With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, have you made reservations for your favorite San Francisco restaurant? If not, don’t be surprised that many choices are already booked. In fact, if you check an online reservation system like OpenTable, you’ll discover that there is a huge demand for NYE dining. With this in mind, you must act quickly to book a table. Fortunately, some local spots are still accepting reservations.
Where to Dine for NYE in San Francisco
Barcha
28 Fremont St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 957-5463
www.barcha-sf.com
Set in the Financial District, Barcha offers a three-course, $115 prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve. Widely known for its lavish Mediterranean dishes, Barcha will have three options for the first and second courses. For starters, you have choices like Turkish duck manti and Fattoush, which is a fried bread salad. Among the selections for your second course are brazino, a Mediterranean sea bass, and a Moroccan-style lamb shank cooked in a clay pot. As for your dessert, you can decide between sticky toffee pudding or chocolate cake with hazelnut daquoise and more. In addition, you can order specialty drinks, premium beer and wine, and non-alcoholic drinks. Led by proprietor Kais Bouzidi, Barcha is a short walk from the Embarcadero BART station.
Empress by Boon
838 Grant St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 757-0728
www.theempresssf.com
You must act fast if you want to dine at one of Chinatown’s hottest new San Francisco restaurants for New Year’s Eve. That’s because only a few slots remain for dining at this dazzling restaurant led by Michelin Star Chef Ho Chee Boon. At this time, it’s not clear if a special NYE menu will be available. However, the current prix fixe menu at $98 per person has plenty of delicious dishes to savor. For example, you can have chef-specialty dishes like roasted duck, truffle pumpkin puff, steamed shrimp, and squid dumplings.
On the other hand, those items aren’t even your main dishes. Instead, your main dishes are wok-tossed American Wagyu, mushroom noodles, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables. In addition, you can opt for wine pairing or order single drinks from the bar. In more detail, an impressive collection of wines is available, including selections from European wine regions and California wine country. Of course, there are craft cocktails, spirits, and premium coffee and tea. Yet not only is the gourmet Chinese cuisine outstanding, but the service and hospitality are just as good.
Related: Empress by Boon: Michelin-Caliber Dining In Chinatown
Fairmont Hotel San Francisco
950 Mason St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 772-5000
www.fairmont-san-francisco.com
One of the hottest local spots for New Year’s Eve dining is the Fairmont San Francisco atop Nob Hill. However, it would be best not to waste time making reservations to dine at the hotel’s famous Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar. That’s because, like its Christmas buffets, it may sell out well in advance. For New Year’s Eve, you can also enjoy a family-style dinner for $139 for adults and $89 for children under 12. Fortunately, many time slots are still available; therefore, the Fairmont is one of your best choices. If that’s not enough, you can make first-seating dinner reservations at the iconic Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar instead. But in this case, you’ll have fewer reservation options.
Greens
2 Marina Blvd.
Fort Mason Building A
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 771-6222
www.greensrestaurant.com
Longtime San Francisco favorite Greens Restaurant will be very popular for New Year’s Eve dinners. After all, it’s one of the most famous vegetarian restaurants in America and has sweeping bay views, even at night. Now led by Chef Katie Reicher, Greens hasn’t made an NYE menu available online. However, its December 2022 menu is full of excellent and, of course, healthy options. You can have small plates like grilled polenta ($17) or roasted carrot hummus ($16). As for your first course, your options include masala kadai griddle cakes ($16), Green Gulch baby lettuces ($18), or curried cauliflower salad ($18). Finally, you have several main course selections, like grilled cabbage shawarma ($28) or gormeh sabzi ($31). To accompany your holiday dinner is a great wine list, beer and cider, tea, and more.
Related: Greens Restaurant Summer Dinner Series Highlights
Mathilde French Bistro
315 Fifth St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 546-6128
www.mathildesf.com
If you’re hoping to try a different San Francisco restaurant for a New Year’s Eve dinner, why not Mathilde? A classic French bistro set in SoMA, Mathilde is led by Lina Yew and her husband, Thierry Clement. While no special NYE menu is available, you will have no problem finding a selection you like. Most significantly, house specialties like braised lamb shank and 7-hour slow-cooked duck confit are included. Likewise, you may like coq au vin ($25), pan-seared Chilean sea bass ($36), or black Angus hanger steak ($30). There are also additional dishes, such as fried Brussels sprouts, sauteed butter spinach, and mixed mushrooms and truffle oil. To conclude your French dining experience, order the dark chocolate mousse, caramelized apple tarte tatin, profiterole, or floating island. Lina and Thierry are also the proprietors of L’ardoise French Bistro on Noe Street, where Thierry serves as the executive chef.
