This Ballard waterfront classic has two options for a holiday dinner. The Boathouse will accompany its regular dinner menu with a three-course alternative for $60, with soup or salad, an entree, and dessert. In the cafe from noon to 8 p.m. there will be a la carte items, such as crab cakes, salmon, and burgers. Both sections require reservations, and both feature a full kids' menu.

One of Eater 38’s essential Seattle restaurants, this unassuming Chinese food restaurant in the U District delivers comfort food all year round. The real draw are bowls of hand-pulled, wide biang biang noodles, made from scratch every day. Must-try dishes include the spicy cumin lamb or simply the hot chili oil offering, which showcases the noodles’ texture the best.

Ballard’s legendary bar (which has been operating for over a century) is known for its laid-back vibe and excellent drinks list, including nine different types of bloody marys. There will be a limited menu on Christmas, but starting at 3 p.m., the taps will be flowing.

Jason Wilson's stark modern-industrial farmhouse restaurant in Bellevue will be hosting both brunch (from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and dinner (from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) on Christmas Day. The three-course menu costs $74 for adults and choices such as pumpkin soup, Niman Ranch prime rib, a vegetable pot pie with chanterelle mushrooms, and a roasted caramel apple cake.

The now third-annual “Miracle on 2nd” pop-up at Rob Roy will be in full force on Christmas Day. Revelers can expect plenty of kitschy, seasonal décor and themed drinks, such as the Bad Santa (served hot, with rum, black chai tea, and date infused oat milk), the Snowball Old Fashioned (with caramelized pecan bourbon), and the Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r (with rum, cachaça, and purple yam and coconut orgeat). 

This retro 24-hour diner on Capitol Hill is the perfect place for a low-key holiday. The regular menu of American classics is available all day on Christmas and a special holiday menu — featuring crab bisque, a classic turkey dinner, mulled wine spiked with brandy, and more — served from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. After, those with stamina to spare can sneak through the back to sibling Comet Tavern, which has similar menu specials.

Northwest cuisine in a relaxed setting Downtown should be a good Christmas Day bet for out-of-towners and locals hosting guests. The $68 price fixe menu reflects the restaurant's passion for regional ingredients, including a roasted local squash salad, a pan-seared bistro filet with grilled celery root puree and a local red wine demi-glace, and chocolate cake with ganache, peppermint bark, and whipped vanilla crème fraiche.

The Charter Hotel’s Patagon features Argentine flavors with Pacific Northwest ingredients in a sleek dining room overlooking the Great Wheel. On Christmas, there’s a $65 price fixe menu with dishes such as duck confit croquetas, asado oysters, parrilla smoked prime rib, and cresta de gallo with Washington black truffle and parmesan fondue. Wine pairing is $35 extra.

The International District is a great place to venture on the 25th, with many restaurants open and ready for business. No-frills dim sum spot Harbor City stands out in the crowd with some of the best Peking duck in Seattle (a Christmas tradition thanks in part to little Ralphie Parker), along with practically every other Chinese dish imaginable.