I'll confess that I'm a little ambivalent about New Year's Eve. Over the years we have marked it in a variety of ways. We've done movie night in pjs with a takeaway, We've honoured an obscure German tradition by watching an ancient comedy film called "Dinner for One." We've attended full-on black tie dinner parties and raucous house parties and thanks to a vomiting baby saw Y2K in very quietly, just the two of us with a bottle of Champagne. Some months later our second child was born......
I quite like a meal as part of the celebrations. At my age it becomes increasingly more difficult to stay both sparklingly interesting, upright and awake until midnight. A nice meal with at least three courses makes the evening fly by in a very pleasant fashion until the bells chime and everyone starts to wonder how soon they can make their excuses.
If you agree, the French inspired group of restaurants, Côte Brasserie is making life extra easy this year offering generous feasts you can enjoy both at home or in brasserie.
This year, guests dining in-brasserie can indulge in Côte’s four-course New Year’s Eve celebration menu (from £53.95 per head), a standout feast crafted for flavour, value and French indulgence.
Guests are welcomed with a complimentary glass of Crémant or Kisumé non-alcoholic sparkling rosé, setting a perfectly celebratory tone.
The menu is generous from the start including for the table dishes Comté Madeleines with hot honey dip, olives, and garlic-herb peppers and then a wide variety of delicious starters including Chicken Liver Parfait with macerated figs, indulgent Camembert Brûlée, King Prawns in Café de Paris butter, Beetroot-Cured Smoked Salmon and more.
Mains celebrate classic French comfort elevated for the occasion: luxurious Confit Duck à l’Orange, Cornish Roasted Hake with velvety lobster sauce, Steak Frites Deluxe cut in Côte’s own butchery (+£8 supplement), Chestnut & Sage Tartiflette with a baked half Camembert and an impressive vegan Roasted Miso Parsnip dish, among others.
A trio of sides for £15 encourages festive feasting, from Sprouts à la Française and hot-honey Pigs in Blankets to crispy confit potatoes with gravy mayo.
Guests may finish with a curated French cheese plate, or choose from a line-up of desserts including Pain Perdu, Warm Chocolate Fondant and the striking La Bûche Rouge winter berry mousse log.
With its breadth of choice, generous portions and sparkling welcome, Côte delivers one of the most compelling NYE menus on the high street for the price, all served until midnight across all brasseries.
For those celebrating at home, Côte’s sell-out New Year’s Eve Feasts return featuring the NYE Feast for Six for £169.95 and the NYE Feast for Two for £84.95
The menu features beetroot-cured salmon with horseradish cream, followed by British & Irish Côte de Boeuf with gratin dauphinois and black garlic jus, finished with a dark chocolate financier and cherry compote. Show-stopping, indulgent - and completely stress-free.
For more relaxed celebrations, the Buffet Box (£76.95, serves 2–4) offers a ready-to-serve spread of French cheeses, truffle saucisson, cured ham, smoked salmon, pâté, confits and more - “a party in a box” when paired with Côte’s festive drinks range.
To keep celebrations lively, the first 150 orders will receive a complimentary Big Potato Games party game.
Back for another year of festive excellence, Côte’s at-home range continues to be a beloved ritual, even for Dame Judi Dench, who counts herself among the thousands who rely on Côte at Home for effortless festive dining.
Also available to celebrate the season in style is the Festive Breakfast Box (£67.95) - croissants, jams, granola, sausages, eggs, and Crémant de Bourgogne as well as the Festive Drinks Package (£79.95) - from Buck’s Fizz to Port for the cheese course.
All menus are created by Executive Chef Steve Allen, whose Michelin-starred background includes Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Pétrus and Claridge’s.
Steve said: “Creating this year’s New Year’s Eve menus has been a real joy. Whether guests are joining us in the Brasserie for a four-course celebration menu or celebrating at home with our Côte at Home feast boxes, the focus is the same - generous, joyful dishes full of flavour, crafted to make the occasion feel truly special. From elegant French classics in our restaurants to indulgent, stress-free feasts delivered straight to your door, we want everyone to be able to celebrate in the way that suits them best. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!”
Côte at Home festive menus are delivered chilled and ready to serve, with nationwide delivery from 18-23 December. Early booking is strongly advised.
Order now at coteathome.co.uk