Where To Celebrate New Year's Eve In D.C.
D.C. residents love fancy dress parties, late-night toasts, and drinking Champagne any time of year, so you can imagine what the city is like on New Year's Eve. Depending on the zip code, there are costume parties, fireworks displays, and secret soirées overlooking the Capitol and White House, but the most popular celebrations always include great food. Now that our capital city has started to hit its stride as a food destination, we also have great watering holes with fantastic wine lists, award-winning craft beer, and hand-crafted cocktails that are in a class all their own.
To offer our diverse, international partygoers a range of choices, we've compiled a list of dinners and events in a range of prices we think will appeal to food-lovers in search of a variety of dining options. So raise a glass and say goodbye to the old year, "For Auld Lang Syne."
Note: Unless otherwise noted, prices do not include beverages, tax, or gratuity. Please verify the menu and pricing when making your reservation.
Acadiana
Laissez les bon temps roulez and celebrate New Year's Eve at Acadiana. Chef Jeff Tunks'à la carte special menu features good old New Orleans fare ranging from fried green tomatoes to crispy duck. And don't worry about party favors and a midnight Champagne toast; they're part of the fun. Seating times: 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Reservations strongly recommended.
Arcuri
If a fab American-Italian dinner for New Year's is what you crave, then try Arcuri, one of Glover Park's newest hot spots. They will be serving a three-course menu featuring fresh seafood and game. Seating times: 5:30 to 11 p.m. Prix fixe price: $68 per person, or $93 with suggested pairings.
Those who want to ring in the New Year with late drinks can swing by Arcuri for an open bar that includes draft beer, cocktails, rail drinks, house wines, and a Champagne toast at midnight. Serving times: 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Price per person: $50.
Boss Shepherd's
For Boss Shepherd's first New Year's Eve party, executive chef Jeremy Waybright is hosting live music and offering a delightful Southern-themed, four-course menu with dishes including almond gazpacho with naked oyster, chicken skin gremolata, tarragon, and apple, and a cast iron-cooked strip steak. Seating times: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. Prix fixe price: $89 per person. Reservations required.
Bourbon Steak
If you're a steak lover and want to finish the year with gusto, Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotel will be hosting a two-part New Year's Eve Dinner Special with two seatings. The first dinner features a gourmet, three-course menu. First seating: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Prix fixe price: $90 per adult, $40 per child ages 6 to 12, $20 per child ages 3 to 6. During the second dinner service, guests are offered live entertainment, a five-course tasting menu, and complimentary favors and Champagne toast. Second seating: 8:30 to 10:45 p.m. Prix fixe price: $195 per adult, $60 per child ages six to 12, $20 per child ages three to six. Optional wine pairings for both dinners are an additional $75.00. Reservations required for both seatings.
City Tap House
For a fun, casual New Year's Eve the whole family can enjoy, City Tap House invites you to "Come as you are." City Tap House will be serving guests a special four-course menu, in addition to a complimentary glass of Champagne to toast the New Year's arrival. Seating times: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Prix fixe price: $70 per person. Reservations strongly recommended.
Come by after dinner for an open-bar party from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. and a live DJ from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Tickets for the late night celebration are $40 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity) for the premium open bar only, or $100 per person to enjoy the four-course dinner and the premium open bar. Reservations strongly recommended.
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
If you prefer to mambo your way through New Year's, Cuba Libre may have the right mix of Latin fun and flavors. They are keeping things lively with their Twilight Dinner and Celebration Dinner packages. The Twilight Dinner features regular à la carte menu selections and pricing. Seating times: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Note: early guests who make reservations before 6 p.m. will receive a $25 Cuba Libre gift card per couple to use for a $50 or over purchase on a future visit.
For the Celebration Dinner, guests are served a five-course Cuban menu that includes seafood, pork, and paella dishes, as well as a Champagne toast and party favors for the midnight celebration. Seating times: between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Prix fixe price: $99 per person.
Daikaya
An izakaya adventure could be a fun alternative for New Year's if you want a more laid-back, casual party, or maybe ramen is more your style. Daikaya's New Year's Eve party includes a special izakaya menu, a glass of Champagne, and DJ Denman spinning "Exotica" from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. First seating is from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., second seating 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Prix fixe price: $75 per person. Email them or use OpenTable to make your reservation.
