For when only the rowdiest of dinners will do, Sushi on Me, in both Queens and Brooklyn, is the spot. This high-energy sushi bar is the opposite of a traditional omakase in all ways—except, happily, the top-notch fish—featuring bottomless sake, lots of cursing, and occasional live jazz. Everyone here is ready to party, and the 18-course omakase led by entertaining chefs who will do shots with you is a beautiful excuse to do so.

Few restaurants have captured New York’s imagination (and as many star-studded New York Times reviews) the way Gotham has since it opened in 1984. The kitchen is now led by chef Ron Paprocki, who puts out special-occasion feasts that are a mix of menu icons (yellowfin tuna tartar for the win) but also include new kids on the block like a crispy celery root dish with portobello mushrooms and Brussels sprouts.

Indian Accent is where you go for a choose-your-own adventure Indian meal. The creative spot is an ideal place to toast over a festive spread that feels more playful than its other fine-dining friends in Midtown. It’s all thanks to one of New Delhi’s most acclaimed chefs, Manish Mehrotra, who brings remixed takes on South Asian staples like sweet pickle ribs with sun-dried mango and kulchas stuffed with butter chicken or hoisin duck. Don’t skip the ghee roast lamb.

There’s no better way to mark a milestone than dinner at a three-MICHELIN-starred restaurant—one of only 13 in the entire country. Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert’s seafood institution is still pulling in crowds and all sorts of cred—New York Times critic Pete Wells handed it yet another four-star review in February. That’s because no one does fresh French seafood quite like Le Bernardin. The Chef’s Tasting Menu is the way to go here, and a vegetarian version also makes this icon stand out.

Before DUMBO’s trendy boutiques, scenic parks, and rooftop bars, there was The River Café. It’s been around since 1977, but the MICHELIN-starred restaurant is anything but out of place, even as its surroundings have evolved. The River Café has always been ahead of its time, sourcing farm-to-table ingredients long before that was the norm, launching the careers of celeb chefs such as David Burke and Charlie Palmer along the way.

For a Gilded Age-style celebration, look no further than Downtown Brooklyn’s historic Gage & Tollner. Sohui Kim, Ben Schneider, and St. John Frizell (of Brooklyn favorites (Insa and Fort Defiance) restored the 1879 landmarked steakhouse to all its glory in 2021. Brass chandeliers, large mirrors, and a marble bar set the mood for a classic meal. The she-crab soup, fried chicken, and coconut layer cake are all shoutouts to famed chef Edna Lewis—who was the chef here between 1988 to 1992.

Yes, it’s near impossible to score a reservation at Tatiana, but Kwame Onwuachi’s Lincoln Center legend is worth the hype—especially for a special night out. Dishes that honor the James Beard Award winner’s Afro-Caribbean heritage, like the short rib pastrami suya, egusi dumplings with crab, and curried goat patties, have meant months-long waits to eat here. But it’s incredibly rare to see Black food on these kinds of fine-dining stages—and that’s worth celebrating.

If you can’t imagine a special night out without show-stopping pasta, Ai Fiori in the Langham hotel is your spot. Artistic plates like the squid ink pasta with crustacean ragu and spaghetti with blue crab are reason enough to celebrate (and can be ordered as part of a four-course prix-fixe or a chef’s tasting menu). Take the festivities further with a bottle of wine from a 1,000-plus list that reps Italy’s lesser-known regions and grapes.

As the name suggests, it’s all about battered and fried delicacies at Tempura Matsui. The restaurant’s late chef Masao Matsui introduced tempura tasting menus to the city, and his namesake spot celebrates him with a multi-course extravaganza that earned it a seventh consecutive MICHELIN star in 2022. Matsui’s wooden chef’s counter is the place to watch all the deep-fried action unfold. Rounds of sashimi and chawanmushi are the ultimate palate cleansers, as is a strong sake menu.

With three stars from The New York Times, two MICHELIN stars, and a history that stretches back to 1987, Aquavit is one of NYC’s most prized dining rooms—and an ideal place to mark anything exceptional. In recent years, the Scandinavian restaurant has expanded to include lunch, plus à la carte and tasting menu options for dinner. Across all its menus, you’ll find fine-dining twists on classic Nordic ingredients like three types of herring with cheese and potato and Norwegian king crab with corn.