Have we ever been this eager for a year to end? Although the festivities may look different this year, the fresh start of a new year has never been more worthy of celebration. These DC-area restaurants are helping revelers commemorate the moment with New Year’s Eve menus and bottles of bubbly to pop at midnight.
Anju
1805 18th St., NW
The modern Korean restaurant is offering a $120 tasting menu for two with banquet noodles, seafood salad, and banchan to snack on. The New Year’s Eve special also has an option to add a drinks package so you can toast 2021 with soju, wine, and bubbly. Details: Pick-up on December 31.
Bammy’s
301 Water St., SE
Navy Yard’s Caribbean spot is putting together a $90 spread for two with sparkling wine and celebratory snacks like lobster cocktail, beef tartare, and trout rillettes. Luxe add-ons include caviar with potato chips and sour cream. Details: Delivery and pick-up on December 31.
Barmini
501 9th St., NW
José Andrés’s avant-garde cocktail room is all about the bubbly on New Year’s Eve. Pick your Champagne of choice ($120-$750) as the base for three sparkling cocktails and pair with basque cheesecakes or a cheffy grilled cheese. Details: Pick-up on December 26-27 and 30-31.
Chez Billy Sud
1039 31st St., NW
New Year’s in Paris may be out of the question, but you can channel the City of Lights with a $250 prix-fixe menu for two from the Georgetown restaurant. The menu includes cozy beef bourguignon and a bottle of sparkling wine. Details: Order by December 30; Pick-up on December 31.
The Dabney
122 Bladgen Aly., NW
The Mid-Atlantic kitchen is putting the massive hearth to work for a five-course to-go dinner ($150 per person) featuring beef tenderloin and butter-poached lobster. Kick off the meal with canapés, including the restaurant’s private label caviar. Details: Pick-up on December 31.
Chiko
423 8th St., SE
New Years at the “fine-casual” restaurant calls for a $60 four-course menu filled with Chinese-Korean dishes—think cumin lamb chops and pork dumplings. If you’re already planning to kick off 2021 with a hangover, the restaurant’s breakfast pop-up “I Egg You” is offering a breakfast sandwich kits and Bloody Mary mix. Details: Pick-up on December 31.
Gravitas
1401 Okie St., NE
Matt Baker’s Michelin-starred spot is serving at-home and outdoor dining options to ring in the new year. Head to the Ivy City restaurant to toast with Cristal and a five course tasting menu ($250) or go the takeaway route for a Southern-inspired fried chicken dinner with truffle honey ($48). Details: Patio and rooftop seating and pick-up on December 31.
Muchas Gracias
5029 Connecticut Ave., NW
Chef Christian Irabién is behind the celebratory menu of head-on prawns, herb-crusted sirloin, and orange blossom flan ($90 for two, $160 for four). There’s an option to add-on a “midnight celebration kit” featuring a guava and tequila drink as well as a morning-after pozole to nurse any residual hangover. Details: Order by December 28; Pick-up on December 31.
Neighborhood Provisions
Multiple locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Stock up on a la carte canapés and charcuterie from Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s online platform. Also available to order: New Year’s feasts such as a $27 barbecue dinner or $60 three-course meal, with the option to add-on sparkling wine, beer, and cocktails. Details: Order by December 30; Delivery and pick-up on December 31.
Nina May
1337 11th St., NW
Shaw’s breezy seasonal spot is cooking up a $150 four-course menu (serves two) with dishes like house-smoked salmon blini, oysters on the half shell, and sage-spiked ravioli. The restaurant’s delivery service, Feast by Nina May, is also offering an at-your-doorstep dinner for $175 (serves two) with a bottle of bubbly, beef wellington, and chocolate lava cake. Details: Pick-up and delivery on December 31. Order Feast by Nina May by December 28; Delivery on December 30.
Officina
1120 Maine Ave., SW; 1525 Wisconsin Ave., NW
The a la carte offerings from Nick Stefanelli’s trattoria revolve around show-stopping mains like whole roasted duck, prime rib, and prosciutto cotto. Pair with pasta dishes and Champagne packages. Takeout is available at the Wharf restaurant or at the Georgetown pop-up. Details: Pick-up December 30-31.
Rasika/Rasika West End
633 D St., NW; 1190 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Toast the new year at home or on the heated patios at both the West End and Penn Quarter locations. Chef Vikram Sunderdam is whipping up a three-course menu for $75 per person with warming dishes like chili garlic shrimp and tandoori lamb chops. Details: Patio seating, delivery, and pick-up on December 31.
Roofers Union
2446 18th St., NW
Dine on the heated rooftop in Adams Morgan for a three-course prix-fixe meal ($66) with the option to add-on wine pairings ($35) or beer pairings ($25). The menu includes cozy plates of lobster bisque and smoked brisket with cheesy gratin. Details: Rooftop seating on December 31.
Pop’s SeaBar
1817 Columbia Rd., NW
Get your sea legs ready for the new year with a seafood feast for $40 per person. Start dinner with ahi tuna tartare before diving into blue crab-stuffed lobster and lemon panna cotta. Details: Call 202-534-3933 to order by December 28; Pick-up on December 31.
The Salt Line
79 Potomac Ave., SE
The New England-inspired restaurant has different specials depending on whether you’re dining by the waterfront or going the carryout route. Build-your-own seafood tower at home with lobster tail, jumbo shrimp, and pickled oysters. Details: Patio seating, pick-up, and delivery on December 31.
Stellina
399 Morse St., NE
The pizza shop near Union Market is saying farewell to 2020 with a five-course Italian feast. The hearty menu includes braised beef and Neapolitan ziti alla Genovese for $95 per person. Details: Order by December 27; Delivery and pick-up on December 30.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
