By Yours Truly and Jan Engoren
New Year’s Eve Dinners in Miami, our picks from dining and dancing, to shows, a “family experience” and “the works”. Just want to go out for the celebratory ambiance, drinks and music or the party? Some options on that front too, from $50 to $100 per person with open bar.
Amara at Paraiso: Dinner with a WOW skyline view of Miami
Where better to ring in the New Year than overlooking Biscayne Bay at Amara at Paraiso, 4041 Collins Ave.? Featuring James Beard award-winning chef, Michael Schwartz, and the Genuine Hospitality Group, the restaurant has been described as Schwartz’s love letter to Miami.
Bringing bold Latin American flavors, coastal ingredients and Schwartz’s culinary touch, the restaurant and ambiance create the quintessential Miami vibe. For New Year’s Eve, dine on a 3-course meal with a main course of Ora King Salmon with green curry, lime, cilantro and crispy peanut salad or Braised Short Ribs served with slow-cooked black cabbage, smoky chipotle and beef jus, heirloom tomato marmalade and shaved black truffle.
Finish with dessert of Oaxacan chocolate cake or a dulce de leche, peanut and sea salt crumble or Nutella ice cream – yum! Amara at Paraiso offers two seatings – one at 6:30 p.m. for three courses priced at $150 and the second at 9:30 p.m., offering four courses for $250. Stay late and wait for the ball to drop in Times Square. Their rooftop party will rock with open bar and DJ from 10-2 a.m. for $100, if you come from dinner and $150 exclusively for the rooftop party. Rooftop with VIP bottle service offered.
To make a reservation, call: 305-702-5528 or visit amaraatparaiso.com (Edgewater)
LPM Restaurant and Bar: Moulin Rouge Dinner Soiree
Bonne Année! Indulge in the Belle Epoque inspired restaurant, LPM Miami, 1300 Brickell Bay Dr., with its flavor and décor inspired by the Côte d’Azur. Their family-style Moulin Rouge dinner soirée begins with hand-crafted cocktails, (of course, champagne), music and a live cabaret show.
Enjoy carpaccio de sériole (yellowtail carpaccio with guacamole and citrus dressing); côtelettes d’agneau ‘vivienne’ (marinated lamb cutlets with olive, aubergine caviar and pine nuts); mousse au chocolat chaude et glace à l’orge (warm chocolate mousse with malt ice cream). Dine next to Barbedienne, a reproduction of an 1875 bronze sculpture by French sculptor, Anton Mercié.
First dinner seating is from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Cost: $250 per adult; $150 per child (under 13 years old). Included is a special menu and one welcome glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blanc. Second dinner seating begins at 8:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. Cost: $350 per adult; $250 per child (13 years old and under). Included is special menu and one welcome glass of La Grande Cuvée Krug.
To make a reservation, call: 305.403.9133 or visit https://lpmrestaurants.com/miami/(Brickell)
Mi’talia Kitchen + Bar: Comfort Food to Ring in the New Year
If you’re craving comfort food and something more down home, Mi’talia Kitchen + Bar, 5958 S. Dixie Hwy., is your go-to neighborhood dining spot. Husband and wife chefs Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis (both Top Chef alum, also pair behind Stiltsville) bring a modern interpretation of northern and southern Italian specialties to Miami.
Located adjacent to Root & Bone, (another of their restaurants) at Mi’talia Kitchen + Bar you can dine on everything from pasta and pizza to truffle crusted filet mignon and “not your Nonna’s Bolognese.” New Year’s Eve offers a prix-fixe menu for $85, including a filet, lobster tail, roasted vegetables and one glass of GH Mumm Champagne. Revelers will also receive a complimentary glass of bubbly at the stroke of midnight to toast in the New Year – salute!
To make a reservation, call: 305.526.4402 or visit https://publicsquarerestaurant.com(South Miami/Pinecrest)
More New Year’s Eve Dinners in Miami, Parties Too!
LIV: All About the Party
Where better to party on New Year’s Eve than LIV at the legendary Fontainebleau Hotel, 4441 Collins Ave., where entertainment icons Elvis Presley, Judy Garland and Lucille Ball once held court? To ring in 2022, global superstar Doja Cat and special guest, Swedish DJ and record producer, Alesso will perform on the resort’s oceanfront pool scape.
Ticket prices start at $299 for one (1) premium admission ticket. Private tables are available ranging from $5,000 – $50,000 for a stage-side private space for up to 25 guests. All tickets include a premium open bar until 12 a.m. Fontainebleau’s “Family Experience” package offers guests from all generations the chance to toast the New Year together with prices starting $300 for one (1) Family Experience ticket.
