A Derek Brown-Style Bar Crawl
1839-1841-1843 Seveth St., NW
All three of Derek Brown’s Shaw bars celebrate the holiday, each in their own way. The Pop-Up Christmas Bar (aka Mockingbird Hill) lives on through New Year’s Eve with a $20 cover and free Champagne toast at midnight. Next door, Southern Efficiency pours bottomless bubbles from 9 to midnight ($40 per person), while Eat the Rich dishes up $1 oysters, $7 “boh & ohs,” and more bottomless bubbly from 9 to midnight.
Details: Cover $20 at the Christmas Bar; no-cover elsewhere. Prices and times vary by location.
2007 18th St., NW
You’ll have plenty of opportunity to party at this Adam’s Morgan whiskey destination, which hosts three different events in one night. Drop by the rooftop terrace early from 5 to 8 for a beer, bourbon, and barbecue cookout, featuring all-you-can-eat food, bottomless beers, and select bourbons ($45 per person). Basement bar Dram & Grain throws a date night-style celebration starting at 6:30 with a five-cocktail tasting ($125 per couple). Looking for something laid back? Try the first-floor bar and dining saloon, which serves a regular menu plus a few festive specials.
Details: Prices and times vary by event.
555 Eighth St., NW
Poste goes all-out for its winter wonderland lounge this New Year’s Eve, where you’ll find ice tables and chairs, ice luges, and even an ice DJ booth. The all-inclusive party ($120 per person) incudles passed snacks, a raw bar display, an open bar, and a Champagne toast at midnight.
Details: Party runs from 9:30 pm to 1 am; $120 per person.
2009 14th St., NW
Embrace the DADA movement at the Gibson’s art-themed party, which invites guests to “dispel our notions of ordinary and embrace the ridiculous” with performances by drag queen Salvadora Dali and burlesque superstar Reverend Valentine, plus a costume contest for the audience. Fueling the soiree: an open bar from 9 pm to 2 am, snacks, and a Champagne toast.
Details: Tickets are $130 per person and include unlimited drinks and entertainment.
3313 11th St., NW
If all-you-can-eat tacos and an open bar are the makings of an ideal New Year’s, head to this Columbia Heights Mexican where you can have both for $47.16 per person. Tequila and mezcal flights are available for an additional charge.
Details: Party starts at 9 pm (no reservations); $47.16 per person.
1940 11th St., NW
Given the mild weather we’d be willing to bet on a fun time at Vinoteca’s “winter wonderland” on the plaza, part of their New Year’s Eve celebration that runs from 9:30 to 1:30 am. Fire pits and heaters keep the outdoor bar toasty, while indoor partiers will find dancing and a free snack buffet at midnight. Those who want to make a night of it can also reserve one of two dinner seatings before the bash at 6 or 9, paired with bubbly.
Details: Five-course dinner at 6 ($65 per person; $105 with wine) or 9 ($75 per person; $120 with wine). NYE party from 9:30 to 1:30 ($99 per person; $50 with a dinner reservation).
201 Upshur St., NW
Kids in town? Head to Petworth’s punk rock-themed diner between 5 and 8 when children eat free, and adults get a gratis glass of bubbly. At 9 pm guests can make reservations for an open bar, which includes all-you-can-drink drafts, an entree from the menu, and tunes from a DJ for $45 per person.
Details: Open at 5; open bar party starts at 9 ($45 per person).
1340 Fourth St., NE
Chef Nick Stefanelli’s hot new Italian tasting room near Union Market offers two seatings: a four-course meal from 5 to 7 ($85 per person), and a five-course meal with a glass of Dom Perignon Champagne from 8 to 10. Stick around for a surprise guest DJ from 11 to 1.
Details: Reservations required for both seatings.
1351 H St., NE
Chef Erik Bruner-Yang throws an open bar party all night long with all-you-can-eat pork steamed buns, Taiwanese fried chicken, Camodian sandwiches, and other belly-padding grub. Stay until midnight for a Champagne and pizza toast, and then see if you can last until 3 am when the live music winds down.
Details: Tickets are $90 per person, all-inclusive (available online). Party runs from 7 pm to 3 am.
300 Tingey St., SE
Head to restaurateur Michael Babin’s brewery, restaurant, and bar in Navy Yard for a rocking party. starting at 9, where you’ll find an open bar with plenty of house-made brews, a constant stream of passed snacks from the kitchen, DJ tunes, and a photo booth.
Details: $115 per person all-inclusive; tickets available online.
1090 Eye St., NW
Cap off 2015 with a feast at chef David Chang’s popular new CityCenterDC restaurant. Two family-style menus are designed for parties of 1 to 4 or 5 to 8. We’d grab more friend and go for the latter—a bo ssäm feast with slow-cooked pork shoulder, shrimp cocktail, and all the accompaniments for making wraps–plus a whole Milk Bar crack pie for dessert.
