The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American tradition that calls for a seafood spread on Christmas Eve. These area restaurants are serving special menus for the holiday.
Carmine’s
425 Seventh St., NW
Start the seven-course meal with fried calamari and clams before moving on to decadent dishes like seafood pasta and shrimp scampi. Details: Dine-in only on Friday, December 24; $350, feeds six to eight people.
Centrolina
974 Palmer Aly., NW
Amy Brandwein’s downtown Italian restaurant is offering a four-course seafood dinner to celebrate the holiday. The menu features whipped cod, swordfish and tuna carpaccio, and squid ink pasta paired with a seafood-imbued broth. Details: Dine-in only on Friday, December 24.
Fiola
601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Fabio Trabocchi’s elegant flagship is serving a luxe Feast of the Seven Fishes menu with Maine lobster, Italian caviar, and black truffle risotto. Add-on an optional wine pairing for $175. Details: Dine-in only on Friday, December 24; $250 per person.
Iron Gate
1734 N St., NW
No need to wait until Christmas Eve—the romantic Dupont Circle restaurant is serving the seafood feast beginning on Tuesday. The three-course menu includes choices like Sicilian seafood stew, marinated razor clams and an anchovy-laden Caesar salad. Details: Dine-in only from Tuesday, December 21 to Friday, December 24; $95 per person.
Maialino Mare
221 Tingey St., SE
Head to Danny Meyer’s Italian seafood spot in Navy Yard for a seven course meal. Dine on calamari dipped in chili aioli, anchovy spaghetti, and your choice of olive oil cake or a custardy torta della nonna for dessert. Drink pairings are available for $45 or $65. Details: Dine-in only on Friday, December 24; $85 per person.
Masseria
1340 Fourth St., NE
Nicholas Stefanelli’s tasting room near Union Market market is serving a prix-fixe dinner with highlights like caviar, sea urchin, and Dover sole. The restaurant is also sending diners home with panettone. Details: Dine-in only on Friday, December 24; $225 per person.
Modena
1100 New York Ave., NW
Celebrate the Yuletide season with an eight-course seafood menu at Ashok Bajaj’s downtown Italian spot. Dive into charcoal-grilled prawns, citrussy linguine with middleneck clams, and tiramisu. Details: Dine-in and pick-up on Friday, December 24; $135 per person.
Nina May
1337 11th St., NW
The Christmas Eve dinner at Shaw’s locavore restaurant kicks off with clam-and-crab-fat butter to slather on parker house rolls. Subsequent dishes include smoked mussel gratin and scallop agnolotti. Details: Dine-in, pick-up, and delivery on Friday, December 24; $80 per person.
Stellina
399 Morse St., NE; 2800 S Randolph St., Arlington
The classic holiday feast gets a pizza twist at these neo-Neapolitan eateries near Union Market and in Shirlington. Four pies are topped with seafood to pair with Italian holiday treats like panettone and nougat. Details: Dine-in and pick-up from Monday, December 20 to Friday, December 24; $120, feeds eight people.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
