By Gail Johnson
It’s looking a lot like Christmas, and for those who prefer to dine out rather than eat in during the holidays, local restaurants have got you covered.
Here are a few that will do the cooking for you.
Vancouver
YEW Seafood + Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver (791 West Georgia Street)
Christmas eve dinner, Christmas day brunch buffet, and Christmas day dinner are all on extravagant offer. This is the last time you’ll be able to celebrate the holidays at the Four Seasons: the luxury property is closing on January 30, 2020.
Bombay Kitchen and Bar (1018 Commercial Drive; open December 24 and 25)
Authentic Indian dishes will warm you up when the weather outside is frightful. On the menu are tandoori chicken, prawns, veggies, lamb chops, and goat chops alongside vegetarian dishes like tofu tikka masala, eggplant bharta, and paneer vindaloo.
Juke Fried Chicken (182 Keefer Street; open December 23)
The Chinatown chicken-and-ribs joint hosts its inaugural Christmas Eve Eve Dinner with seatings from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 7 to 8:30 p.m., Dinner for two to four guests ($25 per person) that includes a half or whole fried chicken plus “not yo’ mama’s cheese dip”, Juke’s signature ’slaw, skillet cornbread, fried Brussels sprouts, triple-cooked potatoes, Juke ginger cookies and a warm dessert cocktail.
Richmond
CAVU Kitchen Bar at the Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel
Chilled seafood, charcuterie, marinated beef strip loin, roasted tom turkey, and more: look for a buffet-style for dinner on December 24 and 25, with seatings at 4:30 and 7 p.m. The Christmas Day buffet brunch, meanwhile, features all the trimmings plus Starbucks coffee.
Fairmont Vancouver Airport
Watch jumbo jets come and go during Christmas eve buffet (with traditional carving stations and seafood display), Christmas brunch (made-to-order omelettes and Bennys are always a highlight), or Christmas dinner (an elegant three-course meal set to live music.
Burnaby
Hart House (6664 Deer Lake Avenue)
Located lakeside on a three-acre estate, the Tudor Revival-style Hart House is as elegantly home-y as it gets. Dinner on December 24 and 25 features roasted turkey breast with brioche stuffing, smashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and turkey gravy; other main course options include AAA beef tenderloin, Pacific sablefish, or a vegetarian halloumi.
Vancouver’s North Shore
The Observatory at Grouse Mountain (6400 Nancy Greene Way)
The restaurant at the Peak of Vancouver is hosting a festive Christmas lunch daily up to and including December 24. Options on the three-course menu include baked pacific oysters, roasted filet of ling cod, roasted butter turkey breast, and blood orange trifle, all served with a side of stunning scenery.
White Rock
Wooden Spoon Brunch & Bistro (15171 Russell Avenue)
Open on Christmas Eve until 3 p.m., the popular spot has several varieties of Bennys, French toast, mimosas, and Caesars.
Charlie Don’t Surf (15011 Marine Drive)
An institution on the White Rock strip, the eatery is serving signature dishes like the Hungryman’s Breakfast Bowl, Bubba Shrimp Pizza, and Fisherman’s Hot Pot on Christmas Eve until 4 pm.
Surrey
Mahek Restaurant and Lounge (9470 – 120th Street)
Take a culinary trip to India via dishes like lamb and goat curry, chili paneer, fish tikka, and prawn biryani. The restaurant is open until 10 p.m. December 24.
Coquitlam
C Market Coffee Roastery and Kitchen (111-100 Schoolhouse Street)
Delicious, nutritious fare is the mandate at this neighbourhood place, open on Christmas Eve. Local favourites include Korean-style bulgogi bowl, chicken waffle, and turkey-Swiss cheese panino.
The Taphouse Coquitlam (405 North Road)
Happy Hour runs all day on December 24 (11am to 8pm), alongside offerings like flatbreads, burgers, fajitas, and deep-fried pickles.
Legend House Chinese Restaurant (140-1169 Pacific Street)
Open December 24 and 25, Legend House specializes in Sichuan cuisine and Northern Chinese-style dim sum. You’ll find Sichuan Thousand Chili Chicken, braised pork knuckles, dan-dan noodles, dumplings, wontons and more on the menu.
New Westminster
Kozak Ukrainian Eatery (444 6th Street)
Open every single day of the year from 9am to 9pm—with the exception of December 25 and 31, when it closes at 5 pm)—the restaurant makes items like borscht, pyrizhky buns, and pierogies just like mama used to.
Amaranthus (810 Quayside Drive)
Situated within the River Market, the plant-forward restaurant run by the same team behind El Santo recently added cocktails to the menu. Open till 4 pm on December 24, it serves up vegetarian dishes like squash risotto, Brussels sprouts with pumpkin-seed hummus and poached egg, and chickpea fritters.
Langley City
Shiraz Grill (20526 Fraser Highway)
Persian and Italian influences characterize the menu at this warm and inviting place. Try the saffron chicken kebob, lobster ravioli, gnocchi pesto, or mirza ghasemi—a flavourful eggplant dip. Open December 24 and 25.
Langley
Newlands Golf and Country Club (21025 48th Avenue)
Check out the Festival of Trees before the elaborate dinner buffet on Christmas Eve.
Header image by Leila Kwok, courtesy of YEW at Four Seasons.
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