Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in New York City

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best special occasion restaurants in New York City? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Vetro by Russo's on the Bay

5.0

5 (1597)

$31 to $50

Italian

Howard Beach

About the restaurant

From exquisite cuisine, expansive wine cellar, cocktail lounge and exemplary service. Vetro expands Russo's fine culinary tradition into an elegant restaurant completely distinct from your private occasion. Restaurant, Dine in wine cellar, special occasions.

Top review

Catherine

Dined 1 day ago

Amazing staff from check in to host to server . Great food. Great location. My family enjoyed the music playing in the background. Overall 5 stars.

Joomak

5.0

5 (25)

$50 and over

American

West Village

About the restaurant

Acclaimed chef Jiho Kim (DdoBar) opens Joomak, a fresh iteration of his former Michelin-starred restaurant, Joomak Banjum, at Maison Hudson New York. “Joomak,” is an elevated update, a jewel box set in a more intimate and luxurious space with just 27 seats. The menu features New American cuisine rooted in Korean flavors across an eight-course tasting menu, complemented by a robust wine program featuring French-forward and new-world wines alike.

Top review

Adam

Dined 5 days ago

I loved this restaurant. The food was inspired, the conversations were great and chef is so nice. Honestly this is one of the best dining experiences in NYC.

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Experience

8-Course Tasting Menu

Aquavit

4.9

4.9 (1939)

$50 and over

Nordic

Midtown East

About the restaurant

Two Michelin-starred and New York Times Three-starred Aquavit, located in Midtown Manhattan showcases seasonal, Modern Nordic fare and has been a pioneer of Nordic cuisine since opening in 1987. The restaurant has an extensive wine list as well as an aquavit infusion and cocktail program. The Bar Room offers an a la carte menu for a casual elegant experience. The Dining Room serves a 2 or 3 course prix fixe menu or a 5 course tasting menu for lunch and a 5 course tasting menu or a Chef's tasting menu for dinner. We also offer Private Dining spaces for both social and corporate gatherings.

Top review

Geoff

Dined on Jun 3, 2025

Amazing!!! Perfect! Exquisite!!!!! Delicious!!!

La Mela

4.9

4.9 (1409)

$30 and under

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

La Mela has been delighting people with delicious and generous portions of Italian food for over thirty years. La Mela is famous as a staple of Mulberry Street in New York's Little Italy. We have a full a la carte menu of mouthwatering dishes and desserts, as well as the family style dining that has made us famous for delicious and plentiful food. Come down, have fun, and make yourself at home. We'll treat you like family. Family we like.

Top review

Tami

Dined on Jun 3, 2025

It was wonderful. We sat on the sidewalk. We had a healthy pour of wine with amazing food (healthy portions) that we were happy to bring home for the next day. The service was incredible. Every time I come to New York I eat at La Melas! Thank you for the amazing experience.

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4.9

4.9 (25)

$30 and under

Sushi

Midwood

About the restaurant

We are fanatical in delivering the highest quality sushi & omakase experience, consistently, for people who really love sushi. We combine our passion for hand-selected fish, & quality ingredients. KOMA sushi vision is to create a superlative dining experience – memorable, intimate, spectacular, and elegant. We invite you to think of sushi preparation as a performance, and our counter as the stage. We welcome you as our audience, to watch our highly skilled Japanese chefs, swiftly and expertly prepare each mouth-watering course for you.

Top review

Jason

Dined on May 12, 2025

Amazing service, amazing food. The whole tuna demonstration and service was beyond.

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Tuna Carving at KOMA Sushi

Una Pizza Napoletana

4.9

4.9 (20)

$31 to $50

Italian

Lower East Side

About the restaurant

Chef/Owner Anthony Mangieri has been crafting naturally-leavened, wood-fired pizzas with meticulous attention to detail since 1996. A pioneer of Neapolitan pizza in the U.S., Anthony still makes every ball of dough by hand and is at Una making pizza every night. A few starters and desserts complement the pizzas, along with wines from Campania, Italy. Everything is made fresh daily until sold out.

In the intimate dining room, guests are surrounded by one-of-a-kind pieces of art while watching Anthony work the dough and bake three pizzas at a time. The choice to have only one location allows for an obsessive focus on every detail.

