where to eat on new year's eve

Where to eat on New Year's Eve: 24 best Houston restaurants and bars for festive feasts

From big parties to intimate dining, restaurants all over Houston offer an array of ways to send 2023 out on a high note and ring in all the best for 2024.

As always, reservations are highly recommended for a stress-free New Year’s Eve feast.

13 Celsius
The wine bar celebrates the changing of the calendar with a special, ticketed, five-course dinner with a 1920s Midnight in Paris theme. Guest chef Daniel Leal collaborates with 13’s chef Joe Apa on a menu featuring items like a morel tart with poached egg paired with 2018 Virna Borgogno nebbiolo Cannubi and brown sugar seared beef steak with a chimichurri butter paired with 2020 Chateau Dame de Montrose St. Estephe. Midnight brings a Champagne toast happens and an anniversary cake to celebrate 13 Celsius’ 17th year in business. The cost is $250 per person. Dinner starts at 8:30 pm. Reserve online.

a'Bouzy
Houston's destination for Champagne-infused dining offers a 'Beau' in the Snow New Year's Eve brunch, featuring a la carte dishes and $49 bottles of Beau Joie Special Cuvée Brut NV. Faux snowfall adds to the festive atmosphere. Reservations recommended. 10 am to 3 pm.

Aiko
The Washington Avenue sushi restaurant has a 17-course New Year’s Eve omakase experience for New Year's Eve. The thoughtfully curated menu features cold and hot dishes, assorted sushi/sashimi courses, and dessert selections from co-chefs Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham. The cost is $200 per person. Reservations are available between available from 5 to 10 pm. Reserve a spot online.

Axelrad
Head to Midtown for the bar's New Year's Eve backyard bash, featuring a DJ and a midnight Champagne toast. It's a chill way to ring in 2024. Noon to Midnight.

Backstreet Cafe
Tucked away in a corner of River Oaks, this cozy classic has a four-course, $79 dinner menu on New Year's Eve, including a sparkling cocktail toast at midnight and live music by Bob Chadwick. The menu includes selections such as lobster chowder, Gulf Coast beignets, chanterelle mushroom risotto, duck confit, red snapper, and hazelnut mousse. Reservations available from 5 to 10 pm.

Bari Ristorante
Dress to impress for this A Night at the Masquerade-themed New Year’s Eve party. Seatings are available at 7 pm and 9:30 pm, and specials will supplement the regular menu. Expect entertainment and a champagne toast at midnight. Black-tie and masks highly encouraged. Reservations strongly recommended.

The Blind Goat
Start your New Year's Eve festivities with brunch at this Spring Branch restaurant. Chef-owner Christine Ha has invited a group of her friends to contribute to a decadent brunch buffet. Participants include James Beard Award winner Tom Cunanan (Soy Pinoy) as well as CultureMap Tastemaker Award winner Gabe Medina (formerly of Click Virtual Food Hall), Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham (Aiko, Handies Douzo, Kokoro), and pastry chef Christina Au (Blacksmith). Priced at $109 per person, brunch is served from 11 am - 3 pm.

Brennan's
The elegant Midtown favorite ushers in the new year with a Texas-Creole bang. Diners can expect a special prix fixe menu, Champagne giveaways, and live music. Seatings are available from 5 to 9:45 pm. For reservations, call 713-522-9711.

Chez Nous
The cozy Humble favorite for French fare hosts a New Year's Eve gala with a four-course, pre-fixe menu. Options include lobster bisque, an Anjou pear and arugula salad, escargots, Dover sole, roasted veal, and a mocha-chocolate-almond opera cake. Seatings are available between 5 and 5:30 pm., 7 and 7:30 pm, and 9:15 and 10:00 pm. The price for the first two seatings is $125 per person; the cost is $150 per person for the final seating. Complimentary Champagne is available throughout the evening, as is complimentary valet parking. Call 281-446-6717 to reserve.

Cocody
The Montrose newcomer offers a five-course menu to ring in the new year. Begin with an amuse bouche, followed by open-faced Dover sole ravioli in sturgeon caviar beurre monté sauce, center-cut beef tenderloin with a cognac morel sauce, a cheese course, and Mandarin crepe log flambéed tableside. $160 per person plus beverages, tax & gratuity. 6 pm to midnight. Reservations required.

Doris Metropolitan
Feel like a super star at this red carpet-style event with DJ Just V, a balloon drop, festive favors, and more. The beats begin at 9 pm, followed by a champagne saber at 11:30, a New Years countdown and complimentary toast, and entertainment until 1 am. Black tie attire is encouraged.