O’ By Claude Le Tohic
ONE65
165 O’Farrell St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 814-8888
www.one65sf.com
One of the most unique dining experiences in San Francisco for New Year’s Eve is ONE65. After all, this fabulous French restaurant occupies six levels and is led by Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning Chef Claude Le Tohic. Chef Le Tohic offers a grand dinner at his Michelin restaurant O’ for New Year’s Eve. If you go, your menu items include Ossetra caviar, tuber melanosporum (black) truffle, and lobster with Coraline broth. This exclusive menu complements your choice between a duo of Guinea hen and foie or Hokkaido Wagyu ribeye. That’s not to mention desserts like Mont Blanc and delectable sweets from a mignardises cart. NYE dining at O’ by Claude Le Tohic is $350, while standard or grand pairings are $150 or $350, respectively. The restaurant’s Elements bar is also open for NYE dining, although ONE65 Bistro & Grill will reopen next year.
Related: A Look At ONE65 Restaurant
PABU Izakaya
101 California St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
www.michaelmina.net/pabu
Over in the Financial District, PABU Izakaya offers an NYE omakase for $150 per person and a sake pairing for $90. If you visit for New Year’s, you’ll be treated to a seven-course menu crafted by Chef Keita Tominaga. In more detail, these courses include Kushi oyster with optional golden Ossetra caviar, bluefish tuna and king salmon tartar, and dry-aged rib eye. That’s coupled with nigiri sushi selections like bluefin tuna, snow crab, and ocean trout. For dessert, you must make room for an irresistible Toki butterscotch panna cotta. A popular FiDi spot since its opening, PABU was founded by Michelin Star Chef Michael Mina and the late Ken Tominaga.
Palm Court at RH
590 20th St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 865-0407
www.rh.com/sanfrancisco/restaurant
Yet another unique New Year’s Eve dining experience is the Palm Court at RH. Furthermore, if you’re unfamiliar with this stunning new San Francisco restaurant, please look closer. Located in the historic Bethlehem Steel building at Pier 70, it’s part of the high-end hardware store RH. A live fire concept, Palm Court has an immaculate setting punctuated with a breathtaking atrium. For your New Year’s Eve dinner consideration, you’ll experience Michelin-caliber dishes. For instance, your options include Ossetra caviar, Wagyu ribeye ($110), and brazino ($52). That’s not to say nothing of vegetarian options like cauliflower steak ($28) and maitake mushroom ($30). Equally important are your dessert and beverage choices, including several European and California Wine Country labels. Valet parking is available at this incredible new establishment that opened in May.
Spruce
3640 Sacramento St.
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 931-5100
www.sprucesf.com
If you desire Michelin Star dining, Spruce offers a lavish New Year’s Eve menu for $225. Set in Presidio Heights, Spruce is acclaimed for its California cuisine, wine, and exceptional hospitality. You can expect a similar experience while enjoying its four-course and award-winning wine menu. In the first place, you have chilled Maine lobster salad followed by carne crudo with white Alba truffle. Equally important are your entrée options, such as winter vegetable Jardiniere or pan-roasted Dover sole. In addition, you can also try Chef Mark Sullivan’s A5 Wagyu New York steak for a $50 supplement. As for desserts, you can ask for a chocolate truffle tart or pistachio cake with blood orange champagne sorbet. Of course, you can also order drinks, including its Wine Spectator Grand Award wine list.
Zingari Ristorante
501 Post St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 885-8850
www.zingari.com
If you love jazz and Italian cuisine, what could be better for a New Year’s Eve restaurant than Zingari? Just minutes from Union Square, Zingari offers a $125 three-course menu, with the last seating at 10 p.m. If you want to stay to ring in the New Year, you can book live music seating in the Piano Room for an additional $50. As for the New Year’s Eve restaurant menu, you have several choices for each course. For example, among your appetizers are bruschetta con prosciutto, crostini con formaggio and prosciutto e burrata. Next, you must choose your main course, with items like spaghetti pomodoro, fettucine, all Zingara, and agnolotti. To top off your festive meal, you have dessert choices like cheesecake and Italian delicacies like tiramisu and panna cotta. Located inside the four-star Donatello Hotel, Zingari is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco for New Year’s Eve.
Related: Best NYE Parties In San Francisco
About The Author
Randy Yagi is an award-winning freelance writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, NBC.com, NJ.com, and Radio.com. He earned a Media Fellowship from Stanford University in 2012.