Haven’t locked down your New Year’s Eve plans yet? We’ve got some ideas for you.
If you’re looking to take a break from the party scene or just need a good meal to line your stomach before the party, there are plenty of local restaurants with reservations still available to help you ring in 2023.
Here are eight spots in and around Denver where you can dine and celebrate before the ball drops.
The Fort
Usher in 2023 with cannon firings and tomahawk sabrage at The Fort this New Year’s Eve. For $72 a person, guests can feast on a three-course menu with grilled buffalo filet and baked Maine lobster tail, plus a Negrita served in an edible chocolate tulip cup for dessert. (If you hadn’t heard, the nearly 60-year-old, Western-themed restaurant is known for serving world leaders and presidents.) Make reservations at 303-697-4771 or visit thefort.com. 19192 CO-8, Morrison
Stella Cucina
If you want to eat at a restaurant where no one else has before, head to Stella Cucina in Boulder. The new Italian restaurant is making its grand debut on New Year’s Eve with a four-course, chef’s tasting menu focused on pasta, of course. Owner Stella Cucina grew up as a dual resident of New York and Rome, and after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2017, she never left and decided to bring her love for Italian culture and food to her college town. Guests also can expect a performance from DJ JackLNDN and dance floor, plus complimentary champagne at midnight, for $165 per person. Reservations are available on OpenTable. 1123 Walnut St., Boulder
Nocturne
Get your jazz hands ready for Nocturne’s seventh annual New Year’s Eve celebration. Enjoy a four-course dinner, with your choice of risotto, duck leg confit or Thai-style rockfish for an entree, and the smooth sounds of Jenna McLean Quintet for $225 per person, which also includes a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets can be purchased at nocturnejazz.com. 1330 27th St., Denver
Bistro Vendome
Celebrate Bistro Vendome’s last night of the year in Larimer Square before its big move to Park Hill next year at the French restaurant’s Réveillon Dinner on New Year’s Eve. The New Orleans tradition, which is typically served after midnight mass, will take place on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Chef Jeremy Wolgamott is preparing a five-course dinner for $75 per person, which includes smoked salmon crostini, a citrus and fennel salad, a cheese plate for the table and duck breast with cherry compote, plus bûche de Noël. Reservations are available at bistrovendome.com. 1420 Larimer St., Denver
OAK at Fourteenth
Inspired by Chef John Bissell’s recent trip to Norway, OAK at Fourteenth in Boulder will be offering a special Scandinavian New Year’s Eve menu. Embody the hygge lifestyle with OAK’s five-course menu focused on foraged ingredients such as preserved ramps, fermented gooseberry, and game like pheasant and venison. Reservations are $85 a person and can be made now on OpenTable. 1400 Pearl St., Boulder
Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar
Get a fresh start to 2023 at Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar with a three-course seafood menu for $85 per person. At all five of Jax’s locations around Colorado, guests can expect three choices for appetizers, like kanpachi crudo; lobster and pumpkin bisque or a harvest salad for the second course; four options for entrees, like a crab-stuffed petrale sole; and key lime pie or bittersweet chocolate crémeux for dessert.
Reservations are available on OpenTable for Jax’s Boulder, LoDo, Fort Collins, Glendale and Colorado Springs locations.
Le Bilboquet
If you’re looking for something fancier this New Year’s Eve, stop by Le Bilboquet in Cherry Creek North, where you can dig into dishes like scallop tartare and beetroot, homemade foie gras terrine with vanilla red wine apple jam, seared turbot or roasted cervena venison tenderloin with truffle tagliatelle pasta. The evening will include two seatings – the first from 5 to 7:45 p.m. for $135 per person and the second from 8 p.m. to midnight for $195 per person. Call the restaurant for reservations, at 303-835-9999. 99 St. Paul St., Denver
The Post Chicken & Beer
For a more casual New Year’s Eve dinner this year, head to any of The Post’s seven locations around town for steamed mussels or a braised bone-in pork shank with king trumpet mushrooms and red wine jus for an entree, plus a blueberry cheesecake jar or a chocolate s’mores pudding jar for dessert. And if you’d rather bring the party to your house, The Post has a Big Love Party Pack with 50 pieces of crispy, gluten-free fried chicken available for takeout. Or shake off your hangover at the Lucky New Year’s Day brunch with a beer flight and Good Luck platter with pulled pork, black eyed peas, collards, and Texas toast and eggs.
Reservations are available on OpenTable for The Post’s Boulder, Fort Collins, Lafayette, Longmont, Estes Park, Rosedale and LoHi locations.