Georgia James
Count down to 2024 with an indulgent four-course prix fixe menu ($150 per person). Selections include an A5 pierogi with crème fraiche and pearl onions, charred chicories with boquerones and preserved lemon, RC Ranch wagyu strip steak paired with bone marrow bordelaise and whipped potatoes or Alaskan halibut with Meyer lemon beurre blanc and king crab salad, and chocolate hazelnut cake. Wine pairings are available for an additional $75. Reservations required.

Heights & Co.
The restaurant's fireside festivities have been wildly popular, so it's no wonder they make an appearance on its New Year's Eve menu. Diners can get a three-course meal with a choice of appetizer and entree, with a s'mores board for dessert ($60 per person). There's a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight, and holiday movies will play all night long. Reserve online.

J-Bar-M Barbecue
The EaDo restaurant hosts a New Year's Eve Whole Hog Party in collaboration with barbecue virtuosos David Dan BBQ and Rosemeyer BBQ. The menu features a whole hog barbecue sandwich, nestled in a pretzel bun and accompanied by black-eyed peas, collard greens, and a Maui Wowie (Hot Hawaiian) sausage link. Tickets are $40 each and the event is limited to 100 guests. 11 am to 4 pm. Reserve online.

La Colombe D'Or
The historic Montrose hotel hosts its first-ever New Year’s Eve Bash, coinciding with the mansion’s Centennial. Enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, cigars and scotch, a DJ, and dancing into 2024. General admission tickets are $195 per person. Add to the festivities by starting the evening at the hotel's restaurant Tonight and Tomorrow, where guests will find a special dinner menu including tableside showpieces like chateaubriand and Crepes Suzette. The cost for dinner and general admission to the evening’s festivities is $289 per person. The cost of dinner only for $125 per person.

Lei Low
The Heights-area tiki bar continues its tradition of transforming itself into another iconic tiki spot for New Year's Eve by paying homage to El Floridita, the rum-soaked Havana hideaway where Hemingway bellied up to the bar. El Floridita favorites will be on the menu, augmenting Lei Low's usual creations. 4 pm to 2 am.

Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette
Ring in the New Year with a three-course wine dinner featuring Duckhorn wines. Choose from a first course of lobster bisque or roasted pear salad paired with Decoy Sauvignon; a second course of lobster tail medallions or Wagyu strip paired with Duckhorn Merlot, and dark chocolate mousse paired with Postmark Cabernet for dessert. The wine dinner is $99 per person.

March
The intimate, 28-seat restaurant pulls out all the stops on New Year's Eve with a six-course dinner augmented with premium wine selections. Expect a menu with dishes including Peperunata, featuring a delicately roasted pepper stuffed with king crab, served with Sicilian pistachio cream, salmoriglio and trout roe, and La Norma, an elegant arrangement of pasta with eggplant, tomato, basil, and ricotta salata stuffed gettoni under a tableside pourover of parmesan brodo. Reservations can be made online.

Mimo
The East End Italian restaurant will serve a four-course, $85 menu ($135 with wine pairings). Dishes include ricotta crostini, lentils with rapini, lasagna (choice of meat or vegetarian), and dessert. Reservations available online.

Nobu Houston
The multi-course omakase menu features a sashimi tasting with king salmon, tuna Yubuki, and Kan Buri pastrami, chef-selected sushi, and entrées like grilled A5 Japanese wagyu, umami snapper tempura, Maine lobster truffle miso, and cherry Baked Alaska. The cost is $200 per person. Find the full menu and reservation details online.

State of Grace
Texas persimmons, pappardelle, and iberico osso bucco are all on the pre-fixe New Year's Eve menu at this River Oaks restaurant. The cost is $145 per person, and an optional $45 or $95 wine pairing will enhance the evening's flavors. The full menu and reservations are available online.

Tony's
One of Houston's most iconic restaurants offers a four-course dinner for New Year's Eve, with a selection of starters, mains, and desserts. A live band adds to the elegance all night long. Reservations are available between 5:30 and 8:45 pm for $115 per person, and from 9:15 pm till the partying stops for $195 per person. A Champagne toast will take place at midnight. Reserve online.

Travelers Table
Global fare features prominently in this four-course pre-fixe menu, with selections such as Viet-Cajun fried oysters, falafel and beet hummus, crab samosas, and crispy pork belly in pasilla sauce. The cost is $95 per person. View the full menu and reserve online.

URBE
Head to Uptown Park for the restaurant's masquerade party, which includes passed bites, Mexican street food stations, a dessert table, cocktails, live DJ, festive décor, and more. Each ticket includes four specialty tequila cocktails (cash bar after) and sparkling toast at midnight. 8:30 pm to midnight. $85 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required.

