We don’t know how we’re already in the holiday season, but here we are as we all begin to think about the Ball Drop, wherever you’ll be celebrating this year! These last few weeks are filled with a lot of activity and our gift to you is highlighting some great options that you can enjoy. Make sure that you check back as we will continue to add restaurants of note here in NYC as well as outside of it that are perfect for your Christmas Day, New Years Eve and even New Years Day plans! If you want to know more, make sure that you visit each restaurant either online or via their IG to see about their availability.
PHOTO CREDIT | Hortus NYC
HORTUS
For those who may be looking to dine in the NoMad where there’s so much do to this holiday season, as well as for those who enjoy Asian cuisine, Hortus NYC is the ideal dining destination for Christmas and New Year’s Eve plans. We covered Athleisure Mag back in our OCT ISSUE #94.
Diners can choose menu options a la carte or from Hortus NYC’s Christmas and New Year's Eve prix-fixe menu, served for both lunch and dinner.
The celebratory prix-fixe menu highlights the HORTUS Royal Platter, consisting of chilled lobster tail, tuna tataki, and shrimp cocktail, as well as the Truffle Ribeye-Cap with black bean puree, portobello mushroom, and pickled red cabbage.
Diners also have the option to choose one appetizer, including fan-favorite King Crab Noodle, fettuccine with mala cream sauce, shallot, and scallion, along with one entrée, like Truffle Donabe with wild mushrooms, cured egg yolk, and black truffle or the Korean BBQ Feast featuring prime center ribeye, smoked duck, broiled lobster tail with house-made ssamjang and special sides.
A special Christmas and New Year’s Eve dessert will be served, with the option to have an accompanied wine pairing.
The prix-fixe menu will be served on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, as well as New Year’s Eve. Hortus NYC will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., and dinner from 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Hortus NYC
271 5th Ave Store
New York, NY 10016
IG @hortusnyc
PHOTO CREDIT | Sagaponack
SAGAPONACK
For seafood lovers, Sagaponack, situated in the fashionable Flatiron District is a standout dining destination this New Year’s Eve. We had the pleasure of interviewing them in our feature, The Art of the Snack in our OCT ISSUE #94.
Sagaponack will serve a prix-fixe 4-course curated tasting menu by Executive Chef Phil Choy, coined the Salt Bake Special.
The first of 4 courses will be a Fluke Tartare topped with coconut, Marcona almonds, and tobiko, drizzled tableside with a sauce crafted from cucumber, cilantro oil, chili oil, and lime, followed by a Coconut Squash Soup with ginger coconut cream, pumpkin seeds, and aleppo pepper, a gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan option.
The main course will be a Salt Baked Black Bass, wrapped in banana leaf and marinated in lemongrass, Thai chili, shallot, garlic, ginger, and lime zest. Accompanying the bass will be a Thai Red Coconut Curry, made from baby bokchoy, roasted cauliflower, and fingerling potatoes, as well as Crab Fried Rice with lump crab, ginger garlic shallot confit, chili jam, and crispy garlic.
Dessert, to start the New Year’s off sweet, a Thai Milk Cake with cinnamon, pecan, and mango.
The curated New Year’s Eve menu will be served from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
SAGAPONACK
4 W 22nd St
New York, NY 10010
IG @sagavibes
PHOTO CREDIT | Dressed East Coast Oysters at Blu on the Hudson
BLU ON THE HUDSON
For those who may not be familiar with NY, many times, it’s fun to head out to New Jersey where you have epic views of the Manhattan skyline while having an upscale meal at a high-end restaurant! Within 5 minutes, you can take the ferry and have an amazing evening. Blu on the Hudson is a chicly designed, 30,000-square-foot, modern American restaurant with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline in Weehawken, New Jersey and a picturesque six-minute NY Waterway ferry ride from Manhattan. The restaurant offers a bold seafood-centric menu accented by a top-flight steak program, homemade pasta, a one-of-a-kind cocktail program, and a soon-to-come rooftop event space.
Christmas Eve
A La Carte Dinner Menu All-Day
Some brunch items will be offered between 1-3 p.m.
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Four Course Dinner for Two: $150 per person (Pre-Reserved Only)
Availed starting at 4:45 p.m.
Hours of operation: 1-9:45 p.m.
New Year’s EvE
Highlights include food stations, a live DJ, sparklers, stand-out Instagrammable cocktails, good vibes, and a champagne toast with screening as the ball drops at midnight.
Tickets will be offered in two tiers, which are as follows:
Tables
$500/ticket
Includes: three-course dinner, open bar, food stations and more
Available for 2-8 people
Entry Time: 8 p.m.
