When most of us think of a place to ring in the new year, we think of New York City. With its vivacious vibe, it is THE place to be to say “goodbye” to the old year and “hello” to the new one. Travel writer and New Yorker Meryl Pearlstein helps us make the iconic transition with her list of places to celebrate New Year’s Eve deliciously.
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New Year’s Eve Celebrations in New York You Can Still Book
Looking for a Place to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in New York? Here’s a baker’s dozen of choices that will strike a perfect chord at midnight.
Everyone seems to be out and about this year. There’s no more hibernating at home on New Year’s. We want to join friends, eat good food, and toast the year ahead with some fabulous bubbly. Celebrations in New York City can be as elaborate or serene as you choose. Here are 13 of the most interesting ones still available for booking plus two within a couple hours’ drive beyond.
Restaurants and Clubs
Located in the heart of Midtown, the swanky Midtown cocktail bar and restaurant invites you to celebrate New Year’s Eve old-style – think 1960s — with a DJ booth spinning records on vinyl, Mad Men–inspired decor, inventive drinks (try the A+B test, made with blanco tequila, aged cachaca, sotol, Thai chili, lychee and lime) and celebratory bites from Ed Carew (standouts are the lobster cocktail and duck fat fries). Reservations through Resy.
Photo courtesy of Agency of Record.
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Boqueria’s multiple Spanish tapas emporiums will ring in 2024 with a generous prix fixe tapas feast and unlimited drinks at its Soho, Flatiron, Upper East Side and West 40th Street locations. The tapas menu includes albóndigas (meatballs), gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlic), patatas bravas, pan con tamate y jamón serrano (tomato bread with jamón serrano), short rib stuffed piquillo peppers, bacon-wrapped stuffed dates, churros with chocolate and more. During each of the three evening seatings, Boqueria will observe the traditional Spanish ritual of las doce uvas de la suerte (the twelve grapes of luck). The tradition dates back to 1895 and is meant to bring good luck and prosperity in the year to come. As the clock chimes 12 times, guests will eat one grape each time the bell tolls, making a wish for each grape. The 12 grapes and bell tolls represent the 12 months of the year. Reservations through Resy.
Photo courtesy Boqueria by Liz Clayman.
Recently awarded its 10th Michelin star in a row, the Midtown eatery is offering a decadent New Year’s Eve celebration, with various tiers depending on how you’re seeking to indulge. For an early seating in its dining room, Executive Chef Edgar Panchernikov will prepare a special prix fixe caviar-centric menu of seared foie gras, its signature Golden Egg with caviar and parmesan foam, Dover Sole in a caviar beurre blanc sauce and a canelle with caviar. Also included are 25g of its signature Gold Osetra caviar and a glass of Dom Perignon. The second seating adds white truffle tagliatelle to ring in the New Year with special booth seating pricing available. For those seeking a more festive, lively atmosphere guests may reserve spots in its ground floor bar and lounge area where live modern jazz plays throughout the evening by Richie Nuzz and his band. A select menu with caviar and other options is available. Reservations through Eventbrite.
Photo courtesy Caviar Russe.
The Pierre offers multiple options for a festive New Year’s Eve. Enjoy Big Band-style music by Antonio Ciacca and his trio in The Pierre’s iconic Rotunda with a midnight Champagne toast. Early seating starting at 5pm features a three-course menu. The second seating at 8:30 pm offers 5-course menu with a live performance in Perrine restaurant followed by dancing in the Rotunda and a midnight toast. A third option, KT Sullivan and the Sutton Place Trio entertain with American Songbook standards in the TwoE lounge. After a festive lite menu and a Taittinger toast along with a “live” large-screen ball-drop broadcast from Times Square, dancing continues into the wee hours. Masks, hats, party favors, cow bells and noise makers will be given out as the clock strikes midnight.
Steps from Madison Square Garden, Alligator Pear celebrates its first New Year’s bash with a premium open bar showcasing its creative, curated selection of cocktails (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), wines, fine beers and spirits. Guests are invited to attend in their finest attire for an evening of live DJ performances, libations and a glittering Champagne toast at the stroke of midnight. Chef Dominick Lee’s Louisiana-inspired menu will be available. Reservations/tickets through Eventbrite.
Photo courtesy Alligator Pear.
Join La Mercerie in Soho for an exuberant and elegant New Year’s Eve celebration complete with live music and dancing, a cocktail party at Guild Bar and exquisite Champagne—all inspired by the raucous splendor of a 1950s French-Caribbean resort. Included on the New York Times “Best Restaurants of 2023” list, La Mercerie is offering a special prix fixe menu from Chef Marie-Aude Rose with dishes like papillote of red snapper, beef filet with green pepper sauce, and spicy chocolate truffles. Two seatings are available. Reservations via Resy.