To make a reservation, call: 800.548-8886 or visit fontainebleau.com/nye.(Miami Beach)
Strawberry Moon: A Night in Tropicana
With a theme of A Night in Tropicana, the Strawberry Moon at The Goodtime Hotel, 601 Washington Ave., will ring in the New Year with a four-course family style feast from 9-10:30 p.m. (the regular à la carte menu will be served from 6-9 p.m.) The contemporary, high-energy Mediterranean restaurant/bar, created by David Grutman and Pharrell Williams, is named for the last full lunar evening of spring and captures Miami’s pastel palette.
The menu offers a first course Mezze Trio of spreads and dips and the restaurant’s signature Moon Bread with melted tahini fig butter for $135++/person. The second course includes Osetra caviar and yellowtail crudo with a beet and watermelon salad, while the third course offers Wagyu tenderloin and Branzino, with brussels sprouts and sides of couscous.
For an extra dose decadence, add the shaved white Alba truffle ($90) and 1 oz. of Ostera caviar ($95). Dessert includes a panna cotta and a dark chocolate torte. Vegetarian options are available upon request. To make a reservation, call: 786.687.0234 or visit https://strawberrymoonmiami.com(South Beach)
Fiola Miami: Stylish Italian Choice
Located in Coral Gables, Fiola Miami, 1500 San Ignacio Ave., is Fabio Trabocchi’s first restaurant venture outside of Washington D.C. and marks Michelin-starred Fiola’s second location. The restaurant serves contemporary takes on classic Italian cuisine and draws inspiration from regional Italian classic dishes, family traditions and local seasonal ingredients.
New Year’s Eve dinner openers include a choice of Kusshi oysters or wild Hamachi followed by Hokkaido sea urchin with chilled parsnip crema, uni foam and seaweed powder or Atlantic triple tail with passion fruit, kumquat, Fresno pepper and nasturtium.
For the main course choose the Mishima Wagyu short rib osso buco, turbot filet or cauliflower steak with Marcona almonds, Perigord truffles and Bagna càuda, a dip made with garlic and anchovies. Vegetarian options available upon request.
First seating: $175 per person ++; second seating: $275 per person ++ and includes an optional caviar upgrade for $125 per person ++. Dinner includes five-courses, plus dessert.
To make a reservation, call: 305.912.2639 or visit fiolamiami.com New Year’s Eve Dinner — Fiola Miami(Coral Gables)
LEKU: Fine Spanish Cuisine
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at LEKU located within the Rubell Museum, 1100 N.W. 23 St., where one can enjoy the pleasures of dining in Spain’s Côte Basque in Miami.
Featuring innovative cuisine, LEKU follows the principle of adhering to seasonal local ingredients and cooking methods based on tried and true techniques. Ring in 2022 with LEKU and experience their à la carte menu or Chef Mikel’s signature New Year’s Eve 4-course menu ($200++) available as part of their special dinner seatings at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Begin with an amuse-bouche of Arbol Vasco iced “olives,” (Basque vermouth) followed by a first course featuring Ensaladilla Rusa con Kaluga Caviar, (Basque potato salad, tuna, egg, house cured salmon and Kaluga Caviar) a second course of Royal De Foie Gras, followed by Bogavante Asado a la Lena, (wood oven roasted Maine lobster) and a final course option of Magret de Pato al Josper, (duck breast cooked over coals) or Cochinillo Confitado, (suckling pig confit, pan jus reduction with apple compote).
To start the New Year on a sweet note, finish with one of Chef Mikel’s specialty desserts. To make a reservation, call: 786.464.0615 or visit https://www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/lekumiami (Allapattah)
And Even More New Year’s Eve Dinners in Miami, Shows, Parties
Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel: The Works
Ring in 2022 at the art deco Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel, 1717 Collins Ave., with a “French Riviera in Miami,” theme organized by Zeppelin Events and a 1930’s French jazz band, a Moulin Rouge cabaret act and a synchronized swimming show, all while enjoying a gourmet French dinner by renowned chef, Javier Caraballo.
Other highlights include DJ, an immersive French movie experience, Madonna’s gypsy guitar players, French mimes and a strolling accordion player. Children are welcome and will enjoy an open buffet and special kids’ entertainment featuring cosplay artists from their favorite animated movies. Cost is $100.
To make a reservation, call: 305.741.4736 or visit https://highsociety2022nye.eventbrite.com/?aff=pr.(South Beach)
El Tucán: Dinner and A Show
Channeling the “good old days” of the wild and woolly 1960s of Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Mansion, El Tucán, 1111 S.W. 1st Ave., and Mathieu Massa and Mr. Hospitality group host “A Night at the Mansion.” The club will transport you to a mystical world and stimulate and indulge your senses, and entice guests to lose their inhibition and channel their inner bunny or inner Hef.
Go-go dancers, a burlesque performance, aerialist dancers and a Laurana singer complete the night of entertainment. Dress code for men is dapper and women should be fashionably stylish.
First seating from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Cost is $295 food minimum, no beverage minimum, per person. Second seating begins at 9 p.m. Cost is $395 food minimum, $400 beverage minimum per person / no time limit. Seating availability is limited.
To make a reservation, call: 305.535.0065 or visit: https://eltucanmiami.com/nye2022/ (Brickell)
Red Rooster Overtown: Southern Food in Overtown
Looking for an alternative to the traditional New Year’s Eve festivities? Look no further. The Pool Hall at Red Rooster Overtown, 920 N.W. 2 Ave., the acclaimed restaurant presented by developer Michael Simkins and renowned chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Derek Fleming will host an ‘Urban Hang Suite’ party.
From jazzy and groovy to funky and free, party all night at the pool hall. Cover charge is $50 and includes light bites and a complimentary bottle of champagne at midnight.Table reservations are also available at $150pp for outside and $200pp for inside. Those who reserve tables will also receive access to specially priced bottle service options. Entertainment provided by DJ Pee Wee.
For the more traditional route, there are two dinner seatings available. The first seating begins 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. for $125 per person. A $150 option includes dinner and access to The Pool Hall après dinner. The menu include deviled egg Ora king salmon crudo, yuzu maple; Wagyu sirloin umami potato purée, matsutake, burnt buttered cabbage; and fried yard bird.
Additional dinner options for the second seating include oyster apple cider granita, yuzu and “Nigiri” yellowfin tuna, taro, epis and a complimentary glass of bubbly at midnight. For $220, guests will gain access to The Pool Hall. To make a reservation, call: 305.640.9880. Reservations are required and are available on OpenTable: https://www.opentable.com/r/red-rooster-overtown-miami(Overtown)
Cafe La Trova: Dinner and Dancing
Writing about New Year’s Eve dinners in Miami, how could I forget Cafe La Trova? Immerse yourself in the nostalgia-tinged nightlife of Café La Trova’s, 971 S.W. 8 St. They’re pulling out all the stops to ring in 2022 with live music, cocktails by master cantinero Julio Cabrera, contemporary Latin cuisine by James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, late night-DJs, and of course, bubbly.
Dinner selections include burrata with dulce de papaya, arugula, Jamon serrano and Oysters Rockefeller for a first course and filet mignon roasted and sliced, sauce au poivre, roast fingerling potatoes or Mediterranean branzino, lemon nage, brown butter and cauliflower purée, all served family style. Not-to-be-missed desserts include flan, classic tiramisu and cidra poached pears with sabayon.
First seating: 6 – 7 p.m: $95 pp – Includes family-style three course menu, welcome cocktail and live music. Second seating: 9 – 10 pm: $150 pp – Includes family-style four-course menu, welcome cocktail, live music and champagne toast at midnight.
Premier stage seating for second seating: $235 pp. Includes open bar until midnight.
Open Bar Upgrade: $85 per person until midnight. Cash bar midnight – close.
To make a reservation, call: 786.615.4379 or visit CaféLaTrova.com.(Little Havana). Click here for my review.
Lower Cost Options for New Year’s Eve Parties Miami :
Ball & Chain:
The party starts at 9 p.m. with live music by Los Wizzards and DJ Danis La Clave. Newly reopened, the club dates back to 1935 when it hosted legends such as Billie Holiday, Chet Baker and Count Basie. For New Year’s Eve, packages range from the Billie Holiday Reserved VIP Table ($1,500), the Celia Cruz Table Package ($700) to the VIP Open Bar New Year’s Eve ticket ($100). General admission is available on a first come, first served basis, but pre-purchase is recommended.
To make a reservation, call: 305.643.7820 x3 or visit ballandchainmiami.com(Little Havana)
Freehold Miami:
Say ‘bye-bye’ to 2021 at Freehold Miami, 2219 N.W. 2 Ave., in true Miami black-tie style on New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m.- on. Music by Ape Drums.General Admission Ticket – $ 50, includes entry and a welcome cocktail. Smaller Lounge Tables – $720, for up to 6 guests (1 Bottle + 1 Bottle of Champagne). Larger Lounge Tables – $1200 for up to 10 guests (2 Bottles + 3 Bottles of Champagne). Private Cabana – $7500 for up to 30 guests (premium open bar, 2 bottles of choice + 3 bottles of Champagne)
To make a reservation, call: 305.280.0330 or visit freeholdmiami.co. Table reservations strongly recommended. Tickets can be purchased HERE. (Miami Beach)
One Response
Something for every taste. We usually go to Milos in South Beach where the ambiance and music for New Years are great, food is delicious, service is impeccable, and of course a lot of “Opa”!