The ultimate guide to New Year's Eve and New Year's Day dining in Houston

Houston restaurants are ready to help people celebrate the end of 2020 with a variety of dine-in and to-go specials. We’ve also included a few brunch options for easing into 2021 after a night of excesses.

New Year’s Eve

a’Bouzy
The River Oaks restaurant is offering a to-go New Year’s Eve Party Kit for four ($308) that includes: ingredients for cocktails with Volcán Blanco Tequila (recipe card + instructional video link included), Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut NV, Moët & Chandon Brut Rosé NV, Moët & Chandon Imperial Ice NV, Moët & Chandon Champagne Goblets, New Year’s Spotify playlist, party hats, tiaras, and noisemakers. The restaurant will also be open for dine-in.

Be More Pacific
The Filipino restaurant in the Heights will ring in the New Year with a party that includes tunes by DJ Stashwell and DJ Fliphop, a champagne toast, and a souvenir glass. Table reservations start at $35 per person; the restaurant's karaoke rooms are also available. Food, including wings, lumpia, and other snacks, and cocktails, including mimosa towers, will be available for an additional cost

Bistro 555
The Memorial-area restaurant will serve a three-course menu on New Year’s Eve. Choices include lobster bisque, foie gras terrine, roasted lamb shank, snapper, and a lemon meringue tart. Priced at $75 per person, the restaurant will host two seatings at 6 and 8 pm. An early bad package (5 pm seating, $55) and to-go options are also available.

Bistro Menil
The Montrose favorite will serve a three-course, $110 menu on New Year’s Eve. Choices include crab bisque, porcini-rubbed NY strip, and frozen white chocolate raspberry soufflé. All courses include wine pairings.

East End Backyard
Beginning at 8 pm, Brian Ching’s sprawling patio bar will host its “New Year’s Under the Tent” party. The party will feature music by DJ Mike, giveaways, party favors, and a champagne toast at midnight. Chef James Miller’s $20 prix-fixe menu includes bacon-wrapped chicken brochette and a choice of grilled pork tenderloin, pan seared airline chicken breast, or chargrilled bistro shoulder tender with sides.

The Flying Saucer
The downtown location of the craft beer bar has a number of to-go specials, including discounts on rare bottles, mixed six packs of Stone and Real Ale for $15.99, and a massive charcuterie board that offers over three pounds of meat and cheese for $125. Watch the bar’s always entertaining Twitter feed for other specials.

Georgia James
Chris Shepherd’s steakhouse is offering a to-go meal for two ($95) that includes a 22-ounce 44 Farms ribeye, braised cabbage and bacon sausage, smashed potatoes, berry crisp, and party favors. The meal includes instructions for cooking the steak. Order by December 27 for pickup December 31. Very limited dine-in reservations are also available.

La Lucha
The New Year’s Eve menu ($65.95 per person) offers four courses that include a chilled seafood platter, gumbo, and the restaurant's signature fried chicken.

La Table
The French-influenced, Galleria-area restaurant offers multiple options on New Year’s Eve. Dine a la carte in the downstairs restaurant or participate in one of two seatings upstairs. The later, 8 pm seating features a three-course, $125 menu that includes French onion soup, filet au poivre, and tarte tatin. Downstairs, a DJ will spin tunes from 8:30 pm - 12:30 am.

Loch Bar
The seafood restaurant in River Oaks District will celebrate New Year’s Eve with live music from Mojo Faction, a prime rib special, and a champagne toast at midnight.

Lucille’s
Start New Year’s Eve with brunch at this Southern-influenced eatery in the Museum District. Dine on signature dishes such as croissant French roast, the lobster Benedict, and shrimp and grits. Live music will be performed on the patio, weather permitting.

Musaafer
The modern Indian restaurant will feature a six-course prix fixe menu and live entertainment on New Year’s eve. Reserve either the 6 pm ($95) or 9 pm ($130) seating, which includes a champagne toast.

North Italia
The Galleria-area Italian restaurant is offering a three-course, $65 menu that includes blue crab risotto, lobster fra diavolo, and cocktail specials.

Ouisie’s Table
The River Oaks institution will feature a three-course, $45 menu as well as a la carte selections. To-go meals are also available.

The Palm
In addition to its regular menu, the Galleria-area steakhouse with feature a surf and turf special of filet mignon (6-ounce $79, 9-ounce, $99) and king crab leg.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
The luxurious steakhouse will offer a New Year’s Eve menu that includes an appetizer, soup or salad, entree, and a side for $124.95 per person. Early-bird bookings (4-6 pm) are $114.94 per person. The meal is available for both dine-in and to-go.

Pinstripes
New Year’s Eve at this Upper Kirby entertainment venue will include live music, party favors, giveaways, and complimentary champagne toasts for all guests and complimentary sparkling juice or cider for the kids. In addition to the a la carte menu, the kitchen will feature braised short ribs with roasted root vegetables ($18) and apple pie.

Sixty Vines
The wine bar and restaurants $150, to-go kit for two includes salami and cheese, filets with grilled shrimp, choice of one side (no potatoes), deviled affogato, a 375-milliliter bottle of Luc Belaire Rose (Provence-Alpes-Cote de Azur), a 375-milliliter Taittinger “La Francaise” Brut (Reims), sunglasses, a confetti popper, sparklers, Add on a la carte tap wines for 50-percent off or a champagne flute tumbler for $15.

Tony’s
The restaurant will offer two seatings — one at 6 pm ($95) and a 9:15 pm option that includes live music by Nick and the Hits ($195). Choices on the four-course menu include risotto alle vongole, preserved tomato tartare, Osetra caviar parfait, truffled Prime filet, and rack of lamb. Dessert options include tuxedo cake, praline cheesecake, and blackberry crostata

Traveler’s Table
The globally-inspired Montrose restaurant has both dine-in and to-go options available. For dine-in, the restaurant will serve a three-course, $79 menu with three seatings at 5, 7, and 9 pm. A $130 take-out for two package offers its own three-course menu as well as a bottle of red, white, or sparkling wine.

Uchi
As a supplement to its omakase to-go offering, diners can add a package that includes 1-ounce of Kaluga Sturgeon (1 oz.) caviar and split bottle (375 mL) of Krug Champagne for $125.

New Year’s Day Brunch Specials

Common Bond
From January 1-3, all Common Bond Bistro locations will offer their weekend brunch menu that includes crispy pork hash, biscuits and gravy, and French toast with bacon. In addition, get $10 mimosa carafes available in traditional, hibiscus, or mango.

Hungry’s & Upstairs Bar and Lounge
The Rice Village mainstay will offer brunch all weekend along with $15 mimosa carafes and $6 Bloody Marys for dine-in and takeout. Brunch kits for four are also available for to-go.

The Original Ninfa’s
Both locations of the Tex-Mex restaurant will serve brunch all weekend with options that include red chile pork pozole and a pomegranate rum spritz ($10).

State Fare
Both locations will be open for brunch from 10 am - 4 pm with complimentary black eyed peas for each table. At-home brunch kits ($50) are also available with 24 hours notice; they include six cathead biscuits, one pound applewood smoked bacon, one pound breakfast sausage, a dozen eggs, one quart white gravy, 2.5-pounds of pancake mix, 4-ounces strawberry jam, 4-ounces of butter, and one pint of syrup.

Weights + Measures
The restaurant’s annual disco brunch features a dj, disco ball, and the staff in their finest disco attire. Served 10 am - 3 pm, the menu offers favorites like fried chicken and French toast, Benedicts, and chilaquiles.