GA
$300/ticket
Includes: open bar and passed hors d’oeuvres
Does not guarantee seating; high-tops will be available on first come first serve basis
Entry Time: 9:30 p.m.
GA tickets are sold via Eventbrite and OpenTable, Table tickets are sold via OpenTable.
BLU ON THE HUDSON
1200 Harbor Blvd
Weehawken, NJ 07086
PHOTO CREDIT | Pernil Pork Shank at Son Cubano
SON CUBANO
Son Cubano, a modern Cuban cuisine in West New York, New Jersey is adjacent to the BLU ON THE HUDSON. It has the most breathtaking, unobstructed, pristine views of the Manhattan skyline that spans from the Upper West Side to the Liberty Tower. The restaurant emits a vibrant ambiance with authentic Cuban dishes and a fusion of Latin flavors with dazzling cocktails and live entertainment.
Christmas Eve
A La Carte Dinner Menu All-Day
Hours of Operation: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Christmas Day
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12-3 p.m.
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
4-8:45 p.m.
New Year’s Eve
Early Dinner: A La Carte Menu
4-6 p.m.
Late Dinner and Party: 3-course Prix Fixe Menu
Highlights include a live DJ, entertainment, specialty cocktails and VIP Bottle Service.
9 p.m.-closing
No Dining Limit
$150 Havana Room
$200 Vista
$250 Vista VIP
NYE Party Tickets (Bar Only)
10:30 p.m.
Tickets $75, Early Bird $50
New Year’s Day
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12-3 p.m. Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Dinner A La Carte Menu
4-8:45 p.m.
SON CUBANO
40-4 Riverwalk Pl
West New York, NJ 07093
IG @soncubanonj
VENTANAS
VENTANAS is a Modern American, Latin, and Asian fusion restaurant and lounge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, minutes away from the George Washington Bridge. The restaurant offers a prolific menu of land and sea options, as well as an award-winning wine list and cocktail program, accompanied by live entertainment and a bustling nightlife scene.
Christmas Eve
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Christmas Day
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
New Year’s Eve
Brunch: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dinner: 4-course Prix-Fixe Menu
Served: 4:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Early Seating: 4 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
$95 Prix-Fixe Menu
Second Seating: 9 p.m. – 10:15 p.m.
Second Seating: 9pm - 10:15pm
$195 Prix-Fixe Menu, including a champagne toast and entry to the masquerade ball
Final Seating: 10:30 p.m. – Close
$225 Prix-Fixe Menu, including a champagne toast and bottle service, as well as entry to the masquerade ball
Masquerade Ball
Hours of Operation: 10 p.m. – Late
Highlights include a Live DJ, Party Entertainment, VIP Bottle Service, and Live Performances
NYE Party Tickets (Masquerade Ball only)
$50 Early Bird until 12/10
$75 from 12/10 – 12/31
New Year’s Day
Dinner: A La Carte Menu
Hours of Operation: 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
VENTANAS
200 Park Ave
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
PHOTO COURTESY | Halifax Hoboken @ W Hotels Hoboken
Halifax Hoboken @ W Hotels Hoboken
We covered Halifax Hoboken at the W Hotel in Hoboken earlier this year in our feature Athleisure List in the AUG ISSUE #92. Yet another eatery that had epic views of NYC while being located in Hoboken, NJ. Their New Year’s Eve will be a culinary feast - with a seven piece band for the late sitting! Halifax Hoboken’s New Year’s Eve celebrations and menus showcase an array of delectable dishes crafted by Chef Seadon Shouse and Pastry Chef Joshua Coleman for 2 seatings.
For those who want to make it a getaway, consider a stay at the W Hotel. The second seating is $254 all-inclusive (tax and tip) and features a 7-piece live band by GROOVE. You can reserve your spot here.
New Year’s Eve Details:
What: New Year’s Eve
Where: Halifax Hoboken
When: December 31st, 2023
Cost: first seating a la cart. Second seating $254 pp
Includes: 4 hours premium bar, raw bar, hors d’ouvres, charcuterie & cheese, carving station, caviar, seven-piece live band by GROOVE
Time:
First seating: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - A La Carte
Choice of starters: clam chowder, poached pear salad, fritto misto, maine mussells, lamb meatballs, black sea bass tartar. Main course: squash agnolotti, saffron rigatoni, pan seared salmon, NJ Sea Scallops, Smoked Amish Chicken, Prime New York Strip, or Bone in Beef Shortribs. Choice of dessert.
Event starts at 9:30 PM - 1:30 am - Prixe Fix $254 pp all inclusive (tax and tip)
Stations 9:30-11:30: Charcuterie & Cheese (housemade and artisinal), NJ Clams, Maine Mussels on the Half Shell, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Claws.