If you're in the mood for ramen, Daikaya's upper level ramen shop is offering their regular à la carte menu and prices and their party includes Karaoke starting at 10 p.m. The ramen shop will be serving from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve.
ENO Wine Bar
ENO Wine Bar is hosting a party to remember that includes passed hors d'oeuvres, glasses of wine and bubbly available starting at $9, and bottles of Champagne discounted 20 percent. A local DJ livens things up, and when the clock strikes midnight, the crowd will toast 2015 with a glass of bubbly and a chocolate treat. Party time: 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Price: $55 per person before December 30, $66 New Year's Eve Day. Reservations are strongly recommended. Purchase your pre-sale tickets online now or make reservations by calling ENO's Wine Director, Sabrina Kroeger, at the restaurant, or you can email her.
Flight Wine Bar
If an eclectic, well designed wine list is just as important as the cuisine, then Flight Wine Bar could be your destination for the big night. They are offering a four-course menu that highlights popular dishes and showcases new menu items that reflect their emphasis on simple, fresh food that marries well with their wine list. First seating time: 6:00 p.m; second seating time: 8:30 p.m. Prix fixe price: $65 with an optional wine pairing for $45. Reservations strongly recommended.
Iron Gate
Celebrate this New Year's Eve while sampling chef Anthony Chittum's exquisite Greek and Italian menu at Iron Gate Restaurant. This year, Iron Gate is offering two seating times with two different menus and prices. The first seating includes a four-course menu. First seating time: 6:00 p.m. Prix fixe price: $75 per person. The second seating features a seven-course menu as well as a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight, and an invitation to join the party in Iron Gate's Winter Garden after dinner, where music, drinks, and snacks will help usher in the New Year long after midnight. Second seating time: 8:30 p.m. Prix fixe price: $135 per person. Reservations are required for both seatings.
Jardenea Restaurant Melrose Hotel
Jardenea is a D.C. gem whose farm-to-fork menus revolve around regionally sourced ingredients prepared by Nate Lindsay, a creative young chef who produces dishes that reflect the diverse Georgetown culture. This New Year's Eve they are offering a five-course menu for $90 per person and includes seasonal dishes paired with appropriate wines. Phone the restaurant for more information.
Plume
Why not ring in 2015 in the lap of luxury and fine dining at Plume at The Jefferson Hotel, D.C.'s only Forbes Five-Star rated restaurant? The chef, Ralph Schlegel, has created two Continental menus that highlight haute-cuisine ingredients such as foie gras, caviar, and Financier cake. First seating times: between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Prix fixe price: $165 per person. Second seating times: between 9:00 and 9:45 p.m. Prix fixe price: $225 per person. Reservations required for both.
Ripple
Want the recipe for a fantastic way to say goodbye to the old year? Find a small group of close friends and add creative, mouthwatering food from Ripple's chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley in a four-course prix fixe menu, a five-course menu, two seating times, and a great location. First seating time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Prix fixe price: $85 per person, with additional $40 for drink pairings. Second seating time: 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. Prix fixe price: $100 per person, with additional $50 for drink pairings. Reservations required for both.
Roofers Union
Those in the mood for an early bite before a night of celebration are invited to join Roofers Union for a special New Year's Eve dinner. Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley's menu features her unique take on American classics sourced from local, sustainable farms. The three-course dinner includes a complimentary toast with dessert. Seating times: 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Prix fix price: $45 per person. Reservations required.
Following dinner, Roofers Union will host a full night of festivities. An open bar will include 10 local craft beers; red, white, and bubbly wine options; "Better than Rail" cocktails (Beefeater, Tito's, El Dorado, Jim Beam, Milagro); a Champagne toast; and a late night feast of fried chicken, housemade sausages, dips, and more. Johnny Grave and the Tombstones will play from 10 p.m. until midnight, followed by DJ Israel from midnight until last call. The all-inclusive tickets are $90 per person and can be purchased online.