BG at Nerano. Photo credit: Wonho Photo.
2023 is right around the corner. Whether you feel like a cover-free party at a New Orleans-style bar, a multi-course feast at a special restaurant, joining a rooftop disco party with tarot readings and a drag show, going to a burlesque dinner, or shaking your thing at a whimsical Downtown bar’s dance party, here are a few ideas on where to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2023 in Los Angeles.
Ring in the New Year at 1933 Group’s Sassafras Saloon – with live music and no cover charge! Located a bit off of Hollywood’s beaten path, on Vine St. near Fountain Ave., this New Orleans- and Wild West-inspired bar has well-crafted cocktails and atmosphere to spare. Doors open at 7 p.m., Top Shelf Brass Band hits the Sassafras stage at 10 p.m., and there’s a champagne toast at midnight.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a dance party at Lilly Rose, the whimsical underground bar at Wayfarer DTLA. A complimentary photo booth opens at 8 p.m., while DJ Tomas Moves spins disco/deep house/afrobeat (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.) and DJ Libra plays disco/new wave/soul & hip hop from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Ring in 2023 with 2 drink tickets and tray-passed apps from 8 to 10 p.m. Until midnight, VIP ticket holders will also enjoy an open bar, which includes Helix Vodka, Beefeater Gin, Cruzan Rum, El Jimador Blanco Tequila, Legent Bourbon, Maker’s Mark, Rosaluna Mezcal, Monkey Shoulder Scotch, Beer, Wine, and Non-Alcoholic Beverages. Tickets can be purchased here.
Put on your most glam attire and head to MAMA Shelter for MAMA’s Disco Ball NYE Party! Come experience live magic, tarot readings, burlesque dancers, DJs, a photo booth, a drag show, disco balls, special prize giveaways, champagne towers, a midnight Prosecco toast, and more. There’s an open bar from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and food will be served from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. You can purchase tickets here.
Head to Lady Bird Cafe in Echo Park for a special New Year’s Eve dinner with an esteemed guest chef, Chef Gabriel Cappelli of New Haven, Connecticut. A graduate of The French Culinary Institute in New York, Chef Gabriel has lived in LA for the last 11 years, opening restaurants and creating dining events. His farm-to-table cooking style includes flavors from Persian and southern Italian cuisine as inspired by his Sicilian-American mother, who grew up in pre-revolution Iran. This specially curated, one-night-only menu includes appetizer, entree, and dessert, plus optional wine pairing. Tickets to this uniquely LA experience start at $68 per person, while wine pairings start at $90. For more information, click here.
Like the idea of spending New Year’s Eve on the largest rooftop in Hollywood? Then the NYE celebration at the Godfrey Hotel‘s I|O Rooftop is for you. You’ll want to dress up – black and gold is the theme. DJ duo Red Cup Nation will spin live from the rooftop. All attendees will enjoy food stations, great views, and party favors. Buy the Open Bar package for open-bar access from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Take in expansive views of Hollywood and LA and watch the countdown to midnight on a 70-foot projector screen. Tickets can be bought here.
Lilly Rose at Wayfarer DTLA. Photo credit: Frank Wonho.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve while savoring an eight-course modern Korean feast at Kinn, K-Town’s first (and so far only) fine-dining restaurant. The special menu for Chef Ki Kim’s reimagined Korean feast includes Duck Liver Mousse, Cranberry Gelee, Brioche Toast; Caviar, Squash Ice Cream, and Chungju Rice Wine; Hen of the Woods & Sea Urchin, Butter Poached Lobster, Crispy Tilefish, Roasted Lamb Chop, Truffle Barley Rice, and Bourbon Tres Leches Cake. This lavish dinner is $175, and you can make your reservation via Resy.
Known for unique, innovative Japanese cuisine, n/soto is offering a New Year’s Eve 6-course set menu which will include zensai (appetizer which will include traditional osechi items), sashimi, yakimono (grilled item), chawanmushi, chirashi, plus your choice of dessert for $125. The regular a la carte menu will also be available.To reserve, email info@n-soto.com.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with elevated seafood at Connie & Ted’s. Share a lobster pot pie or savor the whole thing yourself – this special item is only available at the holidays. Made up of Maine Lobster, delicata squash, english peas, mushrooms, pearl onions, and a housemade buttery pie crust, this decadent pie is $48 and available for both dine-in and takeout. Other dine-in specialties include Black Truffle Pasta, Oysters with Caviar Supplement, Big Eye Tuna Tartare served with caviar, crème fraiche and chives, and Nancy’s Scallops served with parsnip and a caviar/champagne Beurre Blanc. Reservations can me made on Open Table.