Una has been awarded #1 pizzeria in the world by 50 Top Pizza for 2022 and 2024, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, and recognized in media outlets including the TODAY Show, CBS Mornings, and Esquire.

Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Reservations from 5 - 9:15pm. Reservations that have been traded or purchased through third party platforms will not be honored.

Top review

Anthony

Dined 2 days ago

Simply the best in all aspects - absolute perfection!

Gabriel Kreuther

4.8

4.8 (1584)

$50 and over

Contemporary French

Midtown West

About the restaurant

Gabriel Kreuther is a Relais & Chateaux and Two Star Michelin restaurant looking out onto beautiful Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. We offer a luxurious, upscale Contemporary-French-American & Alsatian-inspired dining experience with a distinct New York Spirit.

Also known for its stunning decor, Gabriel Kreuther looks out onto NYC's vibrant Bryant Park on 42nd street & offers fine-dining in the upscale dining room (reserve here) or elevated casual dining at the bar and lounge (call) offering "some of the absolute best bar food in NYC" (Grub Street).

Gabriel Kreuther accepts reservations for the main dining room 4-weeks in advance & you can also book our In-Kitchen Table offering a fully immersive, special dining experience for up to 8 guests by contacting us at office@gknyc.com. Close proximity to theater district, Pre-theater reservations available.

Top review

Victor

Dined on Jun 7, 2025

We had the pleasure of dining at Gabriel Kreuther for my girlfriend's birthday, and it was an incredible experience. The food was exceptional, with each dish beautifully presented. The flavors were perfectly balanced, offering a culinary journey that was both tasteful and surprising. Overall, we had a fantastic evening that made her special day even more memorable.

Blue

4.8

4.8 (210)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Randall Manor

About the restaurant

Blue blends the cuisines from the cultures adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea.

Top review

RobertVIP

Dined on May 30, 2025

It is a beautiful setting, on the water. The interior is elegant, not overwhelming. The food is tasty and reasonably priced and the wait staff neither ignores nor over checks. They are wonderful.

Sushi Suite 1001 - Nomad NYC by Sushi by Bou

4.8

4.8 (309)

$50 and over

Sushi

NoMad

About the restaurant

Step into the secret world of Sushi Suite, where every bite is a clandestine delight! Secretly located on the 10th floor of the 32/32 hotel and only Accessible with a key from the front desk, this hidden gem combines privacy, luxury, and the art of Omakase, meaning "Chef's Choice,". Sushi Suite features our opulent 'Bougie' Omakase, $150 for 17 pieces 75-minute experience. Elevate your experience with exotic cocktails and premium sake, perfect for sushi pairing. Date Nights, Birthdays, or intimate private seatings, let us whisk you away on a journey of urban mystique. Visit all of our unique locations, each with its own culture-inspired vibe! Reserve now to secure a coveted seat at Sushi By Bou - Sushi Suite

Top review

Mariana

Dined on May 30, 2025

Worth every penny. Really unique and personal experience. However, I wish the price was advertised more clearly because it definitely caught me off guard. That being said, I would definitely recommend to anyone who can afford this unique and private experience.

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Experience

15 Course Omakase

Experience

Date Night Package $165 PER PERSON

Pastavino

4.8

4.8 (404)

$31 to $50

Italian

Stapleton

About the restaurant

Pastavino translates to pasta & wine, the quintessential Italian experience, drawing inspiration from the traditional trattorias & enotecas throughout Italy. Michelin Star Chef Josh Laurano's menu focuses on modern interpretations of familiar Italian flavors, house made pastas, focaccia & secondi. We pride ourselves on seasonality, using local ingredients, and allowing them to be the soul of the menu - Materia Prima.

If you do not see your desired time or party size please check RESY or call the restaurant directly . We do not put all tables online to allow for phone reservations and walk in's.

Please include all guests in your party including those who may be in strollers or high chairs.

While we love to celebrate life's special occasions with you, we kindly ask that you refrain from bringing balloons into our dining rooms.

We try our best to accomodate all requests and preferences, however tables located along the window are seated on a first come first served basis.

Top review

Joey

Dined 3 days ago

Just ALWAYS an amazing experience eating at ANY of Victor Rallo restaurants. Food is on point as was our server Theresa... Great escarola salad..meatballs..bronzino..fregola...seafood pasta and the best wine selection ..Vermintino was excellent..BATTS loves this place

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