Woman holding a flute of Champagne at Tony's restaurant

Courtesy of Tony's

Ring in the New Year with a four-course dinner and midnight Champagne toast at Tony's

news-you-can-eat holidays

Where to drink now

CultureMap's 11 favorite new bars that shook up Houston in 2025

Photo by Julie Soefer

Eclectic vintage finds populate the walk-up bar at Augustine Lounge in Hotel Saint Augustine.

This was a standout year for new bars in Houston, with elevated cocktail lounges opening alongside neighborhood hangouts. Whether you’re after a cold beer while watching the Texans on a Heights patio or a tiny martini inside an emerald-green, celestial-inspired hideaway near the Galleria, these 11 openings defined Houston’s bar scene in 2025.

Augustine Lounge
Hotel Saint Augustine has been racking up awards since it opened — receiving a Michelin Key and best new hotel honors from both Esquire and Travel + Leisure. Its bar, Augustine Lounge, matches that acclaim with a focused drinks program featuring highlights like the Coyote Call, a mix of mezcal, port, and Blackstrap rum accented with raspberry, lime, and nutmeg. The food menu leans elevated but unfussy, with offerings such as a charcuterie board with duck prosciutto and a wagyu hot dog tucked into a brioche bun. It also hosts vinyl nights featuring DJ sets from high profile Houstonians. Augustine Lounge is located at 4110 Loretto Drive and open daily from 11 am-12 am.

Bar Doko
Created by Duckstache Hospitality experts (Kokoro, Handies Douzo, Himari, and Aiko) as a companion to its sushi restaurant Doko, Bar Doko has an intimate, 16-seat atmosphere and an extensive selection of Japanese whisky. Small bites shine here, including a masu crudo topped with smoked trout roe and a Jidori egg salad toast. Beverage options range from highballs, martinis, sake, beer, and wine to inventive cocktails like the “Sora” Sky, made with sesame-infused tequila, Maven cold brew, toasted barley, coffee liqueur, and vanilla miso foam. Bar Doko is located at 3737 Cogdell Street, Suite 135, and is open daily from 4 pm-2 am.

Bar Madonna
One doesn’t need a room at the Marlene Inn — a grand neoclassical home turned nine-room hotel — to enjoy this elegant watering hole. Bar Madonna takes its name from a striking, 10-foot painting of the Virgin Mary, relocated from an 18th-century Italian church. Leading the beverage program is Tom Hardy, formerly of Hotel Saint Augustine, whose menu balances Old World influence with New Orleans flair.

This is a seated-only bar, offering 12 interior seats plus additional patio seating, and while reservations aren’t required, they’re often helpful. Signature libations include the Wild Ouest, a tequila-forward blend with poblano, lime, and mezcal inspired by “cowboy boots down the Champs-Élysées.” Bar Madonna is open Monday-Thursday from 3-10 pm, Friday from 3-11 pm, Saturday from 12-11 pm, and Sunday from 12-10 pm.

Berwick’s Bird of Paradise
A tropical escape awaits at Berwick’s Bird of Paradise, created by veteran bartender Robin Berwick of Midtown's beloved Double Trouble. The space was fully renovated to invoke a resort bar attached to an imaginary hotel, complete with playful design touches and a mythical “owner” depicted on the wall. Tropical drinks anchor the menu — think spicy, frozen tequila riffs and a coconut-infused Crocodile Tears Martini — alongside a selection of bar bites like smash burgers, chicken wings, and a Bikini sandwich. Known colloquially as "Be Bop," the bar has quickly attracted locals, industry regulars, and neighbors. Open Tuesday-Thursday from 4 pm-12 am, Friday-Saturday from 3 pm-1 am, and Sunday from 2 pm-10 pm, Berwick’s Bird of Paradise is at 2020 Studewood Street.

Donna’s
The newest cocktail destination on this list, Donna’s quickly built a following after opening Thanksgiving weekend in the former Ready Room space. Named after the grandmother of co-founder Jacki Schromm, the bar is a collaboration between the veteran bartender and Anvil owner Bobby Heugel. Together, the duo aims to create a house-party atmosphere, with energetic weekends balanced by more laid-back weeknights. A vintage stereo system — complete with a reel-to-reel and a turntable — sets the soundtrack, loud enough to entertain but low enough for conversations. The Jacki’s Martini, a 50-50 mix of gin with Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc vermouth, nods to both the “Bobby’s Martini” at Refuge and Squable’s “Terry’s Martini.” Donna's is open daily from 2 pm-2 am at 2626 White Oak Drive.

