20+ best restaurants for New Year's Eve dinner in Austin
New Year's Eve is one of the biggest nights of the year for restaurants, second only to Valentine's Day. Almost every mid-market and high-end restaurant will roll out prix fixe dinners or a special menu.
Tables are hard to come by, so get online now and get busy. Below are some of the special dinners happening around town on the big night. Visit restaurant websites for more complete menu details and reservation information.
1417 French Bistro
The five-course dinner at this French restaurant in South Austin features lamb carpaccio, braised veal with polenta cake, pear tarte with blood orange cardamom glaze. Seatings offered from 5 to 9 p.m. Cost is $120. (1417 S. First St., (512) 551-2430, 1417frenchbistro.com)
Bacalar
The new Yucatán-inspired restaurant from “Top Chef” winner chef Gabe Erales will serve a fixed six-course menu, which includes a champagne toast. Menu includes stone crab chileatole, cured scallop and tenderloin with caramelized squash. Cost is $150. (44 East Ave., (512) 517-1656, bacalaratx.com)
Bill’s Oyster
The intimate raw bar has created a specials menu to complement its regular dinner offerings. Dishes include filet Rockefeller with fried oysters, creamed spinach and beurre blanc; lobster bisque; stone crabs and toro tartare. Bill's Oyster will also offer a champagne cocktail special for the night and have a small allotment of large bottles of champagne available. (205 W. Third St., (512) 363-5769, billsoyster.com)
Canje
The Caribbean restaurant from executive chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph is serving a six-course tasting menu at a party where black and gold attire is encouraged. There are no posted details on the menu, but the cost is $125. (1914 E. Sixth St., (512) 706-9119, canjeatx.com)
Carpenters Hall
The restaurant at Bunkhouse's Zilker-area hotel will serve a fixed five-course menu that includes tuna crudo, lobster bucatini and duck a l'orange. Cost is $95. (400 Josephine St., (512) 675-5020, carpenterhotel.com)
Carve
Perry’s sibling American grill serves a three-course menu for lunch and dinner on New Year’s Eve. The menu offering choices of salad, entrée and dessert costs $75 before 5:30 p.m. and $85 after 5:45 p.m. (7415 Southwest Pkwy. (512) 792-4450; 2613 Perseverance Drive, (512) 637-4170, carveamericangrille.com)
Diner Bar
James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey’s restaurant at the Thompson Hotel will serve a Southern-inspired four-course prix fixe menu. Cost is $95. 500 San Jacinto Blvd., (737) 257-3047, thedinerbar-austin.com.
District Kitchen + Cocktails
The two locations of the American grill are serving four-course meals with choices that include wild mushroom bisque, steak tartare and lobster risotto. Cost has not been published. (5900 W. Slaughter Lane, (512) 351-8436; 7858 Shoal Creek Blvd., (512) 284-7837, districtaustin.com)
Eberly
The vibey South Austin restaurant and bar is hosting a 1960s London-themed dinner and party from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. with themed food and dessert inspired by the flavors of the 60s and music from Beatles cover band The Lonely Hearts Club. Cost is $135 per person. (615 S. Lamar Blvd., (512) 916-9000, eberlyaustin.com)
Emmer & Rye
The restaurant inspired by Nordic cuisine and centered around local products is serving a five-course menu for $150. Menu details not available at publishing time. (51 Rainey St., (512) 366-5530, emmerandrye.com)
Ezov
Chef Berty Richter’s Israeli restaurant in East Austin is serving a set dinner with eight dishes for $95. A Mediterranean wine pairing will be available for $40, and a DJ will be spinning disco on the patio. (2708 E. Cesar Chavez St., (512) 305-1118, ezovatx.com)
Hestia
The swanky live-fire restaurant is calling their six-course dinner at 5 p.m. “Home Before Midnight.” Cost is $175, with wine pairings available for an additional $95. The 7 p.m. seating is 10 courses and costs $215. (607 W. Third St., (512) 333-0737, hestiaaustin.com)
Juniper
The sleek Italian restaurant in East Austin is serving a five-course menu with options that include cacio e pepe, duck tortellini and matsutake mushroom with cauliflower ragu. Cost is $150. (2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., (512) 220-9421, juniperaustin.com)
Keepers Coastal Kitchen