Rancho Cucamonga’s Punch Bowl Social is throwing a NYE celebration. Enjoy a live DJ playing classics and contemporary songs, along with a photo booth. VIP ticket holders will also enjoy light bites, a midnight toast, a sectioned-off venue space, and free activities and games (may include Ping Pong, Giant Scrabble, Foosball, arcade games, bowling, and karaoke — time limitations may apply). While you’re there, you might want to visit The Agave Room, a mezcal and tequila lounge with a 100-bottle collection of agave-based spirits, inventive cocktails, agave flights, and modern interpretations of classic Mexican food. NYE tickets are $10-50 and can be purchased here.
In the South, black-eyed peas and collard greens are symbols of wealth, so it’s fitting that soul food eatery Georgia’s Restaurant is offering a New Year’s Eve Prosperity Meal with black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread. The dishes represent affluence in the form of pennies, dollars and gold. Georgia’s in Anaheim is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, while the Long Beach location opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 8:30 p.m. Get ready for an auspicious 2023 by making your last meal of 2022 one that symbolizes financial abundance. Learn more about Georgia’s here.
Image of The Satin Dollz courtesy of Loews.
Party like it’s 1923 at BG, the secret restaurant with a speakeasy vibe located upstairs from Nerano in Beverly Hills. Ring in the New Year at a special New Year’s Eve Burlesque Dinner featuring burlesque luminary Miss Marquez. Miss Marquez is known for sultry performances and residencies at Three Clubs, No Vacancy, Apotheke, and La Descarga. Enjoy Italian-American cuisine from Executive Chef Michele Lisi, craft cocktails created by Bar Director Jacki Smith (Pour Vous, Harvard & Stone, Black Rabbit Rose), and a wine list curated by Wine Director David Gary (Cecconi’s, Four Seasons Hotel LA at Beverly Hills). To make reservations, call 424.332.0439 or click here.
Savor a stylish New Year’s Eve at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel during the Westside Winter Wonderland NYE Ball. See the internationally acclaimed Satin Dollz, known for their ‘40s pinup style and tap dancing, perform songs from the ‘20s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. DJ L.I.T. Cullen will spin tunes on the ocean view pool deck. You’ll also find specialty-themed cocktails, indoor and outdoor dance floors, VIP fire pit tables, party favors, a photo booth, and a countdown with a complimentary champagne toast at Midnight. You can buy tickets here.
Want to get out of town for New Year’s Eve? Take a short drive south for “Dine & Dazzle” at the JW Marriott Anaheim. This refined overnight getaway includes a 4-course dinner at Tocca Ferro, a stay in luxurious accommodations, admission to the Executive Lounge to experience “Champagne Around The World” featuring unlimited sparkling wine from 4 regions around the world, along with breakfast and Bloody Mary’s on New Year’s Day (from 9 a.m. to noon). The package also includes late check out, at 2 p.m.
Burbank’s gorgeous Castaway restaurant is hosting its own festive New Year’s Eve celebration with sky-high views of fireworks! Two dinner settings — one at 6:30 p.m. and the other at 9:30 p.m. — will include a five-course meal, a glass of champagne for each guest, and entertainment. Dinner includes Roasted Butterfish or Sher Wagyu “Silver Label” New York Strip, squid ink pasta, and a dessert tower featuring Creme Brulee, Key Lime Pie, Dulce de Leche Cream Puffs, Lava Cake, and more. Tickets are $150 to $180, and more info can be found here.
Lido di Manhattan is a lively California-Italian restaurant. This New Year’s Eve, the Manhattan Beach eatery will host three dinner seatings, the first at 5 pm and the last at 9:30 pm. The later seatings include a three-course dinner, dancing, and a champagne toast. You can find more details on Lido’s Instagram or Facebook page.
Make merry on NYE with a party at Beach + Brew in Venice. This self-pour taproom offers 40 beer and wine taps, along with food and cocktails. You’ll also enjoy a DJ from 9 p.m. to close and a free glass of bubbly at midnight. Food is served till 10 p.m., while the bar will be open till 1 a.m. Learn more about Beach + Brew here.