Passed Hors D'ouvres 9:30-11: Tuna tartar panu puri, Caviar potato chips, Foie Gras Terrine, Risotto Balls.
Stations 10-11:30:
Carving station: with in-house dry-aged striploin with demi glace, butter roasted maine lobster tails, salmon roulade with shellfish mousse & lobster cream, truffle mash potato, fresh dinner rolls, squash salad.
Pasta station: Seafood risotto with scallops, shrimp, crab, clams, tomato, fresh orechiette pasta bolognese.
Slider & Flatbread: Halifax beef slider, crispy chicken slider, truffle mushroom fontina flatbread, squash and duck confit flatbread.
Dessert 10-12 am: Assorted mini desserts.
HALIFAX HOBOKEN @ W HOTEL HOboken
225 River St
Hoboken, NJ 07030
PHOTO CREDIT | Cochinita Pibil at Casa Bond
CASA BOND
This Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, lovers of Mexican cuisine can enjoy refined Mexican fare at Casa Bond, a new, hot dining destination on the Bowery.
On Christmas Eve, Casa Bond will be open from 5 pm to 10 pm.
On New Year’s Eve, Casa Bond will have a DJ, party favors, and a Champagne toast at midnight. Casa Bond will offer their regular a-la-carte menu from 5 pm to 8 pm, then transition to two formal seatings for the prix fixe menu, offering seatings at 8 pm and 10 pm. The party will continue into the night after the midnight toast, and Casa Bond will close at 2 am.
CASA BOND
334 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
PHOTO CREDIT |Beets at Restaurant Yuu
RESTAURANT YUU
Restaurant Yuu, who was recently awarded one-Michelin Star, is the only new Brooklyn restaurant to receive a star. For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve, Chef Yuu will showcase tasting menu, about 15 courses, which highlights a Wagyu Fillet Wellington with a layer of minced Wagyu with mushrooms, a layer of foie gras and a later of Wagyu filet, all wrapped in spinach and baked in a pie crust, served with Sauce Périgueux, a sauce made with red and port wine. We shared more about them in our feature Athleisure List in the JUN ISSUE #90.
Optional wine and tea pairings to the tasting menu are also available.
Executive Chef/Owner Yuu Shimano is a creative powerhouse and consistently showcases seasonal produce and proteins at the height of their seasonality, presented artistically with inventive French and Japanese flavor combinations through the lens of his vast fine dining experience.
In addition to its regular offerings, courses from the tasting menu include, but are not limited to are:
Consomme
King crab with celeriac and citrus
Uni
Langoustine
Abalone
Filets de Poisson en Écailles Croustillantes (Fish Filets with Potato Skin) using amadai fish
Abalone risotto
Strawberry dessert
Seating times are at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with 18 guests each. Reservations are available on Tock.
Restaurant Yuu is also offering stollen (“Christmas specialties like fruitcake and panettone”) which is available until Christmas Day.
RESTAURANT YUU
55 Nassau Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222
PHOTO CREDIT | Silver Cod Steaks at Chef Guo
CHEF GUO
Offering a regal dining experience this holiday, Chef Guo, takes diners on a cultural culinary journey. Chef Guo inflects his expertise on traditional Chinese dishes modernizing them and creating a healthier, more nutritious version, using organic and daily sourced ingredients.
Situated discreetly in the Randolph House luxury residences, diners are greeted by a server dressed in a traditional red robe and are transported to an intimate dining room that resembles an imperial courtyard.
The dining room accommodates just 10 for each seating, and the servers take their time to carefully explain each dish, its ingredients, and the story behind its invention, creating the atmosphere of a private dinner party.
The menu offers an exceptional 19-course Imperial Chinese Tasting Menu that features innovative dishes crafted for each seating.
Chef Guo has reservations for its 19-course Imperial Chinese Tasting Menu available, with exclusive seatings at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Years Day.
You can book your reservations here and see their full menu here.
CHEF GUO
135 E 50th St
New York, NY 10022
PHOTO CREDIT | Kintsugi
KINTSUGI OMAKASE
Kintsugi Omakase, an understated, fashionable sushi atelier that is tucked away in Soho, will be offering a one-of-a-kind Normandin-Mercier Christmas Cognac, which dates back to 1876, for the holidays. Edouard Normandin reserves one barrel for this special Christmas Cognac and produces 250 bottles each year. For more information on this very exclusive cognac, please visit the website here. The cognac will be served at $28 per glass.
For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, Kintsugi Omakase, small jewel box sushi counter, will be serving two tiers of omakase:
Kintsugi Experience: 20-courses for $195
Soho Experience: 17-courses for $155
The tasting also includes a sushi chef’s choice of handroll, gourmet miso soup, tamago and a seasonal dessert. Executive Chef Victor Chen (formerly of New York Sushi Ko) creates imaginative starters with exciting flavor combinations and uses locally sourced fish, enabling for a broader selection.
