The last night of 2011 is three weeks from Saturday. Have you bought your noisemakers yet? No? Well, no problem, you can always get those at the last minute. But what you can’t get at the last minute is dinner reservations and party tickets. Here at The Lo-Down, we’re starting to collect tips on the New Year’s Eve events and offerings at a few neighborhood haunts. Drop us a line if you know of others at tips@thelodownny.com. One note about the calendar: New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday night this year. That means no special exemptions for establishments to keep the parties going past 4 a.m., since the state liquor laws kick in on Sunday mornings. (More on that from BlackBook’s Steve Lewis here.)
Click through for a list of what we know so far.
Sons of Essex: The new Essex Street hotspot will host three seatings, at 5:30 p.m. for $65/person, 8 p.m. for $75/person and 10:30 p.m. for $90/person. Dinner includes complimentary Guss’ L.E.S. Pickles, homemade cornbread and a complimentary glass of champagne, along with your choice of one soup or salad, one appetizer, one entree with a side and one dessert. Options include truffle mac and cheese, braised cabbage, Loisaida Skirt Steak, Chicken Paillard and chocolate bacon bark. See all the appetizers and entrees here and all the delectable dessert choices here. To make a reservation, call 212-674-7100 or email feedme@sonsofessexles.com.
Hotel Chantelle: Ludlow Street’s glamorous tri-level restaurant and lounge will offer a five-hour premium open bar with passed hors d’oeuvres, DJ music, party favors and a midnight champagne toast. The festivities begin at 9 p.m. and tickets start at $85/person.
Above Allen: The scenic rooftop terrace at the Thompson LES hotel starts its party at 8 p.m., with hors d’oeuvres, a premium open bar, DJ music and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets start at $100. See more details on their Facebook event page.
Epstein’s Bar: The Stanton Street pub is looking for a posse of partygoers. They say line up 50 of your friends and they’ll give you an exclusive party with top-shelf liquor from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Details here.
We’re not quite sure where we’ll be spending New Year’s Eve this year. Of course, we’ll be in NYC, but we haven’t quite narrowed down the neighborhood! This makes us think that the Lower East Side might just be the right choice!