Sophistication reigns supreme for New Year’s Eve at West Village’s 9 Jones, a British-inspired semi-private club that blends New York City edge with refined elegance. The restaurant transforms for the evening into a Champagne and caviar lounge featuring an interactive bespoke cocktail cart in a sexy atmosphere enhanced by silent black and white movies projected onto the ceiling and the celebratory ball drop at midnight. The evening’s party and caviar-centric prix fixe menu paired with bubbly cocktails and Champagne can be reserved on Resy.
Photo courtesy 9 Jones.
The New Year’s Eve Masquerade celebration at Loreley Beer Garden on the Lower East Side starts with a happy hour from 5pm – 10pm and continues with a Champagne toast at midnight for the ball drop. Masquerade masks will be provided but it’s fine to bring your own in exchange for a free drink. Instead of a prix fixe menu, the beer garden’s full menu will be offered à la carte. Guests can enjoy festive holiday drinks like Boozy Bourbon Black & White Hot Chocolate with toasted marshmallows, Spiked Eggnog with whipped cream and caramel, Hot Bourbon Apple Cider, Peppermint Nitro Martini with a candy cane, hot Gluhwein, winter sangria, seasonal craft beers, and hot toddies in their Winter Wonderland decked out with over-the-top holiday lights and décor both indoors and outdoors – don’t worry both are heated! Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are accepted.
Photo courtesy Loreley Beer Garden.
New Year’s Eve Celebrations in New York: Manhattan Hotels to Stay In
In the heart of Times Square, only 150 feet from the Ball Drop, The Knickerbocker, is a perfect stage for viewing the New Year’s event below. Select the rooftop party package or an overnight stay following the party (included). A variety of packages are available. You can also add a Champagne welcome and midnight Dom Perignon toast, a buffet dinner at Charlie Palmer at The Knick, and open bar at the rooftop St. Cloud for entertainment, live DJ music and amazing views.
Photo courtesy The Knickerbocker.
Tempo by Hilton Times Square also brings you close and personal with the Times Square Ball Drop without needing to join the crowds outdoors. The hotel’s ritzy cocktail lounge and restaurant Highball is hosting a festive New Year’s Eve. Celebration. Skip the trip home and book the hotel’s “NYE Ticket and Room” package — the Ball Drop Rooms offer coveted birds-eye views of the Times Square Ball and the crowds just beneath. Tickets for the party as well as the hotel stay are available here.
Photo courtesy Tempo by Hilton Times Square.
Opulence is the watchword for New Year’s at trendsetter Arlo NoMad hotel. Indulge in a night of luxury with a four-hour open bar and two dance floors covering a variety of genres of music from top 40 hits to Afrobeats, hip hop, house music or classics. Book a table for the hotel’s exquisite dinner experience from Lamalo and then head up to ART NoMad on the rooftop for a Champagne toast while experiencing the light show on the Empire State Building at midnight. Tickets are available through Eventbrite. For table reservations, contact info@trulyyoursnyc.com.
Hotels Close to New York City
Looking for an escape from the city? Here are two getaways within a short drive from NYC.
Canoe Place – Hampton Bays, New York
Celebrate at gorgeous Canoe Place for their first New Year’s Eve bash. At the Hampton’s newest resort, the Celebration Escape package includes luxurious accommodations, a five-course prix fixe dinner for two, endless Champagne, live music featuring the Ken Fowser Trio, and an exclusive invitation to welcome 2024 in The Study with dancing and a celebratory countdown. After, enjoy your luxe room or sit by the fireplace and soak up the history of this amazing building that dates from the 1920s. Reservations here.
Photo of Canoe Place by Meryl Pearlstein.
Urban Cowboy Lodge – Catskills, New York
Ring in 2024 at the mountain lodge in the Big Indian Wilderness. Set on 68 acres in the heart of the Catskills, the 26-room boutique hotel is a world away from NYC. Enjoy a forest bath in the soaking tubs, eat and drink at the award-winning Public House restaurant, warm up in the Estonian sauna, or just relax by the roaring fire and star watch. On New Year’s Eve, the fires will be glowing, drinks will be flowing, and music will be playing. And that’s only the beginning. The evening includes a spectacular fireworks display, a tasting menu offered at multiple seatings, a Champagne toast, and a DJ for late-night dancing. Timed for both early and late risers, there’s also brunch on New Year’s Day.
Photo courtesy Urban Cowboy Lodge.
-Story by Meryl Pearlstein
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