Another holiday special being offered is a Winter Beverage pairing for $85 per person that features a five-glass paring of new sake and wine, which will rotate weekly.
Seating times are at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
KINTSUGI OMAKASE
28 Grand St
New York, NY 10013
IG @kintsuginyc
PHOTO CREDIT | Tsubame
TSUBAME
Tsubame, the Tribeca-based Kaiseki-inspired omakase from Michelin-recognized Executive Chef Jay Zheng, will be open to ring in the New Year.
Far from your typical omakase experience, Chef Zheng creates masterfully plated Japanese dishes derived from ultra-seasonal ingredients and fish sourced from Japan. Central to Chef Zheng's preparation is the rich culinary concept of Shun, the use of ingredients at their peak seasonal freshness, allowing each dish to be both the best-tasting and most visually appealing.
In a succession of 8 courses, Sakizuke – the amuse bouche – launches the meal. Chef Zheng’s Shiroebi Uni Shokupan is a big opener, housemade milk bread layered raw baby shrimp from Toyama and vivid uni from Hokkaido, garnished with shiso flowers. Luxuriously creative, it sets a tone for the meal that follows.
Another highlight of the Chef’s curated menu is the Futamono (lidded dish) an A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Shabu Shabu with udon made of pressed sawara (Spanish mackerel), in awase dashi, a tribute to the Chef’s family fish noodle. It is accompanied by a jidori egg in sweet shoyu (soy sauce) for dipping.
Tsubame is open on New Year’s Eve with two seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
TSUBAME
11 Park Pl
New York, NY 10007
IG @tsubameny
PHOTO CREDIT | Bohemien Bar
BOHEMIEN BAR
As the festive month of December is in full swing, Bohemien Bar, the chic cocktail bar in Brooklyn Heights, is employing a “12 Days of Christmas” themed happy hour from 5-7 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays throughout the entire month of December. The happy hour will feature their Holiday Cocktails, as well as their Cheese and Vegetable offerings especially priced at $12, to commemorate the popular “12 Days of Christmas” holiday song.
Bohemien Bar, outfitted with cheerful holiday décor for the season, has a lineup of winter-themed cocktails, including, but not limited to:
O Sanctissima intricately blends Tequila, spiced cider, vanilla, lemon juice, and dehydrated carrots, served in a cute snowman mug.
Dulce Besos, served in a fun gingerbread man mug, is a hot-chocolate-based drink with mezcal, Madeira, cayenne powder, and toasted marshmallow.
New Order presented in a festive Christmas tree, mixes gin, apple brandy, quince, ginger, lime, and juniper smoke.
The Cheese selection highlights the Baked Brie with herbs de Provence, while Beet Dip with Labneh and Walnuts and Crispy Zucchini with smoked paprika aioli showcase the Vegetable section.
Bohemien Bar’s “12 Days of Christmas Happy Hour” is a get-away for all weary shoppers and those seeking to relax after a day of taking out-of-town friends and family holiday sightseeing.
BOHEMIEN BAR
97 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11201
IG @bohemienbar
PHOTO CREDIT | Li-Lac Chocolates
LI-LAC CHOCOLATES
New York’s iconic Li-Lac Chocolates, is celebrating its 100th Anniversary and has been enjoyed by generations of locals, tourists and celebrities including Martha Stewart, Andy Cohen and Emma Stone among others. Manhattan’s oldest chocolate house, Li-Lac, has remained true to its tradition maintaining the same single-minded focus on product quality. Its confections are handmade daily in its Brooklyn Factory using many of the original techniques and equipment from 1923.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, Li-Lac Chocolates makes for the perfect gift idea. They have a broad selection of specialty molds and gifts, now offering more than 120 items making it one of the largest selections of gourmet chocolates in the world.
A few gift options, but are not limited to, include:
Christmas: Spectacular Christmas Basket: assortment of 12 gifts
Limited-Edition Vintage Recipe Gift Box: 1/2 lb. each of four original recipes created by our founder in 1923 (A special box created for its centennial celebration)
Chanukah: Treasure Chest Filled with Gelt: approx. 20 pieces of Gelt
New Years: Giant Champagne Bottle: 32’’ tall and weighs approx. 11 lbs
For those looking for an impressive business gift or a present for your special someone, Li-Lac allows you to create and customize your own chocolate mold here. To view a variety of gift boxes and baskets for any occasion, click here.
Store locations: Industry City/Brooklyn, Greenwich Village, Bleecker Street, Chelsea Market, Hudson Yards and Grand Central Market.
Ships: via FedEx in the United States and Canada.
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