Words: Edwina Langley
If you are looking to start your celebrations early – or fancy treating yourself in the daytime because by midnight, you plan to be asleep – head to Harvey Nichols. Open all day, the Fifth Floor Café and Terrace makes an excellent brunch, serving classics from French toast and smoked salmon and eggs, to heartier dishes including a beef burger. And to drink? Limited-edition Cîroc Passion cocktails.
Over at the Fifth Floor Bar, you will find a carefully curated wine and champagne list, as well as a cocktail menu brimming with exciting flavour combinations. Doors may close at 5pm, but get there in good time and your NYE festivities will commence in style.
Time: Until 5pm. Book ahead.
Venue: Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ
Want to go wild this New Year? Book your ticket to the Natural History Museum’s Jurassic Party. Complete with live band, DJs and a silent disco, dance alongside entertainers and Dippy, the famous Diplodocus replica, and there’s a New Year’s Eve you won’t forget. Musical bingo makes a return this year, while there are dinosaur-inspired activities to get involved in as well. Some galleries remain open late – the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is a must – and if the disco fancy dress prize is one you’d like to win, dress up Jurassic-style.
Time: 8pm – 1:30am
Venue: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD
Price: £99 (£89.10 for members) – attendees must be 18 or over.
Planning to host a chic party in a very chic location? May we introduce you to the Pavilion Club? This stylish space is available for hire over New Year’s and can accommodate both drinks parties and dining. The Sky Terrace overlooks London’s famous Hyde Park and features an indoor and an outdoor area, with capacity for a 100-person reception or a 50-person dinner. With PA systems and a sound engineer available on request, adding music to your soirée is also an option. Alternatively, if a more intimate event is what you had in mind, the Private Dining Room can seat up to 14 for dinner – and what a dinner it would be… Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge is behind the food at Pavilion Club, so if you plan to eat very, very well on the night, give this venue some serious thought.
Venue: Pavilion Club, 64 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7JF
Price: Sky Terrace hire from £5,000 (minimum spend from £5,000). Private Dining Room hire £400 (minimum spend £2,500)
An izakaya is a Japanese drinking spot, somewhere to relax and enjoy delicious drinks, snacks and dishes, and it is this setting that The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental aims to recreate. Visit on 31 December and a delicious evening lies in store. For, in addition to specially designed drinks, you can enjoy sensational dishes too, through the five-course “Kin & Kuro” New Year’s Eve menu. Including an omakase platter, yakitori and a pudding named “Tower Feast”, you won’t leave hungry, that’s for sure. The cocktail menu is equally tempting: cacao and tonka bean-infused Sauvelle vodka and Etsu Pacific Ocean Water gin are just two of the spirits listed. For those wanting entertainment, there will be taiko drums and DJ Tom Hardless is also set to play. If it’s a flavour and fun experience you’re looking for, look no further.
Time: Sunset service 6pm – 8pm, signature service 8pm – 10:30pm (table times may be extended to 12:30am or 3am for an extra cost)
Venue: The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
Price: Sunset service £175 per person, Signature service £210 per person; The Cocktail Bar £50 per person in advance, party tables subject to availability £100 per person.
For those planning to go “out out” this New Year, get your ticket to Nolita Social’s NYE party. Underneath the glamorous Bulgari Hotel, enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne before immersing yourself in live music and DJ sets that will take you through to 2023. If you’re arriving with a group, consider a table reservation; not only will you have somewhere to congregate but you’ll also receive a choice of canapés on arrival. The dress code is “glitz and glam” so there’s a real excuse to dress up here, and if you’re planning a late one, this is the option for you: the party continues until 3am.
Time: 9pm – 3am
Venue: Nolita Social, 4 Knightsbridge Green, SW1X 7QA
Price: Entry with a glass of champagne, £50; entry with a table, glass of champagne and canapés, £125
