You might have resolved to stay in this year, but—we gotta say it—some of the New Year’s Eve dining options around town are pretty tough to pass up.
As tempting as pajamas and a pizza might be, there’s also the option to treat yourself to an enchanted evening at one of the following local spots—which are all planning prix-fixe menus and special dishes to help diners start 2026 off on a full stomach. (If you’re hoping to keep it casual and pay-as-you-go at a bar or dance party, check out our roundup of NYE bashes, here.)
Alma Cocina Latina: Spend your final night of 2025 indulging in Venezuelan flavors at Alma, which will offer its regular winter dinner menu plus a four-course tasting menu by chef Hector Romero with optional wine pairings. The special meal will include dishes such as oysters with yuzu, citrus, and salmon roe, and beef with white miso and caramelized foie gras.
Neighborhood: Station North
Price: Tasting menu starts at $142.
BLK Swan: Grab a group and dress to the nines for this—fittingly—black-tie affair at BLK Swan in Harbor East. Tiered ticket options offer bar admission or four-course sit-down service. As the clock ticks toward midnight, enjoy entertainment by Will Spence Band and DJ Supream, plus confetti and Champagne.
Neighborhood: Harbor East
Price: $25-195
Cinghiale: If an authentic Italian meal is in order for NYE, secure reservations to enjoy a four-course feast at Cinghiale. There, diners will choose from a selection of antipasti like scallop crudo or lobster arancini before moving on to pasta plates (butternut squash gnocchi, anyone?) a main meat or fish dish, and treats like apple strudel with olive oil ice cream.
Neighborhood: Harbor East
Price: $129
CookHouse: Join chef-owner George Dailey for a four-course dinner with indulgences like seafood cocktail, truffle Parisian gnocchi, classic vol au vent, and Oscar-style Chilean sea bass. End the meal with sticky toffee or chocolate Basque cheesecake.
Neighborhood: Bolton Hill
Price: $160
Gunther & Co: Per tradition, the team at Gunther & Co. is getting festive with a four-course chef’s tasting menu with optional wine, oyster, and shellfish pairings. Celebrate another year gone by with fancy fare such as Thai crab soup, potatoes and caviar, Wagyu beef carpaccio, seared tuna loin, sous vide short rib, and butter-poached lobster pasta. Pretty pastries such as lemon chiffon cake and a chocolate mousse bomb are on deck for dessert.
Neighborhood: Brewers Hill
Price: $150 (not including add-ons)
Hersh’s: This SoBo favorite is going old school for New Year’s. In addition to its signature pastas and Neapolitan pies, expect one-night-only Italian-American specials like antipasti salad and a chicken marsala pizza. Tables are available via Resy.
Neighborhood: Riverside
Price: A la carte
Josefina: Chef David Zamudio (formerly of Alma Cocina Latina) is giving diners a sneak peek of his new spot at Harbor Point with a luxe eight-course dinner on New Year’s Eve. Get started with a select Spanish wine or sherry-driven craft cocktail before digging in to dishes such as octopus carpaccio, braised oxtail dumplings, and seafood rice. Royal rice pudding and churros with chocolate sauce will round everything out.
Neighborhood: Harbor Point
Price: $200
The Owl Bar: This historic watering hole inside the Belvedere Hotel has seen more than 120 New Year’s Eves. Embrace the legacy with a coursed dinner that starts out with a warm goat cheese croquette salad before moving on to entrees like crab cakes with Old Bay aioli, coffee-rubbed filet, chicken a l’orange, or cauliflower steak. After dinner, head into the ballroom for the Champagne countdown. And if you get peckish after the ball drops, the kitchen will be churning out late-night pizzas.
Neighborhood: Mt. Vernon
Price: $85
Rusty Scupper: Dinner at this Inner Harbor stalwart includes a ringside seat to the fireworks at midnight. Before they blast off, fill up on an all-inclusive feast featuring a full-blown raw bar with caviar and oysters; passed bites like mini crab cakes and fried arancini; a carving station; sides like truffle lobster mac and cheese; a sweets spread; and signature cocktails.
Neighborhood: Inner Harbor
Price: $250. Window seats are $275.
Sotto Sopra: Head to this classic cucina for a festive dinner party in a decked-out dining room. Chef specials will be highlighted among regular menu items, including fan-favorites like rack of lamb, seafood risotto, and homemade short rib ravioli in a truffle butter sauce.
Neighborhood: Mt. Vernon
Price: A la carte.
Victoria Gastro Pub: Howard County locals will be happy to hear that this area stalwart is offering an array of chef-driven a la carte specials, as well as caviar service and Veuve Cliquot by the glass. Among the swanky offerings are roasted tomato and burrata, seared seabass with baby kale and candied walnuts, and a raspberry Champagne bomb for dessert.
Neighborhood: Columbia
Price: A la carte.