8 restaurants serving up festive New Year’s Eve menus around Vancouver

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      Maybe you have plans to be at a glitzy party when the clock strikes midnight, or perhaps you prefer to count down to 2018 in your cozy pajamas at home.

      Whichever way you intend to ring in the new year, you can’t do it on an empty stomach. So what better way to end off 2017 than with a celebratory meal?

      Here are eight places to find delicious New Year’s Eve dinner menus around town.

      Botanist

      1. Botanist (1038 Canada Place) 

      Enjoy a five-course tasting menu at this celebrated restaurant inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim. Indulge in dishes like roasted acorn squash with honey and chestnuts, and striped bass with preserved lemon and caviar, and finish off with a champagne creamsicle for dessert. The early seating ($125 per person, plus taxes and gratuity) begins at 5 p.m.; the second seating ($148 per person, plus taxes and gratuity) is from 8:30 onwards, which includes live music. A glass of champagne and party favours will be given out at midnight to start off the New Year on a cheerful note. Reservations can be made by calling 604-695-5500.

       

      Dockside Restaurant

      2. Dockside Restaurant (1253 Johnston Street) 

      Ring in 2018 at this Granville Island dining establishment with a three-course New Year’s Eve menu ($75 per person, plus taxes and gratuity). Guests will be able to choose from dishes including Dungeness crab and shrimp cakes, grilled Haida Gwaii halibut, Two Rivers grilled beef tenderloin, and coconut milk cheesecake, among others. Your meal will be accompanied by live jazz and pop music by Melanie Dekker, and includes complimentary admission to the ’80s dance party in the lounge from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. (this theme pays homage to the hotel’s former Pelican Bay nightclub, one of THE nightclubs for yuppies in the 80s!). A champagne toast and party favours will also be offered at midnight—a stellar way to end 2017. Reservations can be made by calling 604-685-7070.

       

      H2 Rotisserie and Bar

      3. H2 Rotisserie & Bar (1601 Bayshore Drive) 

      The Westin Bayshore’s relatively new restaurant will be hosting a scrumptious New Year’s Eve gala buffet ($95 per person and $47.50 for children six to 12 years old, plus taxes and gratuity). Guests will be able to roam between different food stations, which will feature fresh seafood and sushi, cheese and meat boards, rotisserie chicken, Peking duck, a salad bar, and a live-cooking spot. Finish off your meal with tasty sweets from the dessert station, featuring cappuccino parfaits, praline cheesecake, lemon chocolate tarts, truffles, cookies, lollipops, and a chocolate fountain. A glass of bubbles will also be included with your meal for a toast to 2018. Reservations can be made by calling 604-691-6966.

       

      Honey Salt

      4. Honey Salt (39 Smithe Street) 

      This highly buzzed-about eatery inside Parq Vancouver is offering guests a chance to celebrate the end of 2017 inside its comfortable but chic living-room-style space. Its multicourse New Year’s Eve menu ($95 per person, plus taxes and gratuity) includes caviar pie as a shared starter, with mains and desserts such as truffle and cauliflower risotto, crab-stuffed king salmon, and key lime pie. Guests will find party favours at their tables, and a champagne toast at midnight and live music in the lounge will set the tone for an enjoyable night out. Reservations for the first seating (5 to 8 p.m.) and second seating (8:30 p.m. to midnight) can be made by calling 778-370-8200.

       

      Ainsleigh Christie

      5. Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House (777 Thurlow Street) 

      Join executive chef Wayne Sych at this legendary Vancouver dining establishment as he prepares something tasty dishes. Instead of a prix-fixe menu, guests will be able to order from à la carte offerings—New Year’s Eve dinner features items such as a shellfish trio and prime-rib meal. The early seating begins at 5 p.m., and the late seating kicks off at 8 p.m. ($60 cover charge per person) with party favours, a glass of bubbly at midnight, and live entertainment. Reservations can be made by calling 604-669-1940.

       

      Hamid Attie

      6. Maenam (1938 West 4th Avenue)

      For those looking to indulge in a meal with the entire family, check out this contemporary Thai restaurant’s multicourse New Year’s Eve tasting menu ($80 per person, plus taxes and gratuity). Chef Angus An will be dishing up flavourful shared plates, which will allow guests to try many different items. Taste everything from spot prawn crackers with diced tuna and caviar to wagyu beef salad to confit duck leg with seared duck breast. Choose between coconut ice cream or Thai tiramisu for dessert—we would want to get both. A vegetarian menu is also available. Reservations can be made by calling 604-730-5579.

       

      Minami

      7. Minami (1118 Mainland Street) 

      Yaletown’s hottest Japanese restaurant will be ringing in 2018 with a special New Year’s Eve menu ($110 per person, plus taxes and gratuity). The five-course dinner will feature its most popular culinary creations, including fresh sashimi, butter-poached Atlantic lobster tail, sterling silver AAA beef tenderloin, and its signature aburi (flame-seared) sushi. An exclusive New Year’s Eve dessert will also be served: Valrhona chocolate caramelized banana with chocolate mousse, espresso crumble, and yuzu (Japanese citrus) ice cream. After this meal, your stomach will be satisfied, so you can fully enjoy the countdown to midnight. Reservations can be made by calling 604-685-8080.

       

      Rocky Mountain Flatbread

      8. Rocky Mountain Flatbread (1876 West 1st Avenue and 4186 Main Street)

      This family-friendly restaurant is hosting a New Year’s Eve pizza party ($25 per person and $20 per child, plus taxes and gratuity) to bring 2017 to a close. The three-course dinner for adults includes house-made soup or salad, a traditional artisan pizza, and warm double chocolate brownie. The kids get treated to pizza or pasta, a drink, and a chocolate brownie as well. Don’t fret about entertaining the young ones—they will be kept busy with making their own pizza, balloon twisting, and face painting. Its Kitsilano establishment will be serving guests at 4 and 6:15 p.m., and its Main Street counterpart from 4 p.m. onwards. Reservations can be made by calling 604-730-0321 (Kitsilano location) and 604-566-9779 (Main Street location).

       

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