Endless Bummer
Walk the line between Houston and hell at Endless Bummer, the tiki bar next to Beteleguese Beteleguese’s Montrose location. Skeletons, imps, and tiki idols fill the 50-seat space, turning Endless Bummer into an immersive experience displaying works by local artists. The cocktail menu reimagines tropical standards like daiquiris, mai tais, and punches, while originals include the Banana Hammock — a banana-coffee vodka drink — and the Bitter Bird, made with Jamaican rum, Campari, pineapple, yuzu, and strawberry. Located at 4500 Montrose Boulevard, Endless Bummer is open Wednesday-Sunday, from 5 pm-12 am.

Good God, Nadine’s
Designed to feel like the home of “everyone’s favorite eccentric aunt,” Good God, Nadine’s delivers a warm, casual atmosphere paired with playful, comfort-forward drinks. The Washington Corridor bar offers 17 beers and wines on tap, along with cocktails like the Mango Sticky Rice, made with vodka, coconut milk, mango, and pandan. Food options range from po' boys to cast-iron cornbread and oysters on the half shell. Patrons can choose between three distinct areas: an indoor bar, an air-conditioned patio, and a garden patio. Good God, Nadine’s sits at 33 Waugh Drive, and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 4 pm-12 am, and Sunday from 12 pm-8 pm.

The Kid
With a comfortable bartop, moody-but-visible lighting, and ample seating — The Kid nails the feel of a classic neighborhood hang. Inside, charming baby goat figurines — aka “kids” — peek out from behind chicken wire room dividers, while an astroturfed patio outside offers a prime spot to catch a game. From the team behind Flying Fish, Flying Saucer, and Rodeo Goat, the bar continues the group’s tradition of approachable comfort food, including burgers and loaded tater tots. Drink options include the La Fresita, a refreshing creation of tequila, strawberry, peach, lemon, and prosecco. Happy hour is weekdays from 4 pm-7 pm, with $8 cocktails and wines, plus an all-day happy hour on Tuesdays. Located at 1815 N. Durham Drive, The Kid is open Monday-Thursday, 4 pm-12 am, and Friday and Saturday, 4 pm-2 am.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Eclectic vintage finds populate the walk-up bar at Augustine Lounge in Hotel Saint Augustine.

Moon
Perched above Tavola, Moon is an elegant cocktail lounge inspired by the cosmos. A joint concept from the Bastion Collection — the hospitality group behind Michelin-starred Le Jardinier at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — and Cafe Natalie, Moon’s food options range from a black truffle croque monsieur to the Dark Side of the Moon, a chocolate moelleux with hazelnut crunch. House cocktails like the Nightfall, featuring spiced WhistlePig rye, dark rum, Oloroso sherry, and cherry, sit alongside classics such as French 75s, wines, mocktails, tiny martinis, and shots. For those craving something off-menu, head bartender Joao Diniz is known for crafting bespoke drinks on request. Moon is located at 1800 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 6110, and is open Tuesday-Thursday from 5 pm-12 am, and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm-2 am.

Starduster Lounge
There’s something both nostalgic and timeless about Starduster Lounge, a Heights neighborhood bar that puts a subtle cosmic spin on West Texas style. Will Thomas, co-founder of White Oak Music Hall and owner of Dan Electro’s, teamed up with Benjy Mason of Johnny’s Gold Brick and Winnie’s to transform the nearly 100-year-old building into a charming destination with a rustic yet refined interior of leather, vintage tile, and wood, and a spacious, tree-shaded backyard. The menu is constantly evolving, but standout drinks include the Pecan or Pecan?, with rye, bourbon, and Licor 43. Steak night is on Thursdays, with other food offerings announced via the bar’s Instagram. Happy hour is Monday-Friday, 4 pm-6 pm, with half-off cocktails. Starduster Lounge is located at 3921 N. Main and is open Monday-Friday from 4 pm-2 am, and Saturday and Sunday from 2 pm-2 am.

CultureMap editor Eric Sandler's Honorable Mention: Montrose Grocer
Building on her experience as the owner of Avondale Food & Wine and Heights Grocer, Houston entrepreneur Mary Clarkson opened this wine shop next to Catbirds. What distinguishes it from Heights Grocer is that MG also has a carefully-chosen selection of wines by-the-glass and bottle available for drinking on-site. Paired with snacks in the form of sandwiches and charcuterie boards and enhanced by a soundtrack of 4,000 records, Montrose Grocer has become a popular spot with hospitality workers and wine lovers who appreciate its low key atmosphere and affordable prices. (Full disclosure: Clarkson and Sandler are friends. She is a regular contributor to CultureMap's "What's Eric Eating" podcast.)

cocktails wine where to drink nightlife