The Best Restaurant Dinner Party in NYC
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Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, an engagement, a promotion, a going away party or simply the weather getting warmer, a classic New York City restaurant dance party is always a great way to spend the night. Especially for big groups, so you don’t have worry about finding two places for everyone to go! It’s so much better to just drink and party while you’re eating, and then keep the party going. So I’ve rounded up all my favorite restaurant parties in New York City for dinner!
Maison Close
The weekend dinner parties at Maison Close will bring you back to Bagatelle, or Sex and the City, if that’s more your thing. Snag a 9 pm reservation for dinner, and watch the party slowly amp up around 10 pm right as you’re wrapping up your meal! You’ll see beautiful burlesque dancers and performers in costume spread across the restaurant, until the guests are dancing on the tables!
HaSalon
HaSalon has one of NYC’s most iconic dinner parties. Serving great Israeli food with an even better party on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights — make sure you grab a reservation for the second seating if you want to experience the party. At around 10:30pm, the metal shades come down over the windows, the lights dim, and soon enough people are dancing on chairs and waving white napkins! While it’s definitely overpriced, it’s one of the best places for a dinner party when you look at the food and the vibe together.
Kyma
With two locations in the heart of Manhattan, one in Flatiron and a newer location in Hudson Yards, Kyma is known for its dinner parties. Is it really a party at Kyma if you don’t see napkins flying through the air? Both locations have a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights — expect lots of dancing, napkin waving, and sparklers!
Ketchy Shuby
New York’s newest hot spot, Ketchy Shuby is a sceney restaurant in the heart of Soho with a lounge downstairs to keep the party going. Owned by the co-founder of the famed Hamptons hot spot Surf Lodge, Ketchy Shuby offers upscale New American cuisine brought to life by chef Sean Olnowich. Be sure to dress your best and come prepared for a night of great food, excellent music and unbeatable energy.
Gitano Island
Only open for the summer season, Gitano Island is probably the most low-key of this list since it closes at 11. But it’s a really cool vibe, especially if you’re looking to do something that makes you feel like you’re on vacation without ever leaving New York City. Take a 10-minute ferry across the river to Gitano Island on Governor’s Island to feel like you’ve been transported to Tulum. You can sit in one of the lounge chairs for sweeping water views, or grab a seat in the lounge area to make it feel more like a party.Pappas
A new restaurant to join the NYC food scene, Pappas, which just opened last year, throws a Mykonos Soiree on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings featuring a family-style, three course Greek meal, dancers, sparklers and more! Get their iconic martini with the evil eye for the perfect instagrammable photo opp.
Fresco by Scotto
Fresco by Scotto has been a favorite of power players since it opened in early 90s. But the DJ dinner parties, that are often taken to the streets with their summer al fresco dining, are the true highlight for me. Honestly, Fresco by Scotto is the full package: great Italian food, fabulous vibe, and frequented by New York power players like Katie Couric, Mayor Eric Adams (ugh), former governor Andrew Cuomo, and more.Her Name Was Carmen
Opened in 2019, Her Name Was Carmen quickly became a NYC hotspot for dinner parties. An ode to the 50s and 60s era in Latin America, the two-floor restaurant is known for its great food, drinks and dancing. Deep house on Thursdays, Disco on Fridays, and Saturday is Latin night.
Puglia
A cozy Italian restaurant located in the heart of Little Italy in New York, Puglia boasts a fun and lively atmosphere with great food. Opt for the prix-fixe dinner for $50, you’ll get massive portions of baked clams, rigatoni alla vodka, and chicken parm served family-style. Garlic bread, caesar salad, cheesecake, and unlimited beer and wine is also included! The best part? Most of the diners at the restaurant will be dancing on chairs and waving napkins in the air before the entrees even arrive. Honestly, that’s a steal in NYC for just fifty dollars!
Le Baratin
Le Baratin is a small French bistro that feels like something you’d find in Paris. The night will start out casually but as the evening progresses, the servers quickly move the tables, draw the curtains, turn up the music, and transform the space into a lively bar. Having a reservation for dinner gives you automatic entry to stay for the night, while people line up around the block to get in to dance.
12 Chairs Cafe
A local favorite, 12 Chairs in Soho is pretty much always packed with New Yorkers. Famous for bringing the party vibes of Tel Aviv to Soho, 12 Chairs Cafe is where you go to end the night dancing on a table with a tambourine surrounded by your best friends. Do not skip the hummus, its one of the best in New York — but all of their food is truly amazing.
Patrizia’s
Another Italian restaurant known for its comfort food, cozy setting, and party vibe, Patrizia’s is a guaranteed good time. Similar to Puglia, Patrizia’s serves all your favorite Italian dishes family style with free-flowing wine. With tons of gluten-free options, you’ll be able to find something here for nearly every dietary restriction too. Get ready to dance the night away, and make sure to save room for their famous dessert: Nutella pizza!Little Ways
This two-story restaurant and supper club located inside a historic townhouse in the Lower East Side is the perfect place for dinner and drinks. Start on the first floor around 8 for dinner, and your server will let you know that you can head upstairs to the incredible upscale lounge area where you’ll find New York’s most stylish crowd. Be prepared for a night of dancing, delicious food, and rounds of espresso martinis.
La Esquina Brasserie
La Esquina is an upscale speakeasy Mexican restaurant hidden under a taqueria in Nolita. When it opened in 2005, it was the place to see and be seen. Although it’s much easier to get a reservation now nearly 20 years later, it still retains much of that cool-factor for a fun night out. To get to the dining room, you walk through a door marked “Employees Only” in the back of a little ground-floor taqueria, head down a flight of stairs, walk through a kitchen, to wind up in a dark room that looks like a dungeon. The food is pretty good, pretty much what you would expect from a standard Mexican restaurant. The music is loud and energetic if you’re looking to dance, and if it’s your birthday, you can order a tres leches dessert with a giant sparkler in it.
Ribalta
I worked right across the street from Ribalta for years, and while I went there for pizza, I never knew about the party. And wow I so wish I had known back then! Ribalta serves Naples-style pizza in a cozy, no frills venue. This is perfect for when you want all the fun of a NYC party, without the hassle of tough reservations, fussy hosts at the door, and all the waiting — and you’ll easily find something for every dietary restriction. Fridays and Saturdays, they have a great DJ and serve drinks with sparklers to set the ambiance.
Little Prince
Little Prince is a cute little French Bistro that gets wilder as the night goes on. If you’re looking to party, make a late dinner reservation any time after 9 PM for the best experience. Start with the Rue Paul cocktail and the Annabel salad, and try their signature French Onion Soup Burger. At around 11PM, waiters start handing out astronaut helmets, maracas, and wigs — and so much more. Drinks switch to being served in plastic cups, and it becomes an exclusive club. Expect the unexpected in this space, and be prepared to party and sing your heart out to 2000s music until you lose your voice!
Sushi On Me
Sushi On Me is a lively, all-you-can-drink, cash-only, omakase restaurant with two locations in Williamsburg and Jackson Heights. But don’t be fooled by the omakase, Sushi On Me is definitely feels more like a rambunctious house party than a classy meal featuring a ten course tasting menu. For $89, you get ten courses of Thai-inspired sushi and unlimited sake — and the chefs will be drinking with you! But the best part is the actual community feel. I can’t tell if it’s the long table or the free flowing sake, but everyone is talking to each other here. Seatings are only 1 hour long, and there are 4 seatings a night. So it’s a great spot to start the party before a night out!
