark Oakland, 499 9th St. (at Washington), Oakland; Benchmark Kensington, 1568 Oak View Ave. (at Colusa), Kensington
Copper Spoon will host seatings from 5:30-10 p.m. for a $75 four-course prix fixe menu featuring options for each course. The main course choices are a half Dungeness crab with aioli, melted butter and garlic noodles, a whole Cornish game hen with coconut black eye peas and rice and braised cabbage topped with persimmon chutney, or for vegetarians and vegans, a tagine with ras el hanout marinated tempeh and chanterelle mushrooms. An optional cocktail or wine pairing can be added for $40. All diners will get a complimentary glass of sparkling wine to toast to the new year. And, if you’re feeling like dancing, Copper Spoon’s Golden State Lounge will host a dance party from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m with DJ Mark Maiden. The party is free for diners; $20 otherwise. Copper Spoon, 4031 Broadway (at 40th), Oakland
Donato & Co. will host la festa di San Silvestro, a New Year’s Eve four-course feast. The prix fixe dinner, $68, will include dishes like red kuri squash ravioli and Piemontese eye-round beef. Reservations are recommended. Donato & Co., 2635 Ashby Ave. (near College), Berkeley
Gather in Berkeley will host seatings from 5 to 9 p.m. The a la carte menu will offer specials like Kumamoto oysters with béarnaise brûlé and roasted Muscovy duck with Tokyo turnips, charred apple, ruby beets, spigarello and duck bouillon. All bottles of sparkling wine and Champagne will be discounted 25% for the night. Gather, 2200 Oxford St. (between Kittredge and Addison), Berkeley
Homestead on Piedmont Avenue will serve a prix fixe tasting menu, offering choices for each course. The main course choices are ribeye grilled in the fireplace served with roasted bone marrow or butter poached turbot with Maine lobster. There will be two seatings, from 5-6:15 p.m. for a $110 four-course prix fixe, and from 6:30-11:00 p.m. for a $130 five-course prix fixe. An optional pairing of wines by the glass will be available at both seatings for $60-$70. Those who will be at the restaurant at midnight will receive a free sparkling wine. Prices exclude tax but include tip. Reservations are recommended. Homestead, 4029 Piedmont Ave. (between 40th and 41st), Oakland
La Marcha Tapas Bar in Berkeley will serve a six-course prix fixe for $75, with an optional wine pairing for $25. Some highlights from the menu of Spanish fare include grilled oyster with foie gras and bottarga bread crumbs, a croqueta made with black squid ink and Dungeness crab with sea urchin aioli and caviar, and paella Valenciana featuring confit duck leg, rabbit and snails. The restaurant will be open from 5-10 p.m. La Marcha Tapas Bar, 2026 San Pablo Ave. (at University), Berkeley
Oliveto in Rockridge will include a prix fixe featuring dishes like chanterelle mushroom soup with Perigord black truffles, pancetta-wrapped venison loin and a crab salad. There will be two seatings, from 5-6:30 p.m. for $90 and from 7:45-9:15 p.m. for $135. Oliveto, 5655 College Ave. (at Keith), Oakland
Perle Wine Bar will be seating diners from 5-7 p.m. for a special prix fixe New Year’s Eve dinner, featuring choices for each course, including fried oyster deviled egg, smoked salmon carpaccio, and black truffle tagliatelle. As with its Christmas Eve dinner, dessert will be Bûche de Noël. Then, from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., Perle will host a party featuring a large selection of passed apps, an entree of cassoulet, desserts, a balloon drop, hosted Champagne bar, DJ and dancing. The late night party costs $200 a person. Perle Wine Bar, 2058 Mountain Blvd. (near LaSalle), Oakland
Ramen Shop will be celebrating its sixth year anniversary this New Year’s Eve. The restaurant will host four seatings of a special seven-course dinner — first two seatings at 6 and 6:30 p.m. come with a complimentary sparkling wine or NYE cocktail ($120 inclusive of gratuity); second seatings at 8:30 and 9 p.m. feature unlimited sparkling wine and NYE cocktails ($150 inclusive of gratuity). Menu highlights include Dungeness crab dumplings in saffron broth; kampachi and tai snapper sashimi with peppercress, shiso sprouts, and blood orange ponzu and black truffle shio ramen. (Vegan and shellfish-free options are available for each course). Revelers who want to party with Ramen Shop after dinner can come after 11 p.m., where guests can enjoy all-you-can-drink Champagne ($60). Tickets for all options are available on Eventbrite. Ramen Shop, 5812 College Ave. (at Birch), Oakland
Shakewell on Lakeshore Avenue will serve a three-course prix fixe dinner for $75 with choices for each course. The main course features three choices: prime rib with roasted potatoes, bacon shallot creamed mustard greens and rioja beef broth; pan-roasted sea bass with roasted cauliflower couscous, almonds, sultanas, baby spinach and smoked piquillo pepper sauce; or a vegetarian dish with wild mushrooms, Tuscan kale, bomba rice, roasted winter squash, ricotta salata and truffle vinaigrette. An a la carte menu will be available for diners who eat at the bar. Shakewell, 3407 Lakeshore Ave. (near Mandana), Oakland
Soba Ichi in West Oakland will be open during the day for a special soba event, from noon to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. In Japan, Toshikoshi soba, or year-crossing noodles, are eaten on Dec. 31 to symbolize a fresh start for a new year (because soba noodles are easy to break, they stand for letting go of the hardship from the year). For the event, soba — served cold or hot — will be the only item on the menu, at $12 (or $16, with tempura). Drinks will be sold separately. Soba Ichi will be ushering in some changes with the new year. After a two-week closure from Jan. 1-15, it will reopen on Jan. 16 with new hours: 5-9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; 5-10 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch), 5-10 p.m. (dinner), Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch), 5 to 9 p.m. (dinner), Sunday. Soba Ichi, 2311A Magnolia St. (at 24th), Oakland
Telefèric Barcelona in Walnut Creek will host two dinner seatings — 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. — featuring a four-course Spanish menu. Main course choices include rustic beef with Iberico ham and Rioja wine sauce or cod “Suquet” with clams, shrimp, and potatoes (a vegetarian menu is also available). The meal is $90 ($55 for kids), and comes with beer, wine, cava or soft drink. Guests will be treated to live Flamenco shows and a chance to enter raffle prizes. Telefèric Barcelona, 1500 Mt Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek
