The big day is fast approaching. If you’ve decided to take the stress out of Christmas by opting out of the family feast, turning down dinner at a friend’s place with assorted Christmas orphans, and forgoing the joys of cooking a bird, a festive dinner out isn’t so hard to come by. Whether you’re on your own, with your significant other, or accompanied by like-minded pals, options abound—and we’re not talking about gilt-edged, groaning boards at fine hotels.

We’ve sussed out a few spots around town where you can enjoy a great, wallet-friendly meal and a good time. With the exception of Bistrot Bistro, which is closed Christmas Day, all of the following dinners can be had on December 24 and 25.

We’re not discounting hotel dining entirely. Consider Yaletown’s One Hundred Days in the Opus Hotel (350 Davie Street, 604-642-0557). This artfully graffitied pop-up restaurant, festooned with lights and candy canes, is boppin’ through Christmas, observing regular hours (8 a.m. to 2 a.m. on December 24 and 25) with food service until midnight. Chef Brandon Thordarson and his crew will be filling tummies with a festive $35 three-course menu. The dishes weren’t finalized at press time, but they’ll be seasonally inspired and served on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 5 p.m.

A Vancouver jazz institution, 40-year-old O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar (1300 Robson Street in the Listel Hotel, 604-661-1400) has a three-course Christmas prix fixe for $45 ($25 for kids). The deal? Choose an appetizer, main, and dessert from the set menu. Starters include smoked scallops, duck confit, and cold-smoked salmon. Entrées span wild mushroom ravioli, pan-seared salmon, roast turkey, and prime rib. And dessert is sticky toffee pudding or Okanagan apple fritters. (A $55 four-course menu is also available.) On December 24, patrons will be seated from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (The restaurant closes at 11 p.m.) On December 25, it’s 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with a 9 p.m. closure. The Alita Dupray Trio will be playing from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day.

One of Vancouver’s best-loved restaurants, the Teahouse in Stanley Park (7501 Stanley Park Drive, 604-669-3281) is all decked out in elegant gold and red. Carollers singing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are sure to add a festive air. On December 24, the restaurant is open regular hours (until 10 p.m.); guests can dine í  la carte or opt for the $45 three-course holiday menu. On Christmas Day it’s open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and only the set menu will be offered. Appetizer choices are mixed greens, carrot soup, or the restaurant’s famed crab-and-shrimp-stuffed mushrooms. Prime rib, steelhead, free-range turkey, and wild mushroom risotto are the main course options, and dessert is pumpkin cheesecake or coffee crí¨me brí»lée. If it’s a clear evening, there’ll be views of the lit-up freighters anchored in English Bay, and a drive around Stanley Park offers dazzling glimpses of downtown and North Shore Christmas lights.

The city’s most spirited of Christmas dinner may be at the Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe (850 Thurlow Street, 604-569-3415), where the drinks lists boasts over a thousand cocktails. The three-course prix fixe feast offered December 24, 25, and 26 is a sweet $29. Chef Jason Liezert is making candied yam soup, turkey with Brussels sprouts and whipped potatoes, and traditional brandy-sauced Christmas pudding. Proprietor/barman Steve Da Cruz has several cocktails to keep spirits bright, including the Amaretto Royale Sour (amaretto, Meyer lemon juice, and egg) and the Lucien Gaudin (gin, Campari, vermouth, and Cointreau). The restaurant is open regular hours on all three days (see www.thecornersuite.com/), with dinner served from 5 p.m.

Chinese restaurants are popular on Christmas, especially among those who don’t celebrate the day. Whether you do or don’t, cheery Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House (1537 West Broadway, 604-733-9696) is warm and welcoming, and the service is swift. There’s usually not much of a wait for a table, and once seated, you’ll be joining a room packed with smiling families, groups, and singles digging into some of the best Chinese food in the city. Recommended dishes ($4.99 to $15.99) include award-wining xiaolongbao (Shanghai-style juicy dumplings) that chef Yu Miao makes to order, jellyfish with shredded radish, warming veggie tofu soup, and spicy Szechuan chicken or honey prawns. The tea-smoked duck is also delectable, and the braised spicy eggplant a must. It’s open regular hours, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days.

While it’s closed on Christmas Day, cozy Bistrot Bistro (1961 West 4th Avenue, 604-732-0004) is open for a relaxing Christmas Eve dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Chef/owner Laurent Devin and his front-of-house mate, Valerie, offer a friendly welcome. Shelves of flickering candles set the serene scene. Begin with a charcuterie sharing plate (pí¢té, pork rillettes, cured meats; $16), then dive into hearty Toulouse sausage and lentils, sinfully rich duck confit with macaroni and cheese, or sublime filet mignon with blue cheese and mustard sauce ($16 to $21). Finish with críªpes suzettes ($7) flambéed tableside.

With all places, reserve as soon as you can—although the Corner Suite’s Da Cruz says, “We’ll always find room.” Now, that’s the Christmas spirit.