New Year’s Eve is always packed with anticipation of what’s to come. Rather than leave the evening up to fate, here are a few events that will help you ring in the new year in style.
Mister Mao
4501 Tchoupitoulas Street
This New Year’s Eve, join Chef/Owner Sophina Uong and partner William “Wildcat” Greenwell for New Year’s Eve 2022: A Tribute to House of Prime Rib. Mister Mao is offering guests festive, four-course prix fixe featuring inventive, bold, and flavorful “inauthentic” cuisine. Starters priced at $85 per person (excluding tax + gratuity) include Lump Crab Egg Drop Soup and Little Gem Salad, tossed tableside with pickled beets, egg mimosa, sourdough croutons, chive, and pink dressing. The main course served family-style is Roast Prime Rib of Beef served with turmeric creamed greens, mashed Yukon gold potatoes, chile crisp Dutch baby, cream of horseradish, and beef tallow brown gravy. Mister Mao will also offer vegetarian-pescatarian-gluten free options (to be pre-ordered) Red Snapper Bullinada– Catalan fish stew, saffron, sunchoke, fingerling, Marash pepper aioli or Risotto of 7th Ward Greens – kale ink, pickled fennel, king trumpet, satsuma, tarragon. Save room for happy endings like Windowsill Pies’ Dark Chocolate Peppermint Tart or a delightful Bananas Foster Cream Pie. Mister Mao is open on New Year’s Eve, with seating at 6 PM and 9 PM. RESERVATIONS HERE
Are you looking for a fun twist to New Year’s Day? Mister Mao will kick off 2023 with an a la carte Walk of Shame Brunch featuring the return of the Here Comes the Chuck Wagon – Mister Mao’s famed dim sum push cart. “You win some, you dim sum!” says Chef/Owner Sophina Uong. With three seatings at 12 PM, 2 PM, and 4 PM, the restaurant will offer an array of Chinese Dim Sum, available off the menu, as well as rotating on the pushcart, including Chinese Sausage + Crab Fried Rice with schmaltz; Sheng Jian Bao – pan-fried pork dumplings; Char Siu Chicken Baked Buns with Dutch Crunch; Singapore Curry Fried Tofu; Star Anise Pork Belly + Braised Soybeans; Boiled Shrimp Dumplings with black vinegar sauce; and more. Specialty brunch dishes, including Gulf Shrimp Toast Benedict, will also be offered. Featured cocktails will include Maochelada – Tecate, Chamoy, tajin rim; Walk of Shame – vodka, passionfruit, Noilly Prat vermouth; Gochujang Bloody Kim – Tamari, red miso, vodka; and Blocked Caller – Rosewater + Satsuma Agua Fresca (Nonalcoholic). Reservations suggested.
Jack Rose
2031 St Charles Avenue
Named the #1 “Best Hotel Restaurant 2020” by USA TODAY 10Best, Jack Rose is the perfect spot to ring in the New Year. Guests can expect creative interpretations of classic dishes by renowned Chef Brian Landry. The four-course prix-fixe menu ($75–$90, depending on the main course) will be offered from 5 PM-10 PM on New Year’s Eve. Menu highlights include Panko Grouper; Duck Gumbo; Bone-in Ribeye; and the famous Mile High Pie. Jack Rose is located at the Pontchartrain Hotel, 2031 St Charles Avenue, in New Orleans. For more information or reservations, please call (504) 323-1500
After dinner at Jack Rose, check out the great New Year’s Eve live performance at Bayou Bar (lobby level), featuring Jordan Anderson from 10 PM – 1 AM (no cover charge). Or hit the rooftop at Hot Tin, where tunes, cocktails, and views await ($25 cover charge).
The Bower
1320 Magazine Street
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at The Bower with a culinary experience that is sure to ring in 2023 in style. Guests will enjoy a four-course meal priced at $95 per person (excluding tax and gratuity), available 4 PM-10 PM on New Year’s Eve. Guests will enjoy an appetizer of Sunchoke Cheesecake with Kaluga caviar and dill emulsion; a first-course choice of Boquerones with blood orange, pink peppercorns, nduja vinaigrette, persillade, breadcrumbs or Beef Carpaccio with pickled shallots, smoked clam aioli, Point Reyes blue cheese, wild arugula; second-course choices are Fritto Misto – bay scallops, squid, broccoli, oyster mushrooms, saffron aioli or Lambchetta – parmesan and grain mustard, pesto; third-course choices of Veal Cannelloni – spinach, bechamel, Arrabiata sauce or Gulf Shrimp Alla Busara – little neck clams, fresh horseradish, heirloom cherry tomato, saffron, herbs, spaghetti cacio e pepe and save room for the fourth-course dessert choices of Bower Tiramisu – mascarpone cream, espresso-soaked sugar cookie, cocoa powder or Apple Hand Pie – salted caramel, thyme, and cream cheese ice cream. (504) 582-9738.
Tujague’s
429 Decatur Street
Welcome the new year in the Crescent City’s second oldest restaurant, Tujague’s. Priced at $90 per person (excluding tax + gratuity), the festive four-course menu prepared by Executive Chef Gus Martin will be offered from 5 PM – 10:30 PM. Guests will begin with a decadent Duck, and Mushroom Gumbo served with Louisiana popcorn rice, followed by Gulf Shrimp and Crab Ravigote – fried green tomato, French ravigote sauce, and baby lettuce. The third course offers a choice of Pan Seared Sea Scallops – parmesan polenta, Frisée salad, crisp prosciutto, and smoked tomato butter sauce; Grilled Filet Mignon – asparagus, caramelized pearl onions, and Chasseur sauce; Pan Roasted Pompano – rissole potatoes, champagne cream, jumbo lump crabmeat, and Choupique Caviar or Pan Seared Maple Leaf Duck Breast – foie gras mashed potatoes, braised Brussels sprouts, cherry and Louisiana citrus demi-glace. Dessert options include Flourless Chocolate Cake served with white chocolate Drambuie sauce and raspberries or Crème Brûlée. Tujague’s will be open on New Year’s Day from 11 AM-9:30 PM and will serve their regular dinner menu all day. (504) 525-8676.
Toups’ Meatery
845 North Carrollton Avenue
The Crescent City’s famed contemporary Cajun restaurant, Toups’ Meatery, doubles as the perfect stage for the dynamic personality and authentic cuisine of Louisiana “born-and-braised” Chef Isaac Toups, will be open 5 PM-11 PM on New Year’s Eve. The a la carte menu includes dishes such as the famed Meatery Board, Roasted Gulf Shrimp; Coffee Rubbed Lamb Ribs, Confit Chicken Thighs, and the signature Double Cut Pork Chop with Cajun dirty rice and cane syrup gastrique. Additionally, guests can enjoy a Mustard-Crusted Rack of Elk with horseradish cream, mushroom spoonbread, apple chutney, and a selection of specialty Wagyu Steaks.
Please call for reservations (504) 252-4999
Compère Lapin
535 Tchoupitoulas Street in the Old No. 77 Hotel
Chef Nina Compton’s beloved New Orleans restaurant in the Old No. 77 Hotel is THE place to be for a decadent New Year’s Eve feast. Priced at $135 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) and available from 5:30 PM-10 PM, guests can enjoy Compton’s special four-course dinner. The first course is a Hamachi Tartar with passion fruit and caviar, followed by a White Truffle Risotto – served with winter vegetables; the main course is a Duo Beef – made with celery root and apple along with baby vegetables. For dessert, a mouthwatering Chocolate Ganache – spiced chocolate with hazelnuts for a sweet finish. For reservations, please call (504) 599-2199.
Addis NOLA
2514 Bayou Road
If you want a unique experience to ring in the New Year, head to Addis NOLA for New Year’s Across the Continent. Available 5 PM-10 PM, guests can enjoy dishes like Egusi Soup – a staple of Nigeria featuring meat, seafood, kale spinach, scotch bonnet pepper, and ground melon seeds which give a nice creamy and nutty flavor; Chicken Muamba – the national dish of Angola featuring a combination of chicken, peri-peri, and peanut butter; Shrimp Kitfo – a creative twist on the typical dish from the Gurage region of Ethiopia with chopped shrimp, mitmita (spiced chile blend) and herbs, served with flash fried injera; and Jollof Rice – a dish native to Senegal featuring a colorful and flavorful mix of rice, onions, tomato, and fish, best compared to New Orleans Jambalaya. The regular a la carte menu will also feature Doro Wot – 24-hour caramelized onion stew, berbere, kibbeh, and Tibs – sauteed onion, tomato, jalapeno, berbere and kibbeh (fish, mushroom, beef, chicken, lamb, shrimp, chicken & spinach protein options). Delicious libations will flow, such as The Woo – Tej honey wine, gin, and St. Germain; Addis Smash – bourbon, blueberry, lime; Ethiopian Martini – a smooth blend of Ethio cold brew, Kahlua, Vodka; and Right Bayou – house-made Pimm’s infused rum. Diners can enjoy the fresh Ethiopian coffee from the bean roasting ritual on the new restaurant’s Coffee Ceremony Stage. For reservations and additional information, please call (504) 218-5321.
The Pool Club
550 Baronne Street
At The Pool Club, guests will enjoy an indoor/outdoor celebration complete with music by Rusty Lazer, a private balcony and dedicated bar, complimentary NYE party favors, Campari samples, and a Champagne toast at midnight. Tickets for entry to The Pool Club are priced at $20 per person and can be purchased HERE. The event will begin at 6 PM, rain or shine. Tickets to The Pool Club event do not include access to Dreamboat. VIP upgrades, group packages, and VIP sofa/table reservations are available and can be arranged by emailing [email protected]. Guests must be 21+ to attend the event, and early arrival is recommended to avoid long lines. Valet parking is available on-site and is priced at $40.
Dreamboat
550 Baronne Street
The indoor lounge on Virgin Hotels New Orleans’ 13th floor will host an elevated NYE party. Priced at $199 per person, the celebration will feature music by MOD Dance Party, a dedicated private bar with free-flowing first pour beer, wine, specialty cocktails, premium passed canapés, Grand Marnier samples, complimentary NYE party favors, and a Champagne toast at midnight. Guests are asked to dress to impress – cocktail attire, upscale chic, and black tie are encouraged. No ball caps, t-shirts, jeans, or tennis shoes will be permitted. Dreamboat will open at 7 PM; reservations are required, and early arrival is highly recommended. Tickets for New Year’s Eve at Dreamboat can be purchased HERE. VIP upgrades, group packages, and VIP sofa/table reservations are available and can be arranged by emailing [email protected]. Guests must be 21+ to attend the event, and early arrival is recommended to avoid long lines. Valet parking is available on-site and is priced at $40.
Commons Club
550 Baronne Street
Commons Club is inviting guests to a Recovery Brunch on New Year’s Day (January 1st) from 9 AM – 2 PM, with live entertainment from 11 AM – 2 PM. Indulge in sumptuous brunch specials from Executive Chef Alex Harrell including Fried Egg Sandwich with Benton’s bacon, fermented chili aioli, and cheddar served on a fresh and flaky croissant; ‘Churro’ Fritters with cinnamon sugar; Gulf Shrimp and Bayou Cora Grits with smoky tomato and fennel broth; and a Wagyu Burger with freezer pickles, smoked gouda, bacon fat aioli, and Alex’s mustard, served on a potato bun with fries. For reservations, please visit Commons Club NOLA.
