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.