Details: Five-course family style menus are $85 per person; reservations taken online for seatings, 5 pm to 1 am.
855 E St., NW
The cocktail bar of José Andrés’s lauded Minibar opens for a party at 10 pm, where you’ll find “bubbles-themed” cocktails and equally whimsical snacks like “foieffles” (foie gras-peanut butter waffles). Additional entertainment comes in the form of a DJ and a Champagne toast at midnight.
Details: $150 per person; email barmini@minibarbyjoseandres.com for reservations.
122 Blagden Alley, NW
Chef Jeremiah Langhorne’s hot new Shaw dining room offers a seven-course prix-fixe menu for New Year’s Eve. Offerings change near-nightly, but expect a beautiful, fire-lit dining room and plenty of dishes from the open hearth.
Details: Menu is $125 per person; reservations via OpenTable or call 202-450-1015 for reservations.
480 Seventh St., NW; 2250 Crystal Dr., Arlington; 7271 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda
All three branches of Jaleo offer a menu of all-you-can-eat Spanish tapas, ranging from classic gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) to surf-and-turf paella, plus flowing cava and dancing later in the evening. Details vary slightly by location, but a lively feast can be expected at all.
Details: Unlimited tapas and cava toast ($85 per person). Jaleo DC reservations from 8:30 to 11:30, with a DJ from 10 pm to 1 am; Bethesda and Crystal City offer a la carte from 5 to 6:30, with the prix-fixe menu starting at 8:30. Live music at both from 10 to 1:30 am.
1201 24th St., NW
The dining room and lounge at the elegant Park Hyatt restaurant do double-duty for New Years. Diners will find a four-course menu and Champagne toast with dishes like foie gras parfait and a dry-aged ribeye. Over in the adjoining lounge you’ll find a premium open bar, small plates, a chocolate dessert buffet, and live music from Karla Chisholm.
Details: Dinner is $130 per person with reservations from 5 to 11; lounge party is $195 per person, all-inclusive, from 9 pm to 2 am (tickets available online).
709 D St., NW
You can have your meats and eat them too at the Partisan, which hosts a carnivorous dinner from chef Nate Anda followed by a full-on party in the bar. Diners can book tables for a five-course, family-style meal with meaty options such as oysters with shaved ham, pig ear fries, and a 45-day-dry-aged ribeye. Then from 10 pm to 1 am, the bar throws a party with more even more snacks, a cash bar, and a Lambrusco toast for the ball drop.
Details: Prix-fixe dinner is $75 per person (optional beverage pairing for $45). Bar party is $53.74 per person, or $30 with a dinner reservation, from 10 pm to 1 am.
1731 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Restaurateur Michael Schlow’s popular new supper club hosts two events for the holiday: a cocktail party in the lounge with retro drinks and passed hors d’oeuvres (tater tots, deviled eggs) starting at 7, and/or a three-course tasting menu in the dining room from chef Philippe Reininger (reservations begin at 6). All guests in the restaurant will have a complimentary Champagne toast for midnight.
Details: Lounge party $65 per person (includes two cocktails, all snacks; a la carte dishes also available). Three-course dinner is $85 per person.
3100 K St., NW
Skip the overpriced open bar and splurge on a bounty of seafood at chef Fabio Trabocchi’s elegant Georgetown spot on the waterfront. A five-course tasting menu with lobster, caviar, and foie gras should do the trick ($175 per person). Note sister restaurants Fiola and Casa Luca are also serving festive holiday meals.
Details: Five-course menu for $175.
777 I St., NW
Chef Victor Albisu offers a grilled South American feast for NYE. The menu begins with complimentary provoleta and truffled bread, and continues with a shareable asado board piled with pork loin, smoked Wagyu, grilled lobster, and sides. Save room for dulche de leche crepes soufflé come dessert.
Details: Prix-fixe is $88 per person ($100 with Champagne; $128 with pairings). A small la la carte menu is also available.
524 Eighth St., SE
Chef Rob Weland’s new and much-lauded restaurant serves a five-course menu for the holiday, filled with seasonal dishes such as fluke crudo, grilled and pickled mushrooms over grits, and a crispy portion of pig’s trotter. A complimentary glass of bubbly is served at midnight.
Details: Prix-fixe is $85 per person for two seating at 5 pm and 8 pm.
633 D St., NW; 1190 New Hampshire Ave., NW
All of restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s restaurants celebrate New Year’s Eve in their own festive ways. One of our perennial favorites offers two seatings at 5 pm and 8 pm, for a three-course and four-course menu, respectively. Modern Indian dishes from chef Vikram Sunderam are served at both locations, such as cornish hen stew with ginger and a lamb chop-coconut fry.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
