The Best Chicago Restaurants To Ring In The New Year

If you're a whiskey-drinking, country music-loving, denim-wearing, smokey barbecue-eating cowboy or girl, then ringing in the new year at Bub City is the scene for you. Owned by the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group, the 5,500-square-foot space in the River North neighborhood of Chicago is known for serving up 125 different types of whiskey alongside platters of brisket, Chicago-style baby back ribs, and hickory-smoked chicken wings.

New Year's Eve festivities include a live country band, private booth reservations, and bottles of Champagne for guests who are 21 years or older. For the low price of $20, partygoers can head straight to the dance floor to join in the action. Alternatively, splurge on a booth that seats four to six people if you're planning on spending a minimum of $450 on food and drinks, which also comes with a bottle of prosecco. Larger booths that include two bottles of prosecco can be reserved for six to eight guests. The minimum check must reach $600 plus tax. Reservations can be made in advance online on OpenTable.

With a built-in party atmosphere that is bursting with vibrant colors and festive ambiance, Carnivale Chicago is an obvious choice for any holiday, especially New Year's Eve. Under the direction of Executive Chef Carlos Garza, the Latin fusion restaurant is known for its locally sourced ingredients and seasonally-inspired menu. Located in Chicago's West Loop, Carnivale has been open for nearly two decades and is a dining destination in a neighborhood known for its acclaimed restaurants.

This year's theme is Copa Carnivale, a Latin-style disco party offering three showtimes that each feature a 90-minute performance with a live band, a DJ, Brazilian samba dancers, and an aerialist. Tickets cost $75 per person, and customers must also meet a $75 minimum on food and beverages per table. The main dining area and bar are expansive and can accommodate small parties and large groups, with plenty of space to move around and dance it out. The showtimes start at 4 p.m. with the last seating at 10 p.m., leaving some wiggle room to head to another spot for the final countdown.

If you're superstitious on New Year's, head over to Spanish-style Café Ba-Ba-Reeba to make 12 wishes on skewered grapes served in a glass of Cava Sangria. The Spanish New Year's superstition around eating a dozen grapes stems from a working-class rebellion in 1886 after a mayor imposed a tax on New Year's Eve partiers who celebrated late in the night. The working-class crowd ate grapes to mock the rich, who were known to pair their grapes with Champagne.

Aside from a skewered grape cocktail and craft brews, Ba-Ba-Reeba will be serving tapas, paella, and pintxos until 11 p.m. at its Lincoln Park location. With menu items designed for sharing and a spacious interior that can accommodate large parties, Ba-Ba-Reeba is the perfect spot for groups looking to dine out on the holiday without breaking the bank. There's no New Year's cover charge or grandiose prix fixe menu, making it the perfect spot for a casual night out.

Located between Chicago's St. Ben's and Bricktown in the quaint Roscoe Village Neighborhood, Volo Restaurant and Wine Bar is an easy-to-access spot for New Year's Eve, and there's no cover charge or expensive fixed-price menu to splurge on. Volo is known for its boutique wine list and choice of over 30 wines by the glass, which will be available on New Year's Eve, as well as a full bar, cozy space, and of course, a Champagne selection.

The restaurant is offering heated outdoor seating in its enclosed patio, which Chicago Magazine voted the number one hidden patio in the city, as well as reserved tables in its rustic dining room for its New Year's Eve soirée. The full dinner menu will be available until 11 p.m. when the restaurant will switch over to a selection of desserts and artisan cheeses, which are available until 1 a.m. There will also be live music, holiday party favors, and a Champagne toast at midnight.

If you really want to treat yourself this New Year's Eve with an unforgettable dinner, plus a view of the Chicago River where it meets Lake Michigan and the option to stay the night in one of Chicago's most luxurious hotels, we recommend you make a reservation at Miru in the St. Regis Chicago. The dinner menu will be available at all seatings on New Year's Eve and features house favorites like charred octopus, king crab, smoked pork belly, and a selection of handmade rice and noodles.

The restaurant has a variety of dining options on New Year's, starting with the early bird dinner at 5 p.m., which will offer the full dinner menu plus a Champagne toast to begin the night's festivities. The next dinner option begins at 6:30 p.m. and features the full dinner menu, Champagne toast, plus a chef-selected trio of appetizers such as Japanese egg salad and caviar on toast and a specialty box of Miru bon bons customized by pastry Chef Juan Gutierrez. There's a $75 charge per person for the second seating, and tables may be reserved for up to two hours. The final seating costs $125 per person and begins at 8:30 p.m. Reservations include the appetizer trio, custom pastry box, Champagne toast, as well as a firework show from the Navy Pier at midnight.

There's nothing better than a throwback party when you're ringing in the year to come, and Tortoise Supper Club is the place to be for old-school style in a new-age fashion. The timeless Chicago supper club is located in the heart of downtown just steps from the Chicago River in the popular theater district. Paying homage to the jazz era with its vibe and ambiance, the Tortoise Supper Club is everything you'd want in a classy night out on the town.

New Year's Eve festivities include an a la carte menu and live jazz music, with festive flapper girls shooting Polaroid photos of diners to take home as special holiday keepsakes. Guests must spend at least $100 per person, plus a $15 entertainment cost for the jazz musicians and late-night DJ. The event is where downtown Chicago meets Great Gatsby vibes, with a dinner club-style menu to boot. The New Year's Eve menu offers Tortoise Club classics like the famous relish tray and lobster bisque, and a twist on its regular oysters, plus some new dishes to dazzle New Year's diners like twin lobster tails and hamachi crudo.

For the bargain price of $79 per person, Ina Mae Tavern in Chicago's bustling Wicker Park neighborhood may be the city's most exciting spot to ring in the new year. The NOLA-style restaurant is named after Executive Chef Brian Jupiter's great-grandmother, Ina Mae, and is known for its busy bar and bustling dining room. Menu staples include NOLA hot sausage sliders, hush puppies, whole blackened chicken, and a wide selection of authentic po' boys.

If a NOLA-inspired party isn't enough to convince you that Ina Mae Tavern is the place to be, then prepare to be persuaded by the Madame Tawdry's New Year's Eve Burlesque Show theme. Featuring four of Chicago's best burlesque babes, including Hot Tawdry, Ms. B LaRose, Freya West, and Ruby Spencer, this show is sure to be worth the $79 charge per person. In addition to burlesque dancers, the price includes 4 hours of endless call drinks, a midnight Champagne toast, and a selection of famous NOLA-style passed appetizers.