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For some, New Year’s Eve is amateur night.
Clubs and bars are filled to capacity with party people who may not “get lit” on a regular basis and are just not very good at it — clumsily spilling drinks, vaping on the dance floor, mistaking a bathroom stall for a trap house.
So, maybe a fabulous dinner at a fun restaurant is the way to ring in 2022 on Friday, Dec. 31. And if that eatery has a festive, celebratory vibe, all the better, right?
Here’s a list of our favorite places to get great gala gastronomic get-togethers for New Year’s Eve.
Remember that the prices do not include taxes or gratuities.
207 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach. 561-355-5080. AlmondRestaurant.com/s/palmbeach.
In addition to Almond’s a la carte menu, the restaurant will have special dishes on New Year’s Eve including foie gras terrine with kumquat basil marmalade for $29; steak tartare with truffles, quail egg and pomme frite for $29 as an appetizer or $52 as an entrée; duck a l’orange for $49; lobster thermidor for $59 and apple galette for two with creme fraiche ice cream and black pepper for $21.
522 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 561-865-5653. AmarDelray.com.
Amar will have a prix fixe dinner with Mediterranean cuisine such as za’atar roasted chicken, octopus on lentils, fried kibbeh, lamb shank, hummus, baba ghanouj, roasted Brussels sprouts and Lebanese moussaka.
The early seating is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and is $75 per person and $40 for children under 12. You get to choose two mezés (small plate appetizers), one entrée and one dessert.
The late seating starts at 8:30 and is $115 per person and $50 for children under 12. You get to choose three mezés, one entrée and one dessert.
110 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 561-593-2500. AvalonDelray.com.
Avalon will have two seatings with different menus.
Early diners will have a three-course prix-fixe dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. for $120 per person. That menu includes options such as charred octopus, miso black cod and lobster tagliatelle.
The later seating, which begins at 9 p.m., will be $190 a person and has four courses with choices such as stone crabs, black truffle tagliatelle and Dover sole.
125 Datura St., West Palm Beach. (561) 623-0822. AvocadoGrillWPB.com.
Chef and owner Julien Gremaud will have New Year’s Eve specials such as Moroccan chicken tagine served over couscous with apricots, carrots, plums and almonds for $26 and tuna poke with seaweed salad, avocado, red onion, ginger, carrot salad, sesame seeds, cilantro, sushi rice, edamame and spicy mayo for $24.
1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. 954-302-6430. RitzCarlton.com.
This restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale will offer a four-course family-style dinner with a glass of Champagne, a balloon drop at midnight and DJ Soleil Bravo spinning. Seating is from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and costs $179 per person and $69 for children ages 5-12.
You can add the NYE Seafood Tower, which serves two to four people, for $99. The Bottomless Beverage Package is an added $99 per person.
1200 E. Las Olas Blvd. #101, Fort Lauderdale. 954-994-1416. CasaSensei.com.
Casa Sensei sits on the Himmarshee Canal just on the other side of a culvert bridge and the hubbub of Las Olas Boulevard’s heavily trafficked restaurant row. With a more romantic setting, the Pan Asian Latin fusion restaurant will have a DJ from 8 p.m. to midnight, an a la carte menu, passed Champagne and New Year’s Eve favors.
700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach. 561-366-0071. CityCellarWPB.com.
Located in The Square (formerly Rosemary Square), City Cellar is offering an Eggnog Martini for $14 now through New Year’s Eve, when they will be open from 5 p.m.-midnight.
25 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. 561-908-2567. CocoDelray.com.
Husband-and-wife team chef Jason Zheng and Tina Wang will offer their regular a la carte menu from 4 p.m.-1 a.m. as well as a seven-course prix fixe menu for $95 per person. A glass of Champagne during dinner and another for a midnight toast are included. You can also add a Premier Open Bar Ticket for $100 per person.
The first course is A5 Wagyu beef tataki; the second course is a skewer of grilled jumbo scallops from the robata grill; the third course is lobster foie gras tower; the fourth course is a selection of sushi and sashimi; the fifth course is an Out of Control Roll; the sixth course is the grilled branzino; and the seventh course is the mochi ice cream (a choice of strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, mango, or green tea).
All diners will receive hats, noisemakers and horns to ring in the New Year and a DJ will be spinning from 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. 954-414-5100. ConradFortLauderdale.com.
The Conrad will have a New Year’s Eve Champagne Soirée with live entertainment, a midnight countdown with NYE party favors, a cocktail reception, hors d’oeuvres and a five-course dinner.
The family-friendly party includes a children’s buffet, movie stations, board games, corn hole and coloring stations.
The event starts at 7:30 p.m. and costs $299 per person and $199 for ages 13-20.
33 SE Third Ave., Delray Beach. 561-562-7000. DelrayBeachMarket.com.
This food hall will have a free New Year’s Eve party from 5 to 10 p.m. for children and families with an early 6 p.m. countdown, ball drop, confetti and cider toasts (or Champagne for adults). There will also be arts, crafts and treats from the food vendors.
606 N. Ocean Dr., Hollywood. 954-929-7030. GGsWaterfront.com.
The New Year’s Eve gala at GG’s will include live music from the rock band Kemistry, specialty cocktails and a four-course dinner for $175 per person (also includes valet parking, party favors and a midnight Champagne toast).
For dinner, you have a choice of three entreés:
219 NE Third St., Hallandale Beach. 754-777-7255. IceboxCafe.com/hallandale-beach.
You’ll get a free glass of Champagne before the prix-fixe menu, which is $70 per person for the early seating 5:30-8 p.m. For the second seating that begins at 8:30 and goes until 12:30 a.m., admission is $125 in advance or $175 at the door.
You can purchase tickets at Eventbrite.com and get more information at IceboxCafe.com/events/new-years-eve-party.
The second seating will also have live music from Latin Grammy guitarist Pedro Navarro and his band. You’ll also get party hats and noisemakers to ring in the New Year.
3035 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. 561-894-8716. LasCatrinasMX.com.
Las Catrinas, which bills itself as a “modern Mexican restaurant,” will offer a five-course dinner and open bar for $75 per person or $50 without the open bar (both get a Champagne toast). Some of the dishes will include: cilantro lime snapper, a Mexican surf and turf, ceviche, steak fajitas and enchiladas with Mexican rice and pinto beans. Las Catrinas will be open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. and seating for the New Year’s Eve dinner begins at 9 p.m.
999 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. 954-302-5252. SteelpanFTL.com.
Steelpan will have a three-course meal with two seatings, the first at 5 p.m. and the second at 8 p.m. Both dinners are $85 per person or $155 with a bottle of Champagne. Dinner for children under 12 is $32.
401 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.
Steak 954, 954-414-8333. Steak954.com.
El Vez Fort Lauderdale, 954-414-8336. ElVezFortLauderdale.com.
Both Starr restaurants in the W hotel will have New Year’s Eve specials as well as their regular a la carte menus. El Vez will be open 4 -11 p.m. and Steak 954 will have service 5-10 p.m.
29 SE Second Ave., Delray Beach. 800-561-0755. ThrowSocial.com/delray.
The entertainment venue will have a luau from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. with a Hawaiian buffet, a Champagne toast at midnight, games, a DJ and live music by the Smokin’ Aces. Tickets range from $130 to $3,225. To order, go to Eventbrite.com.
2309 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors. 754-216-0143. UnionKB.com.
The first seating will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for a three-course prix fixe dinner menu for $75 per person. The second seating will be from 8-10 p.m. with a four-course prix fixe dinner menu for $135 per person.
Highlights from the two menus include: