20 best San Francisco restaurants to celebrate New Year’s Eve

20 best San Francisco restaurants to celebrate New Year’s Eve

Despite many of San Francisco's tourist attractions, visiting a restaurant with your loved ones is the preferred way to celebrate New Year's Eve for many. However, exploring different apps and scrolling through various reviews can be tiring, especially when looking for the perfect place for a cozy dinner date or a gathering with friends. Fortunately, there are more than enough San Francisco restaurants to consider for your NYE plans. Here is a list of the 20 best San Francisco restaurants to celebrate New Year's Eve:

20) Lazy Bear

Lazy Bear specializes in providing "modern American food" inspired by wilderness and 20th-century nostalgia. Offering a pleasant dining atmosphere, Lazy Bear can be an ideal destination for a dinner party with friends and loved ones on New Year's Eve 2025. The restaurant is located at 3416 19th Street in San Francisco and has a 4.5-star rating on Yelp.

19) Frances

Distant from the nostalgia-ridden environment of Lazy Bear, Frances provides a relatively calm setting for intimate gatherings. Present at 3870 17th Street, Frances has a neighbourhood-like ambience. Chef Melissa Perello's rotating menu focuses on the "local and seasonal ingredients," which the restaurant claims to procure from the "region's best farms." With a 4.3 star rating on Yelp, Frances is ideal for one's NYE 2025 plans.

18) La Mar

Readers can visit La Mar at PIER 1 1/2 The Embarcadero N in San Francisco to enjoy authentic Peruvian cuisine. The restaurant's highlights are its open kitchen, unique seating, and excellent service. For New Year's Eve 2025, executive chef Victoriano Lopez has prepared a vibrant menu featuring Amuse-bouche, Hamachi Y Erize, Cebiche Dos Oceanos, Concha Y Caviar, and other special Peruvian dishes.

17) Movida

To reach Movida, one should visit 555 2nd Street in San Francisco. The Michelin-rated restaurant and lounge is famous for its fusion of Mexican and Persian cuisines. At the same time, visitors can enjoy the live DJ on the weekends. For NYE 2025, Movida is organizing a party hosted by FURGOD, and one will get to relish "Bottomless Cocktails, Delicious Passed Bites, and Dome Perignon Midnight toast," along with two DJs performing till 2 am.

16) Monroe

Monroe is the next restaurant on this list to consider for New Year's Eve plans. Located at 473 Broadway, San Francisco, Monroe is known for its live music, ambiance, and drinks. On top of that, the lounge also has outdoor seating, where visitors can experience the night sky. For NYE 2025 celebrations, the place will feature a performance from DJ Knowpa Slaps, which anyone above 21 can experience by booking their tickets.

15) Octavia

Those who love the mood of Frances would also like to visit Octavia at 1701 Octavia Street. The sister restaurant to Frances, Octavia, also brings the "neighborhood restaurant" ambiance that blends the local taste with modern sensibilities. With its outdoor and indoor seating plans, Octavia is ideal for dinner parties and romantic night outs. Furthermore, readers can check out the NYE 2025 plans on the restaurant's official website and make a reservation accordingly.

14) Shuggie’s

Unlike most eating places on this list, Shuggie's has a flamboyant approach to its theme. The restaurant brings the vibe of house parties, where one can hang out with friends and have some drinks. NYE 2025 plans for the restaurant are set with live music, celebratory drinks, beers, DJ performances, and more. One can visit Shuggie's at 3349 23rd Street for their NYE house party.

13) Radhaus

One of the best ways to spend New Year's Eve is with one's best buddies by their side. Not many places in San Francisco are more ideal than Radhaus for the same. The happening place in 2 Marina Blvd BUILDING A is meant for daytime parties with abundant beer and live DJ shows. The restaurant and bar also provide a scenic view of the Golden Gate Bridge, where one can have snacks and drinks with one's pals.

12) 3rd Cousin

From its tasting menus to luxurious five-course meals, 3rd Cousin is a place for all foodies. The restaurant also caters to vegetarian and vegan customers, with executive chef Greg Lutes curating a special New Year's Eve 2025 menu. Diners can find 3rd Cousin at 919 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA, starting 2025 with a lavish meal. The Bernal Heights attraction also boasts a 4.1 rating on Yelp.

11) El Lopo

For New Year's Eve 2025, the Spanish Sherry bar offers a special festive tapas tasting menu. Besides its unique offering, an a-la-carte menu will be available for December 31st. The restaurant and bar also have its "annual porrón competition" planned for NYE, which one can reserve at 10:30 pm or later. The restaurant is located at 1327 Polk Street and has a 4.6 rating on Yelp.

10) Left Door

The next place to have cocktails and bites in San Francisco is Left Door at 1905 Union Street. Fortunately, the place has plans for New Year's Eve, including a welcome drink, midnight toast, caviar bumps, and many more surprises. So, rather than spending December 31st at one's home, readers can head out and visit Left Door for a cocktail party with their mates.

9) Foreign Cinema

If diners want a unique experience on New Year's Eve 2025, they can consider Foreign Cinema. The 2534 Mission Street restaurant offers a cocktail bar, a Mediterranean menu, and an outdoor cinema. One can watch classic movies and have a meal while being joined by friends. The restaurant also has a Yelp rating of 4.0, with many praising the cuisine and atmosphere.

8) Prospect

Whether it's cocktails and snacks or a full-course dinner, Prospect offers it all. The restaurant has also revealed its New Year's 2025 Eve plans, where visitors will be served three-course meals and beverages. If diners want to treat themselves to something delicious on December 31st, they can visit Prospect. For the uninitiated, it is located at 300 Spear Street.

7) Besharam + Lion Dance Cafe

Chef Heena Patel's Besharam restaurant should be on everyone's list, whether it's New Year's Eve or any other location. The Indian restaurant brings some authentic dishes to the table accompanied by live music. For the NYE 2025, Besharam and Lion Dance Cafe have opened reservations with some vegan dishes and some desi celebrations. Readers can make reservations via Resy and visit 1275 Minnesota Street.

6) Empress By Boon

The next eating place for San Francisco readers is Empress By Boon. It is a restaurant owned by Michelin-starred chef Ho Chee Boon. The restaurant is known for offering an authentic and seasonal menu in "modern Cantonese gastronomy. Present at 838 Grant Ave, Empress By Boon is an ideal place to have a meal on New Year's Eve 2025.

5) Mattina

Like most of the restaurants in the Golden City, Mattina also has reservations open for New Year's Eve 2025. Present at 2232 Bush Street, Mattina Cafe & restaurant captures a neighborhood eatery-like appeal with its cozy seating. The place offers Cal-Italian cuisine alongside a bar, where one can have fun with friends and family. For those looking for an intimate NYE, Mattina should be an ideal option.

4) Abacá

None offers better Filipino cuisine than Abacá. The 2700 Jones Street restaurant displays the "beauty and vibrance of Filipino culture and cuisine" with its old family recipes blended with authentic flavors. Besides its food, the Filipino culture also influences the cocktails and beverages offered by Abacá. The restaurant, owned by Chef Francis Ang and his wife Dian Ang (Director of Operations), is ideal for an NYE meal.

3) Prelude

Prelude is among the top three eating places to visit in San Francisco on NYE 2025. The restaurant offers modern southern cuisine, with a special New Year's Eve celebration menu. Ahead of December 31st, Chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones has curated a 5-course prix fixe menu. At the same time, visitors can also have an 8-course experience, which includes oysters, caviar, and truffle-laden dishes. For those interested, the restaurant is located at 333 Battery Street.

2) 7 Adams

Achieving 1 Michelin star in 2024, 7 Adams has impressed critics with its impeccable fine dining. The restaurant has special menus planned for December 31st, including a five-course dinner. Visitors can reserve dinner in advance at 09:30 pm and extend their stay until the complimentary midnight toast on New Year's Eve. The Pacific Heights restaurant is located at 1963 Sutter Street, San Francisco.

1) Wayfare Tavern

As 2024 ends, one of the best San Francisco restaurants to dine at is Wayfare Tavern. Offering a British Pub-style seating, Wayfare Tavern is an ideal place to spend time with buddies on NYE night and welcome 2025. It also offers authentic American dishes with a "unique culinary vision." The restaurant has everything planned for New Year's Eve, from champagne toast to welcome drinks to live music. Diners can make their reservations and visit the restaurant at 558 Sacramento Street.