It’s Christmas in Miami! Read below for 10 ways to celebrate the holiday (read as: eat and drink) in style.
BLT Steak
Go to BLT Steak {1610 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 786.605.0819} on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and get a three-course, prix-fixe menu of holiday dishes created by Chef Carlos Torres. On the menu? Look out for appetizers like Stracciatella & Hearts of Palm Salad or Calamari and Octopus Escabeche, followed by entrées like Grilled Colorado Lamb Chops with a pistachio mint mojo or Roasted Lobster Aji Amarillo and Catalan spinach. Sides will be served family-style, and will include plates like Root Vegetable Melange, Sweet Potato and Shiitake Mash, and BBQ Corn. For dessert, end the holiday on a sweet note with either Chocolate Buche de Noel with chocolate pearls and dulce de leche, or Mango Pavlova decorated with passion fruit and pomegranate seeds. Merry Christmas, indeed! This meal is available from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It is priced at $80 per person.
MR CHOW
Looking for something different this Christmas? Look no further than MR CHOW {2201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.695.1695}. This iconic Beijing restaurant will offer a semi-prix-fixe menu of signature dishes served family-style, like Glazed Prawns with Walnuts, Chicken Satay, Little Dragon Soup Dumplings, seasonal cocktails, and glasses overflowing with champagne. This dinner is available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, during normal operating hours. It is priced at $66 per person.
Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann
On Christmas Eve, head to Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann {3201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 786.655.5610} for either its regular Sunday Asado menu (at lunch!) or a special tasting menu for dinner. For dinner, expect to find a limited a la carte menu along with a tasting menu of holiday-inspired dishes, like: Florida Stone Crab “Milanesa,” Wood Oven Gnocchi Souffle, Slow Cook Ribeye, and for dessert, Roasted Pineapple with Illanka chocolate Yule Log and coconut cream. Then, on Christmas Day, come back for a special holiday asado menu for lunch and the restaurant’s regular a la carte menu for dinner. The special tasting menu is available on Christmas Eve only, and is priced at $125 per person. The holiday asado lunch is available on Christmas Day during normal lunch hours. It is priced at $95.
Fontana at The Biltmore
This Christmas Eve, celebrate with a four-course, prix-fixe Italian feast at Fontana at The Biltmore {1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables; 305.445.1926}. Start with a first course of Il Carpaccio de Bisonte with a white truffle citronette or La Coda Brasata, braised oxtail with Parmigiano reggiano polenta, and move on to second course plates like La Lasagnetta Rustica or Il Raviolo alla Parmigiana. For a third course, choose the roasted double-cut, coffee-crusted Australian lamb chops or the Chilean seabass, and finish with a sweet ending: like a vanilla dome with mixed berries and vanilla gelato. This menu is available on Christmas Eve only. It is priced at $98 per person.  
Pao by Paul Qui
Want to celebrate Christmas the Asian way? Head to Pao by Paul Qui {3201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 786.655.5600}, at Faena Miami Beach, for a limited a la carte menu and a special, prix-fixe tasting menu. Prix fixe menu items include: Toro, Rabbit Adobo, Milk Crusted Fluke, Lechon, Aged Peking Duck, and for dessert, a Frozen Tainori Chocolate Yule Log. This dinner is available on Christmas Day. It is priced at $125 per person.
Lobster Bar Sea Grille
This Christmas Eve, let Lobster Bar Sea Grille {404 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.377.2675} do all the work. Sitting right in South of Fifth, this sea-inspired restaurant will offer a three-course, pre-fixe “Celebration Menu” with plates like Lobster Stuffed Lobster, Pristine Whole European Fish, Filet Mignon, King Crab, and more. This dinner is available on Christmas Eve. It is priced at $46 per person.
Market at EDITION
Dine at Market at EDITION {2901 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 786.257.4600} on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and you’ll get an Italian market-inspired feast of Butternut Squash Soup, Lamb Chop, Oysters, Snow Crab, Crispy Spiced French Toast, Lobster Eggs Benedict, and a Yule Log with Candy Cane Ice Cream or Maple Pecan Pie for dessert. Sunday Brunch is available on Christmas Eve, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is priced at $68 per person. An a la carte dinner is available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Strand Bar & Grill
The Strand Bar & Grill {6801 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.514.7474}, which opened just this past November at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, serves up Executive Chef Stephen Ullrich’s seasonal, ingredient-driven menu of carefully-considered new American fare. On both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, get a special three-course menu that includes plates like Chestnut Soup with Black Truffle, Belgian Endive Salad, Gnocchi with leeks and caviar, Venison with red cabbage and root vegetables, Duck with carrot-foie gras puree, Pecan Pie Bread Pudding with bourbon vanilla ice cream and pecan brittle, and more. This dinner is available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, during normal operating hours. It is priced at $89 per person, and comes with an optional wine pairing for an additional $39 per person. Reduced valet parking is available for $10.
Sakura 736
Celebrate “Noche Buena” on December 24 at Sakura 736 {736 1 Street, Miami Beach; 786.607.0199}. In honor of this special day, this Japanese-Peruvian restaurant will serve a traditional, four-course Peruvian feast, complete with a Christmas Turkey and all the trimmings, as well as the restaurant’s a la carte menu. This feast will be available on Christmas Eve only. It is priced at $75 per person.
Jaya at The Setai
Jaya at The Setai {2001 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 855.923.7899} has two options for you to celebrate Christmas this year, and it involves both a Holiday Champagne Brunch and a dinner. The Holiday Champagne Brunch will include exclusive holiday dishes (like Gammon Ham and Free-Range Organic Turkey!), as well as an extensive array of fresh seafood, food stations for kids, Jaya’s signature Indian-Asian inspired cuisine, endless mimosas, desserts, glasses overflowing with Roederer Champagne, a live jazz band, and special appearances by Mrs. Claus on Christmas Eve and Santa Claus on Christmas Day. At night, come back either day for a five-course feast! In addition to signature Jaya at The Setai dishes, this feast will include a prix-fixe menu of special dishes like Butternut Squash Risotto, Wagyu Filet Mignon, or Christmas Turkey. The Holiday Champagne Brunch will be available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is priced at $125 per adult and $63 per child, ages 5 to 12. The dinner will be available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. It is priced at $110 per adult and $55 per child, ages 5 to 12.

 
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor