2021 is quickly approaching (thank goodness.) And in the jolly spirit of New Orleans, you may be looking for a way to celebrate NYE in NOLA. Though many spaces still have social distancing restrictions, there are still opportunities to get your eat and drink on in the New Year.
If you’re looking for a night out on the town to help you ring in the New Year, check out some of NOLA’s best local spots for their special holiday menus.
Jack Rose
Named the #1 “Best Hotel Restaurant” Jack Rose is the perfect spot to bid adieu to 2020.
Guests can expect creative interpretations of classic dishes by renowned Chef Brian Landry. The four-course prix-fixe menu ($60–$70, depending on the main course) will be offered from 5 PM-10 PM on Thursday, December 31, 2020.
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 or visit www.jackroserestaurant.com
Compère Lapin
Satiate your appetite on the final night of 2020 at Chef Nina Compton’s nationally-acclaimed flagship restaurant – Compère Lapin at The Old No. 77 Hotel.
Fusing the flavors of Compton’s Caribbean roots and love for French and Italian cuisine while capturing Louisiana’s culinary essence – guests can look forward to a unique five-course family-style menu ($125 per person) that will surely earn the New Year’s Eve dinner stamp of approval. A cocktail and/or wine pairing is available for an additional $60.
Compère Lapin will be open on NYE from 5:30 PM to 9 PM. The restaurant is located in The Old No. 77 Hotel at 535 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans. Reservations can be made on Resy. For more information, please call (504) 599-2119, or visit www.comperelapin.com
Toups’ Meatery
The Crescent City’s famed contemporary Cajun restaurant, Toups’ Meatery – which doubles as the perfect stage for the and authentic cuisine of Louisiana born-and-raised, star-studded Chef Isaac Toups – will showcase the best of Toups’ comforting yet refined cuisine this New Year’s Eve.
The sumptuous four-course prix-fixe menu ($85 per person) is nothing short of spectacular and will be available for dinner service, 5PM-10 PM, on Thursday, December 31, 2020. A wine pairing will be available at an additional cost. Additionally, Toups’ Meatery will be open on New Year’s Eve for lunch at 11 AM-3 PM, and Happy Hour 3 PM-5 PM.
Toups’ Meatery is located at 845 North Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans. For more information, please call (504) 252-4999 or visit www.toupsmeatery.com
Bywater American Bistro
This New Year’s Eve, Bywater American Bistro is inviting guests to enjoy a delicious four-course prix fixe menu curated by award-winning Chef Nina Compton.
The dining experience is available in the BABs dining room ($100 per person), or in a heated luxury tent for AMEX cardholders ($150 per person). The upscale tents, also known as the Resy “yurt villages” dining experience, is sponsored by American Express.
Both menus will include delicious offerings such as steak tartare with yolk jam and truffle; polenta with winter vegetable fricassee; chicken and black truffle crepinette with mushrooms and pomme puree; and chocolate with brûléed citrus.
Bywater American Bistro is located at 2900 Chartres Street in New Orleans. The restaurant will be open on NYE from 5:30 PM to 10 PM. Make your reservations through Resy. For more information, please call (504) 605-3827 or visit www.bywateramericanbistro.com
Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29
Latitude 29 is a tiki-themed dining room and bar, with grasscloth walls and cool lighting illuminating the colorful libations.
Owner Jeff Berry prides himself on years of “research” that has resulted in the unique cocktails on offer. If you dare, try the “South Seas Sinner”: Japanese whiskey stirred with pistachio and orchard cherry liqueurs and toasted coconut rum. Sips are served in just the right glasses or other containers by bartenders wearing brightly hued island garb. As for the food, get the quarter rack of pork ribs and follow it up with spicy grilled shrimp and grits with bacon marmalade. Best of all is the Doberge cake for dessert. Wines are very limited, but you came here for the rum beverages, remember? Daily happy hour features food and drinks specials.
Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 is located at 321 N Peters St. in New Orleans. The restaurant will be open on NYE from 4 PM to 9 PM. Make your reservations through Resy. For more information, please call (504) 609–3811 or visit www.latitude29nola.com.
Chophouse
From the dining room to the cuts of beef, everything is big at Chophouse, a steakhouse that offers a serious challenge to its local competitors. The nicely lit space with white tablecloths, exposed brick walls, and hardwood floors are just on the other side of a walk-through wall connecting it to a fun, high-energy cocktail lounge showcasing vocalists and live piano music that fills both areas. Meanwhile, the menu features USDA Prime steaks, including a 40-ounce porterhouse, as well as dishes highlighting Gulf-sourced shrimp or fish.
The wine list is as extensive and well-thought-out as it should be in an upscale steakhouse, presenting a wide variety of reds that complement the meat. For dessert, go all the way and order the $28 giant slice of chocolate cake for the table. Stay around after dinner and enjoy cocktails in the lounge. This place was made for lingering.
Their four-course New Year’s Even menu offers choices of New York Strip, Filet or Sea Bass, and a bottle of wine ($125 per person).
Chophouse New Orleans is located at 322 Magazine St. in New Orleans. The restaurant will be open on NYE from 5 PM to 10 PM. Make your reservations through their website. For more information, please call 504-522-7902 or visit chophousenola.com.
Galatoire’s
Galatoire’s keeps the faith with early 20th-century fine dining rooted in classic Creole cuisine. Menu trends are shunned and tradition revered in the elegant, clubby atmosphere. A trio of rooms on the second floor adds dining space, but regulars prefer the undeniable charms of the ground-floor area, which does not accept reservations. (They are accepted for the second floor.) Downstairs, opposing mirror panels embellish the sidewalls, appointed with glittering brass fixtures. We can’t imagine beginning a meal without the Grand Goutte, palate-stimulating samplers of the shrimp rémoulade, crab meat Maison and shrimp Maison, sized to fit the number of people at the table.
Fried oysters and bacon en brochette, sautéed fish lavished with seasoned crab meat, and lightly charred lamb chops still reign on the white-linen tablecloths. Soufflé potatoes are a must. It all ends delightfully with a soothing caramel cup custard or a mocha panna cotta. The noise level can become rather elevated as the evening wears on when bittersweet Sazerac and old-fashioned cocktails fuel much of the energy. The revamped wine list is diverse, well-managed, and caters to all price points. It is complex and tailor-made for oenophiles. But rest easy as the well-trained servers can always find the right pairings.
Their New Year’s Eve Champagne Dinner starts at 8 pm. The five-course menu comes with a different Champagne pairing for every course ($195 per person).
Galatoire’s is located at 209 Bourbon St. in New Orleans. The restaurant will be open on NYE from 5 PM to 10 PM. Make your reservations through their website. For more information, please call 504-525-2021 or visit www.galatoires.com.
GW FINS
Fish and shellfish flown in from around the world are the calling cards of this consistent and sophisticated seafood specialist in the French Quarter. From the wood-grilled grouper to the jalapeño-glazed Scottish salmon and the Alaskan halibut with sea scallops and Maine lobster risotto, chef/co-owner Tenney Flynn’s preparations are unique to this part of the country. The blue crab potsticker appetizer is a must, as is the blackened swordfish with chili hollandaise.
Vegetables are winners, too, as in the wood-grilled asparagus in lemon olive butter. Dessert? That’s easy: chocolate mousse bombe with raspberry coulis. The wine list is constantly evolving. Forget everything you’ve heard about only serving white wines with fish; there are 15 Cabernets on the list. The décor of the big, circular dining room — with cheery artworks that have a seafood theme — is colorful and energetic without being intimidating. Noise is muffled by carpeting.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve two ways at GW Fins! Enjoy a festive 3-Course Menu in our Dining Room or ring in the new year at Home with our Signature Dishes. Takeout orders can be placed through Tuesday, December 29th by calling (504) 581-3467.
GW Fin’s is located at 808 Bienville St. in New Orleans. The restaurant will be open on NYE from 5 PM to 9 PM. Make your reservations through their website. For more information, please call 504-581-3467 or visit gwfins.com
Muriel’s
Every building tells a story in the French Quarter. Muriel’s began life as a spaghetti factory on a picturesque corner of Jackson Square. The old, two-story stucco structure offers a duo of large ground-floor rooms, festooned with a hodgepodge of antique prints and signs. The Creole cuisine includes a seafood gumbo that has just the right smoky taste and hits the proper earthy notes. We also recommend the Gorgonzola prosciutto tart appetizer and the shrimp and goat cheese crêpes with a buttery Chardonnay sauce.
There is almost always a wood-grilled Gulf fish available, and that is a sure bet, as is the barbecued shrimp entrée. For dessert, indulge in red velvet cookies layered with Creole cream cheese ice cream. Muriel’s wine list offers everything from a straightforward, full-bodied Russian River Pinot Noir to a well-blended Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Insider’s tip: Parking is validated at two nearby locations.
Muriel’s is located at 801 Chartres St. in New Orleans. The restaurant will be open on NYE from 4 PM to 9:30 PM. Make your reservations through their website. For more information, please call 504-568-1885 or visit muriels.com.
Tasting Room
A new owner, a revamped look, and a whole bunch of specials. Magazine street wine and cheese bar Tasting Room is hosting an NYE bash for table serve.
On the new menu is arugula and gorgonzola salad a fingerling potato dish with pesto, Parmesan, and pine nuts, fried gorgonzola stuffed olives, and charcuterie and cheese boards.
This quaint little restaurant located in the heart of the Lower Garden District is your perfect spot for a low-key dinner with great food and drinks.
The Tasting Room, 1906 Magazine Street in New Orleans. The restaurant will be open on NYE at 4:00 pm. For more information, please call (504) 766-6390.
Happy Holidays, and enjoy your NYE in NOLA!
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