The seafood restaurant in Southwest Austin is giving diners multiple choices across four courses. Dishes include roasted butternut squash bisque, pumpkin tortellini in brown butter and seared sea bass with pomme dauphine with leek and fennel puree. Cost is $80. (5701 W. Slaughter Lane, (512) 519-9911, keepersaustin.com)
Launderette
Chef Rene Ortiz’s neighborhood restaurant in Holly is always spirited and it steps it up on New Year’s Eve with a four-course meal that includes options like steak tartare, grilled maitake mushroom and Australian king prawn. Cost is $135. (2115 Holly St., (512) 382-1599, launderetteaustin.com)
Lenoir
The charming bungalow restaurant from husband-and-wife chefs Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher will serve a fixed seven-course meal with dishes that include caramelized leek tamale, lamb pappardelle and prime rib rollotini. Cost is $124. The restaurateurs are also hosting an 80s-themed party in their adjacent building, Petite Maison, that starts at 9:45 p.m. Festivities include games, a dance party, costume contest, karaoke, and pizza and snacks from Dovetail Pizza and Lenoir. Cost is $75. (1807 S. First St., (512) 215-9778, lenoirrestaurant.com)
L’Oca d’Oro
Never one to shy away from a theme, one of Austin’s best restaurants is throwing a “White Lotus” Sicilian New Year’s Eve bash, with dishes that evoke the Italian island. Menu includes grilled oysters & uni butter, white truffle arancini, and diver scallop and crab raviolo. Cost is $150. (1900 Simond Ave., (737) 212-1876, locadoroaustin.com)
Olamaie
The refined Southern restaurant will serve a three-course menu with choices that include hushpuppies with foie gras mousse, pork chop, Wagyu ribeye and apple sorbet with peanut butter. Cost is $150. (1610 San Antonio St., (512) 474-2796, olamaieaustin.com)
Oseyo
The modern Korean restaurant in East Austin is serving a special menu with dishes that are “an expression of owner Lynn Miller’s upbringing as a 'third culture' kid in Dallas.” Specials for the evening include tuna tartare with XO sauce, Korean pear, pickled watermelon rind, kimchi aioli, and crispy lotus root; sharable pork chop sam with apple butter; and jujube sticky toffee pudding with barley ice cream. (1628 E. Cesar Chavez St., (512) 368-5700, oseyoaustin.com)
Perry’s
The two locations of the Houston-based steakhouse are serving two prix fixe menus. The standard menu ($89 before 5:30 p.m. and $99 after 5:45 p.m.) offers three courses with a choice of salad, entrée and dessert, and the upgraded menu for $149 features Japanese Wagyu and Chateaubriand. (11801 Domain Blvd., 512-270-6880; 114 W. Seventh St., (512) 474-6300, perryssteakhouse.com)
El Raval
Chef Laila Bazahm’s Spanish restaurant will serve a six-course meal with dishes like East Coast oysters with scallop crudo, seaweed escabeche, aguachile and trout roe; dry-aged Wagyu beef carpaccio served with black truffle, tomato and pan con tomate; and stuffed Texas quail vadouvan-al ajillo. Cost is $95. (1500 S. Lamar Blvd., (512) 473-2211, elravalatx.com)
Tare and Huckleberry
The sushi and seafood specialist from Tare and Huckleberry are joining forces at Texas Sake in South Austin for a 15-course tasting menu featuring the coastal comfort flavors of Huckleberry blended with the Japanese-meets-Texas cuisine of Tare. Dishes include shrimp tamales, smoky grilled quail and sweet potato over sabayon. There are 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. seatings. Cost is $175. (440 E. St. Elmo Road, Suite B-2, explore.com/tare)
Truluck’s
The seafood-centric steakhouse will serve a three-course menu with choices like shrimp cocktail, king crab, filet mignon and key lime pie. Cost is $150 at the Arboretum locations and $175 downtown. (10225 Research Blvd., (512) 794-8300; 300 Colorado St., (512) 482-9000, trulucks.com)
Uptown Sports Club
Aaron Franklin’s new restaurant is serving a special brunch on New Year’s Eve day (and New Year’s Day) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The menu will include special items like Franklin Barbecue’s chicken fried brisket with mashed potatoes and gravy; biscuits and creamy gravy with a fried egg, bacon bourbon pecan French toast; and a burger with thick-cut bacon and an over-easy egg with fries. (1200 E. Sixth St., uptownsports.club)
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: New Year's Eve dinner: Where to make reservations in Austin
