On New Year's Eve, many of us will be out celebrating and, despite the economic downturn, prices for the most fashionable New Year parties don't seem any cheaper than last year.
Those who can afford it will be at the black-tie dinner at Felix in The Peninsula ($3,180 net, tel: 2920 2888) or Grissini at the Grand Hyatt ($2,600 plus 10 per cent, 2588 1234).
More affordable is the five-course dinner at JW's California at the JW Marriott. The choices for main course are live Boston lobster three ways (risotto, crispy fried claw with garlic and the tail with double cheese sauce), honey-smoked veal rack with blue swimmer crab frittata and baby spinach leaves, Angus beef tenderloin with wild mushrooms and truffle risotto, or pan-roasted halibut with squid ink noodles and sea urchin roe sauce. It's $1,388 plus 10 per cent; reservations on 2810 8366.
At The Excelsior in Causeway Bay, ToTT's Asian Grill & Bar has a five-course dinner with entertainment from resident band Groove Addiction. The dinner includes a roasted duck laksa with papaya and Asian spinach and roasted live Maine lobster with cognac butter cream sauce. The evening is $1,288 and includes a half-bottle of champagne; call 2894 8888.
Sabatini at the Royal Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui East has a five-course dinner for $900 plus 10 per cent. It starts with goose liver terrine and Balik salmon with port wine gelee and continues with oven-baked oysters with mixed lettuce. The pasta course is the chef's speciality of linguine with scampi, clams and mussels, while for the main course, there's a choice of poached fillet of Dover sole with champagne caviar sauce or grilled US beef fillet with porcini and black truffle crust. Tel: 2721 5215.
If you don't want to go to a hotel and don't mind eating in a mall, Madison's Restaurant & Bar in Pacific Place has a well-priced dinner for $480 plus 10 per cent. The five-course dinner includes pan-fried langoustine dumplings on caviar sauce, a choice for main course of baked pigeon sauce and veal fillet with goose liver in puff pastry or roast seabass with golden potato crust and Saumur champagne beurre blanc, while for dessert there's mint crepe with cherries on caramelised banana and orange segments. Tel: 2523 4772.
