Give Yourself the Gift of Dining Out this Christmas 2017
After all the shopping, gift wrapping, tree cutting and card sending, who wants to cook a holiday meal? Take a break and have your Christmas Eve or Christmas Day fare at a local restaurant instead.

The côte de boeuf (literally “beef rib”) from Morton’s The Steakhouse.
Photo: Courtesy of Morton’s The STeakhouse
Alan Wong’s
On both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Alan Wong’s Honolulu will be offering a special four-course meal—plus dessert!—in lieu of its usual à la carte menu. Course selections are plentiful, including everything from octopus salad, Kona abalone and Keāhole lobster lumpia to roast duck, kālua pork and fillet of beef.
Dec. 24 and 25, 4:30 to 10 p.m., $95 per person, 1857 S. King St., #208, (808) 949-1939, alanwongs.com
BLT Market
BLT Market is offering a three-course dinner, which starts with escargot and ends with eggnog pavlova. For your entrée, choose between halibut with yucca root and peas or a 28-day dry-age rib-eye with local veggies. Wine pairing optional.
Dec. 25, 4 to 10:30 p.m., $100 per person, $140 with wine pairing, 383 Kalaimoku St., (808) 729-9729, bltmarket.com
Herringbone Waikīkī

Crispy whole fish with a trio of sauces from Herringbone Waikīkī.
Photo: Courtesy of Herringbone Waikīkī
The seafood-centric Herringbone Waikīkī is serving special dinners on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. The Christmas menu features kabocha bisque, Mari’s Gardens mixed green salad and your choice of slow-roasted prime rib, lobster Thermadore “en fuego” or crispy whole fish.
Dec. 24 and 25, $105 per person, 2330 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 797-2435, herringboneeats.com
Hōkū’s
Available Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Hōkū’s holiday celebration menu begins with foie gras mousse, followed by ‘ahi and hamachi crudo, then truffle butternut squash soup and shellfish ravioli. Guests can then choose from Hawaiian salt and herb-roasted Colorado rack of lamb or an 8-ounce grilled prime New York strip steak before enjoying a yuzu cheesecake. Wine pairings are also available. Or make it a family affair with Hōkū’s Christmas Day brunch buffet, featuring king crab legs, miso-glazed butterfish, traditional smoked salmon eggs Benedict, a salad bar, a variety of sashimi and sushi, and much more. A dozen dessert options, as well as coffee, tea, specialty tea and fresh juice are included.
Dec. 24 and 25, 5:30 to 10 p.m., $155 with wine parings, $110 without parings; brunch buffet, Dec. 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $95 for adults, $47.50 for children ages 6 to 12; 5000 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, kahalaresort.com
Kai Market

