Food may not be the first thing that comes to mind for the two days when the calendar changes from one year to the next. Fireworks and football are on many folks’ minds, instead. But for food lovers, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are prime times to feast.

New Year’s Day, of course, has its ritual foods—collards or other greens representing money, black-eyed peas to conjure coins, and cornbread that evokes gold bars.

But for food lovers, the final day of 2024 also calls for indulging at a restaurant. Many eateries offer special menus that night. All create festive atmospheres.

Birmingham restaurants get so much attention, we decided to round up reservations for New Year’s Eve dinners at select places outside the city. Some are adjacent to other celebrations; information about them is included too.

 

Cotton Row

Huntsville

The special menu to celebrate the end of 2024 starts with creamy lobster bisque, garlic and herb crusted shrimp, oysters casino, main lobster ravioli, or wagyu beef meatballs. Entrée choices are pan-seared halibut meuniere, lobster thermidor, herb-crusted rack of lamb, or black Angus beef Wellington. For dessert: bananas Foster in phyllo, mango and coconut shortbread tart, or a duo of Belgian chocolate cake.

Cost: $110 per person plus drinks, tax, and gratuity

Address: 100 Southside Square

Hours: 1 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Reservations link

 

Tre Luna

Hoover

The restaurant in the Trace Crossings area of Hoover will offer both its regular menu featuring pizzas, pastas, and Gulf seafood, a raw bar, and Tre Luna’s famous braised beef short ribs—plus a special four-course New Year’s Eve menu.

Appetizers choices on the New Year’s Eve menu are tuna crudo and fried green tomatoes. Next course is a blood orange salad. Entrees are pan-seared Gulf red snapper, 30-day aged prime ribeye, or Ashley Farms airline chicken. Dessert options are cannoli and caramel cheesecake.

Cost: N/A

Address: 1021 Brock’s Gap Parkway

Hours: 4 p.m.-12 a.m.

Reservations link

 

Southern Oak Restaurant

Opelika

Part of the Auburn Mariott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National, the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve menu starts with Southern Oak biscuits with shaved ham and pimento cheese. Second course features either grilled octopus salad with butternut squash, pomegranates, and Alabama goat cheese; or smoked butternut squash biaque with black truffle crème fraiche. Main course is Chilean sea bass, 16-ounce bone-in ribeye, or smoked lamb chops. Dessert is crème brulee cheesecake with caramel apple compot.

The entire resort will be in celebration mode, included is a ticketed event with music starting in the resort’s atrium at 6 p.m., a New Year’s Eve party at 9:30 p.m., and the Annual Drop and Pop at 11 p.m. Revelers get a free glass of Champagne at midnight, and the party ends at 1 a.m.

Dinner Cost: $82.85-$89.95, depending on entrée; resort party tickets range from $30-$190 plus fees

Address: 3700 Robert Trent Jones Trail

Hours: 4 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Restaurant reservations link; resort party tickets link

 

Ravello Ristorante

Montgomery

Start the evening at the restaurant with cuisine that celebrates Italy’s Amalfi coast, then head to the ticketed party featuring three different musical performers. Admission includes a free drink ticket, hors d’oeuvres, and a complimentary glass of sparkling wine to ring in 2025. Originally planned for the upstairs Bar Attico, the main event now will be in Ravello’s ballroom area.

Party Cost: $40 per person

Address: 36 Commerce Street

Hours: 6 p.m.-1 a.m.; last call at 12:30 a.m.

Ticket link

 

Le Moyne’s Chophouse

Mobile

The city’s prime chophouse pulls out the stops for its special New Year’s Eve menu. Starters are the “Billi Bi” cream of mussels soup with fennel, chervil, Oscietra caviar, and gold leaf; or Kennebec potato gnocchi with chive, crème fraîche, and black truffle shaved tableside. Entrée choices are spaghetti alla chitarra with lobster “carbonara,” guanciale, pecorino, grana, and egg; pan-roasted magret de canard with a pistachio-blood orange vierge, pommes purée, and turnip; 18-ounce Delmonico steak dried aged 60 days; or a 32-ounce porterhouse steak dry-aged 60 days. Dessert is Basque cheesecake with maple crème fraiche ice cream and hazelnut crumble.

Cost: N/A

Address: 251 Government Street

Dinner Hours: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Reservations link