New Year's Eve in NYC: Where to Book Your Table

In no particular order, here are nine varied NYC New Year’s Eve experiences -- from uptown to midtown to downtown -- that appeal to me. Some are intimate and small, others more formal, Michelin-starred, and a bit bigger. And, for variety, there are a couple of swank hipster dining and drinking venues. Make your reservations now!

Nick &Toni's Cafe: For something cozy and a bit more down-to-earth, the Manhattan outpost of the Hamptons favorite will offer festive a la carte specials in addition to the regular seasonal menu. Starting with an amuse bouche of deviled quail egg with caviar, the special menu features grilled quail with greenmarket pumpkin agrodulce, grilled veal chop with braised cavolo nero, and a New Year’s Champagne mousse tart with Valrhona pearls and blood orange. 100 West 67^th Street, (212) 496-4000

Mulberry Project: This New Year's Eve, Mulberry Project is having a blowout bash with a variety of party options. Celebrate from 9pm-2am with a $65 open bar or class it up and opt for the $85 open Champagne bar. The team at Mulberry Project has also crafted a delicious prix fixe dinner menu featuring pork tenderloin, crispy calamari, fried Brussels sprouts and their special Mulberry mac and cheese for just $45. Table reservations require the purchase of the prix fixe dinner and drink package ($110-$130). Drink and dance into the wee hours, as DJ Justin Dean spins the latest hits all night long. 149 Mulberry Street, (646) 448-4536

Hecho en Dumbo: Brooklyn’s pop-up Mexican restaurant, now located in Manhattan, will feature an unlimited antojitos (“little whims”) dinner with a variety of toppings on house-made corn tortillas, sopes, and tostadas. Along with a Champagne toast at midnight, guests will enjoy mariachi bands and DJ sets from Heroes of the Galeon Trade starting at 10pm. Two price options are featured: dinner for $75 per person, or dinner inclusive of a premium open bar for $175. 354 Bowery, 212-243-7073

Juni: Chef Shaun Hergatt invites you spend New Year’s Eve at his recently opened fine-dining restaurant, Juni, with a five-course tasting menu for $165. A wine pairing option is available for an additional $75. Menu highlights include foie gras with citrus glaze and pain d’epices as well as oxtail with sunchoke and black spice. For the first seating, guests can reserve a table between 5:30-6:45pm which includes your choice of a specialty cocktail. For the second seating, between 9pm and 10pm, guests receive a Champagne toast at midnight. All diners receive a small parting gift bag. Dress code is cocktail attire or optional black tie. 12 East 31^st Street, 212-995-8599

Lincoln Ristorante: Chef Johnathan Benno’s lauded Italian restaurant at Lincoln Center offers a special $95 “Buona Fine e Buon Inizio” (good order and good start) prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve. Both white and black truffles are included in dishes such as Tajarin con Tartufo Bianco: tajarin pasta, chicken sugo, castelmagno cheese, and Alba white truffle; and Capesante e Cotechino: scallop, spiced Umbrian pork sausage, lentils, and black truffle. At the end of the night, guests will greet the New Year with a special Franciacorta toast. 142 West 65^th Street, (212) 359-6500

Smorgas Chef West Village:  The restaurant’s annual New Year’s Eve dinner is a double occasion this year, as it is also Smorgas Chef’s 10^th anniversary. Get ready with your party hat: you can expect a few surprises.  The first seating at 6pm includes a three-course dinner and a welcome glass of Champagne for $65. The second seating at 8:30pm includes a four-course dinner, a Champagne toast, party favors and the ball dropping screening for $110. 283 West 12^th Street, (212) 243-7073

Oceana: The Michelin-starred seafood restaurant will be serving a full a la carte dinner menu as well as Executive Chef Ben Pollinger’s New Year’s Eve specials from 5-11pm. Highlights include East Coast oysters with black truffle Glaçage; Hawaiian walu sashimi with Satsuma mandarins, Thai basil sauce, and coriander; seared turbot and poached lobster with sauce Americaine and asparagus; and seared sturgeon with caviar sauce and roast cauliflower in an herb emulsion. 120 West 49th Street, (212) 759-5941

Beauty and Essex: The ultra-creative "small plates" mecca will be hosting two seatings on December 31.  The regular a la carte menu will be served for parties seated prior to 9pm, perfect for those who wish to ring in the New Year elsewhere. Guests seated beginning at 9pm will be offered a family-style meal for $140 per person and a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight.  The dress code for the evening is "festival" black tie with cocktail attire the look for woman and suit and tie required for men. Rumor has it that a DJ will help you enjoy your party favors even more here. 146 Essex Street, (212) 614-0146

Hospoda: New Year’s Eve marks a very special occasion for Hospoda, the New American beer-Inspired restaurant on the Upper East Side: it’s also Executive Chef Rene Stein’s birthday and the beginning of the restaurant’s third anniversary. To celebrate these milestones while ringing in 2014, Hospoda will display culinary artistry at its finest, offering a 14-course tasting menu that allows guests to experience each of the four seasons through sight, sound, smell and taste; beverage pairings for each course will also invoke the four seasons. Chef Stein will devote a major portion of the evening to preparing courses in front of the diners, transforming a section of the dining room into an interactive kitchen set.  Only 40 seats for the $200 prix fixe event are available. 321 East 73^rd Street, 212-861-1038