Steamed onaga is on the Kai Market buffet menu.
Photo: Courtesy of Sheraton Waikīkī
Along with sweeping views of Diamond Head, Kai Market’s Christmas dinner buffet offers seafood chowder, soy-braised boneless beef short ribs, herb-marinated turkey, wok-tossed clams, sweet yams, Hawaiian-style ‘ahi poke, green papaya salad and more. Desserts include warm Portuguese bread pudding, pumpkin pie, assorted mochi and mango pudding.
Dec. 25, 4 to 9:30 p.m., $78 for adults, $35 for children ages 6 to 12, 2255 Kalākaua Ave., (808) 921-4600, sheraton-waikiki.com
Ku‘ilima Ballroom at Turtle Bay Resort
Celebrate Christmas with Santa and more than 40 brunch buffet items. Chef specialties include the Hawaiian Lū’au Station with Honolulu Fish Market poke display, macadamia nut mochi-crusted mahimahi and demiyaki short ribs. There will also be a carving station, featuring slow-roasted prime rib and suckling pig with local sauces.
Dec. 25, seating at 11 and 11:30 a.m., $69 for adults, $27 for children ages 4 to 11, 57-091 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku, (808) 293-6000, turtlebayresort.com
Morton’s The Steakhouse
Now through Jan. 31, Morton’s The Steakhouse is featuring côte de boeuf (literally “beef rib”), better known as a standing rib roast in the U.S. This 36-ounce, bone-in USDA prime rib-eye is brushed with garlic-herb butter. Pair it with a Partridge in a Pear Tree ($17), the restaurant’s signature holiday cocktail, with a blend of Grey Goose La Poire, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, lemon juice and simple syrup topped with La Marca prosecco and served with a cinnamon-sugar rim.
Now through Jan. 31, $125, Ala Moana Center, (808) 949-1300, mortons.com
North Shore Kula Grille
Have a Christmas pre-party at Kula Grille, with an extensive buffet full of salads, appetizers, hot selections, a carving station and desserts. Special menu items include Pūpūkea field greens, Okinawan sweet potato salad, roasted Kahuku corn, fresh fish with mango papaya salsa, huli huli chicken and Christmas stollen holiday fruit cake. Kula Grille will also be offering a Christmas Day buffet, featuring black forest ham, roasted turkey, prime rib, steamed local fish; a chilled bar with mussels, poisson cru and lomi salmon; fresh local greens and salads; and a variety of desserts, such as sweet potato cobbler, haupia bread pudding, lilikoʻi cheesecake and Christmas cookies.
Dec. 24, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., $50 for adults, $25 for children ages 4 to 11; Christmas day buffet, Dec. 25, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., $50 for adults, $29 for children ages 12 and younger; 57-091 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku, (808) 293-6000, turtlebayresort.com
Pa‘akai
Turtle Bay Resort’s signature restaurant Paʻakai is offering an intimate, three-course Christmas dinner with optional wine pairings. Start off with smoked kampachi, butternut squash or seared venison. For the second course, choose from poached opaka, duck roulade, Pono Pork porchetta or beef Wellington. The evening’s dessert options include chocolate decadence bomb cake or local seasonal fruits and sorbet.
Dec. 25, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., $120 with wine parings, $85 without pairings, 57-091 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku, (808) 293-6000, turtlebayresort.com
Plumeria Beach House
Spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Plumeria Beach House, which offers lunch and dinner buffets with a plethora of salads, soups, appetizers, hot selections, desserts and a carving station. Whether you’ve got a craving for prime rib, crab legs, poke or chicken, this buffet has something for everyone. The dinner buffet features Vermont maple and Dijon-glazed ham; crispy branzino with cilantro, scallions, peppers and soy ginger garlic sauce; seafood harvest cioppiono; and much more.
Dec. 24 and 25, lunch, 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner, 5:30 to 10 p.m., $85 for adults, $42.50 for children ages 6 to 12, 5000 Kāhala Ave., (808) 739-8760, kahalaresort.com
The Street, A Michael Mina Social House
A Chinese-inspired Christmas feast at The Street will offer up char siu pork spare ribs, garlic fried rice, egg rolls, walnut shrimp, General Tso’s chicken, long beans and Brussels sprouts and chilled sesame noodles. For dessert, there’s chocolate, apple crumb and pumpkin pie.
Dec. 25, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., $24.99 per person, 2330 Kalākaua Ave., #330, (808) 377-4402, thestreetsocialhouse.com
Top of Waikīkī
Enjoy a prix fixe Christmas meal at Honolulu’s revolving restaurant. Start off with a wedge salad topped with Ho Farms cherry tomatoes, Ma‘o organic breakfast radishes, applewood-smoked bacon, egg, balsamic reduction and Parmesan cheese. The main dish is prime rib served with mashed potatoes, broccolini, au jus and a side of horseradish cream. For dessert, feast on spiced cheesecake on a homemade gingersnap crust, crisp meringue tuiles, cranberry compote, spiced pecans and whipped cream.
Dec. 25, 5 to 9:30 p.m., $65 per person, 2270 Kalākaua Ave., 18th Floor, (808) 923-3877, topofwaikiki.com
READ MORE STORIES BY LENNIE OMALZA