New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to cost a fortune. (Photo by LaTur)
New Year’s Eve is a time for partying and celebration, but it can quickly get expensive and stressful as venues roll out costly tasting menus and exclusive parties. But not every business asks customers to drop a ton of money on tickets or cover charges. In fact, we found 15 New Year’s Eve parties with reasonable prices (we’re saying $50 or less for admission) or, better yet, no cover charge at all. Some are even throwing in a midnight toast on the house.
No cover
The Blaguard
2003 18th St. NW
This divey sports bar will be showing college football playoffs along with providing festive party favors and a bubbly toast at midnight.
Bar Deco
717 6th Street NW
Bar Deco is preparing for a night of dancing and a champagne toast. To sweeten the pot, anyone who makes a dinner reservation between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. will receive a free bottle of champagne to help get the celebration started.
Cafe Saint-Ex
1847 14th Street NW
Cafe Saint-Ex is always a low-key place to gather. Its downstairs bar, Gate 54, is a good bet for a lively night year-round and New Year’s Eve is no different. The bar will be open with no cover, per usual, and plenty of dancing.
ENO Wine Bar
2810 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Wine lovers can make plans to swing by this Georgetown spot for live music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and a number of food specials. Score half-off deviled green eggs and ham and cabernet cuveé chocolate fondue along with $20 seafood towers of six shrimps and six oysters. There will also be champagne behind the bar and sparkling wines from the U.S., Spain, and Italy for $17 a glass.
Jack Rose Dining Saloon
2007 18th Street NW
Stop by the main saloon at this whiskey bar for a no-cover shindig from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Specials include a vintage whiskey flight, with a menu of 20 whiskeys, to drink before the ball drops at midnight. Happy hour goes until 8 p.m., and there’s a dinner menu as well.
McClellan’s Retreat
2031 Florida Avenue NW
Settle in with a classic cocktail or try a beverage from the December “Dysfunctional Christmas” drink menu. We suggest going for the Fruitcake ($13), a mix of District Distilling Checkerbark gin, Borsci liqueur, Nux Alpina walnut liqueur, corrected orange juice, and ginger beer. Those in attendance at midnight can join the free Miller High Life toast. It is, after all, the Champagne of Beers.
Nanny O’Briens
3319 Connecticut Avenue NW
This neighborhood bar in Cleveland Park is the place to be if you’d rather sip a Guinness then get fancy and sparkly. Plus, there’s a Champagne toast at midnight.
Quarter+Glory
2017 14th Street NW
This cocktail bar came to D.C. via Manhattan, making it that much more appropriate for a New Year’s Eve bash. Quarter+Glory is offering complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres, party hats and noise makers, music by DJs, and a midnight toast. The party starts at 4:30 p.m. and goes through the night. You can register in advance online.
Service Bar
926-928 U Street NW
This U Street newcomer is throwing a “champagne Circus,” featuring a menu of $13 glasses of champagne as well as bubbly and chicken combos starting at $75. Since admission is free, you have more cash to splurge on packages like a bottle of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and fried chicken hash for $99. Prices vary, and you can drop as much as $500 on some 2009 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque and a bucket of fried chicken (you’ll also get a bottle of Perier Juet Grand Cru for your troubles). The bar will serve breakfast from 12:30 a.m. until 4 a.m. Email chad@servicebardc.com for pre-order information.
Ten Tigers Parlour
3815 Georgia Avenue NW
Petworth’s new go-to for soup dumplings and bao is bidding farewell to 2016 with a no dress code party in its dining room and second-floor lounge. There will be DJs firing up at 9 p.m. and a sake toast at midnight. The bar will stay open until 4 a.m.
Less than $50
The Brixton
901 U Street NW
The Brixton has one of the most fitting party concepts going this New Year’s Eve with its “Clockwork Brixton.” The evening, themed after the dystopian novel “A Clockwork Orange,” will feature live performances, cheap eats from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and a midnight Champagne toast. Order tickets for $25.—China Rae Riddle
City Tap House
901 9th Street NW
Join City Tap House for a ski lodge-themed party and its $40 open bar from 10 p.m. until midnight. Choose from drinks like the “shot ski” and brews from skiing destinations including Breckenridge Brewery, Long Trail, and Deschutes. A live DJ will keep the party going until 2 a.m. And the DJ will pay will pay tribute to the great musicians the world lost in 2016, from David Bowie to Glenn Frye, between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.
Embassy Row Hotel
2015 Massachusetts Avenue NW
For those who prefer to dance to their own beat (and the music in their heads), the silent disco at Embassy Row Hotel is the place to be. The dance floor will have three different live DJs and three different headset channels, so you can listen to your favorite beats without competing with the tastes of the crowd. Designated colors let each guest know who’s listening to what. The $40 ticket includes admission, a champagne toast and, of course, a headset rental.
Decades
1219 Connecticut Avenue NW
This newly-opened club is holding a “Back to the Future” retro gala to ring in 2017, featuring three floors of music and dancing, drinks, throwback games, and decor from the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Early bird tickets are $30 and will increase to $50.
Union Pub
201 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Capitol Hill’s Union Pub is gearing up for a “formal kegger” this New Year’s Eve, offering an open bar from 8 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. with tickets just $50. Advertised as a “dressy house party,” it’ll include keggerators, canned beers, bar games, select liquors, appetizers, a DJ, and a champagne toast. It’s not the classiest party in town, but it’s a great deal for anyone looking to get maximum value for their partying (and drinking).
