From an over-the-top brunch to kick off 2022 in delicious fashion to a Great Gatsby-inspired, dress-to-the-nines party, here are our picks for celebrating New Year’s Eve (and Day) in California.
Lionfish
Ring in the new year and dine in Southern California fashion with a “Surf at Turf” four-course prix-fixe menu at San Diego’s Lionfish. Indulge in a prime rib beef carpaccio and scallop sashimi, followed by a clam “Royal” pasta and duck confit pasta. Finish it off with a sea bass and wagyu striploin, and indulge in a “Creamsicle” Vacherin for dessert. The holiday meal is $121.22 per person, and reservations are recommended.
Hotel del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado, known for its over-the-top holiday décor and offerings, invites revelers to ring in 2022 with a roaring 20’s gala. Visitors will be mesmerized as the iconic Crown Room transforms into a Great Gatsby-themed speakeasy, with dinner and dancing courtesy of a live DJ and The Mighty Untouchables. A midnight Champagne toast and an open bar will have guests clinking cheers all night long. On New Year’s Day, guests can enjoy their first meal of the new year with The Del’s famed brunch.
Harrah’s Resort Southern California
Ring in the new year at Harrah’s Resort Southern California. With plenty of festive décor and Champagne to go around, plus exciting raffle drawings all night long of $500,000, a balloon drop at midnight and dedicated holiday menus, Harrah’s Resort SoCal has it all for every ideal NYE evening.
Kona Kai Resort & Spa
Kona Kai Resort & Spa is hosting a New Year’s Eve event not to be missed: Fly Me To The Moon! The fun-filled evening, taking place from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., will include Rat Pack-era tunes, tray-passed hors d’oeuvres with Champagne cocktails and dancing until midnight. The evening will also feature a six-course menu featuring Dungeness crab, filet mignon, open-faced lobster and shrimp ravioli with a sweet ending. The event is $219 per person or $409 per couple. Tickets are available here.
Rare Society
Trust Restaurant Group’s steakhouse, Rare Society, with locations in Solana Beach and University Heights, offers retro Vegas vibes and New Year’s specials. If an Australian Wagyu Tomahawk sounds like a dish you’d like to eat to ring in 2022, make a reservation at the Solana Beach Location. Looking for a classic Prime Tomahawk? Rare Society in University Heights will be the place to be this New Year’s Eve.
TRUST Restaurant
TRUST Restaurant in San Diego welcomed several recent additions to the menu that will make your New Year’s Eve even more memorable, like Embered red beets with lemon yogurt, pearl onions, Japanese pear, mint, pepita dukkah and date vinaigrette; Bay scallops with maitake, sourdough romesco, jalapeño, charred and pickled beets, cilantro, basil and lime zest; or its signature bacon chop dish.
Fort Oak
Fort Oak features a rustic food menu with a seasonal selection of small plates and family-style meals with wood-fired flavors. Ring in 2022 with new dishes like Rockfish Tiradito, little gem salad or Meyer’s NY strip. For over-the-top decadence, Fort Oak’s signature Grande Tower is the perfect plate brimming with seafood specialties to share with a table of friends.
Cardellino
Trust Restaurant Group’s Cardellino in Mission Hills offers a divine brunch menu filled with flavor, featuring sweet and savory dishes and boozy beverages. Don’t miss the all-new ultimate cinnamon roll topped with pecan ice cream, vanilla bean glaze and currants. New Year’s Day brunch will be served from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
20|Twenty at The Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa
20|Twenty, at Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa, dishes up a prix-fixe New Year’s Eve menu for $108. The three-course menu comprises an appetizer, entrée (which will be a decadent Snake River Farms American wagyu eye of ribeye with caviar butter) and dessert of your choice. NYE dinner is served 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Newtopia Cyder
Venture to North City in San Marcos and grab a crisp cyder to ring in 2022. Newtopia is a cydery offering a unique experience featuring English, French, and Spanish-inspired cyders with locally and internationally sourced ingredients. Looking to bring cyder instead of Champs to your New Year’s Eve party? Newtopia offers a variety of cyders to-go. Hours of operation will be 2 to 9 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
ARLO
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at San Diego’s hidden gem, ARLO, from Executive Chef Josh Mouzakes. Dig into a five-course meal and a festive Pom N’ Pear Sparkler while uplifting acoustic duo The Heart (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.) or guitarist Tim Yancey (8:30 p.m. to midnight) performs. Reservations start at 5 p.m. for $90 per person.
Bamboo Room
Bamboo Room in Westlake Village rings in 2022 with a NYE party where exclusive VIP bottle service table reservations are available. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with bubbly, swag, DJs and much more. General admission tickets can be purchased here.