December Birthday Dinner in NYC: Booking Around the Holidays
For a December birthday dinner in NYC, the private room is the hard part to get: as of October 2026, Gramercy Tavern’s private dining page lists just seven open December dinner dates (the 11th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th and 30th), and Rezdôra’s lists December 4, 6–7, 12–14 and 18–23. If the birthday lands on a holiday itself, Union Square Cafe is already booking set menus for parties of up to 8, including a Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve at $205 per person and a five-course New Year’s Eve dinner at $185. Dates, prices, capacities and policies below were read from each restaurant’s own site in October 2026.
December is when office holiday parties, family dinners and year-end gatherings all chase the same rooms. The useful part is that a few restaurants publish exactly what is still open. Here is where to look, and when to book.
December birthday dinner options at a glance
| Restaurant | Address | Best for | Key verified detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gramercy Tavern | 42 East 20th Street | A private room for up to 20 | Seven open December dinner dates listed; buyout seats 120 |
| Rezdôra | 27 East 20th Street | A pasta-focused private dinner | December private dinner dates: 4, 6–7, 12–14, 18–23 |
| Union Square Cafe | 101 East 19th Street | A birthday on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve | Holiday set menus for parties of up to 8 |
| Il Cantinori | 32 East 10th Street | 20 to 65 guests | Wine Room up to 28; semi-private Skylight Room up to 65 |
| Tarallucci e Vino | 15 East 18th Street | A flexible-hour group of 8 to 38 | Mezzanine seats 10–38; prix fixe required at 8+ |
| Eataly NYC Flatiron | 200 Fifth Avenue | A very large or uncertain headcount | Private events from a dinner for 12 to a gala for 300 |
Which NYC restaurants publish their December private dining dates?
Many restaurants simply ask you to inquire. Two near Union Square post the dates that are still open, which saves a round of emails.
Gramercy Tavern
Gramercy Tavern’s Private Dining Room, at 42 East 20th Street, seats up to 20 guests for lunch and dinner daily, and a full buyout seats 120 with space for cocktails. For October through December, the private dining page says current dinner availability is limited to a short list of dates. The December ones are Friday the 11th, Friday the 18th, Tuesday the 22nd, Wednesday the 23rd, Saturday the 26th, Sunday the 27th and Wednesday the 30th. Lunches and later dates are by inquiry. The restaurant asks for a valid credit card and a signed contract to hold the room, so a December booking is a commitment, not a pencil mark.
Rezdôra
Rezdôra, at 27 East 20th Street, posts its available private dinner dates for October, November and December on its private-events page. The December dates are the 4th, the 6th and 7th, the 12th through 14th, and the 18th through 23rd. Lunch parties and general questions go through the same inquiry form. For a regular table, the booking form on the restaurant’s site lists party sizes up to “8+”, and dinner runs 5pm to 11pm every day, with lunch Tuesday through Sunday.
Can you book a birthday dinner on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve in NYC?
Yes, but expect a set menu and a party-size cap. Union Square Cafe, at 101 East 19th Street, lists three holiday dinners on its holidays page, each “now booking for parties up to 8 guests” through OpenTable:
- Thanksgiving: a four-course menu with family-style sides and house-made pie, 12pm to 7:30pm, $185 per person. Useful for a late-November birthday.
- Christmas Eve: the Feast of the Seven Fishes, 4:30pm to 9:30pm, $205 per person.
- New Year’s Eve: a five-course dinner, 5pm to 10pm, $185 per person.
The cap is the detail to plan around. A Christmas Eve birthday for twelve is past it, so call to ask what the restaurant can do, or look at a private room on a nearby date. Union Square Cafe’s private spaces are the Alcove, a semi-private room for up to 10 seated, and the Park & Irving Room, for up to 40 seated or 45 standing; a full buyout takes up to 100 seated or 200 standing. Phone (212) 243-4020.
Private rooms that publish capacity but not December dates
These three publish what their rooms hold, so you can send a precise inquiry, but not which December nights are free.
Il Cantinori
Il Cantinori, at 32 East 10th Street between University Place and Broadway, has a Wine Room for up to 28, described as an intimate private setting overlooking the wine cellar, and a semi-private Skylight Room for up to 65 at the back of the restaurant. Dinner runs from 5pm, until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 10:30pm Friday and Saturday; phone 212-673-6044.
Tarallucci e Vino
Tarallucci e Vino’s Mezzanine, at 15 East 18th Street, seats 10 to 38 or holds 20 to 65 standing; events go through (917) 782-7377. The main room keeps all-day hours, but the site notes that opening times may change for holidays, so confirm the December schedule. Its published group rules are worth reading before any December booking: parties of 8 or more order from a prix fixe menu, and parties of 6 or more need a credit card on file, with a $35-per-person fee for a no-show, a cancellation less than 24 hours ahead, or a same-day drop of three or more guests.
Eataly NYC Flatiron
Eataly NYC Flatiron, at 200 Fifth Avenue, hosts private events from “an intimate dinner for 12” to “a gala for 300” across venues including Amalfi Rooftop by Birreria, Bar Milano, La Pizza & La Pasta and La Piazza. Inquiries go through the private-dining page. The building is open daily, 7am to 11pm.
When to book a December birthday dinner in NYC
Work backwards from the restaurant’s own rules rather than a general rule of thumb:
- Private rooms: inquire now. The two restaurants above that publish December dates show a limited set of open nights as of early October.
- Regular tables at Gramercy Tavern: reservations open 28 days ahead, with new dates released at noon. For a Friday, December 18 birthday, that means noon on Friday, November 20. Phone reservations run 12pm to 9pm daily on 212-477-0777.
- Holiday set menus: Union Square Cafe is already taking Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve bookings for parties of up to 8.
December guest lists can shift as holiday invitations pile up, so before you sign anything, find out what a late drop in numbers costs; Tarallucci e Vino, for instance, publishes its fee. For how private-room pricing changes in December, December is priced as a separate season is worth reading before you commit.
For the full set of options at every party size, where to book a birthday dinner in NYC covers the year-round picture, and for a group past ten, booking a large group birthday dinner near Union Square walks through the questions to ask. If the milestone is a 30th, 40th or 50th, adult and milestone birthday dinners covers buyouts and event spaces.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I book a December birthday dinner in NYC?
For a private room, inquire as early as possible: as of October 2026, Gramercy Tavern lists seven open December dinner dates and Rezdôra lists a limited set of December dates. For a regular table at Gramercy Tavern, reservations open 28 days ahead at noon, so a December 18 table becomes bookable at noon on November 20.
Can you get a birthday dinner on Christmas Eve in NYC?
Yes, with planning. Union Square Cafe at 101 East 19th Street lists a Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes from 4:30pm to 9:30pm at $205 per person, booking through OpenTable for parties of up to 8. Other restaurants’ holiday hours vary, and Tarallucci e Vino notes that its opening times may change for holidays, so confirm directly.
Can I book a private room for a December birthday in NYC?
Yes, but dates are limited. Gramercy Tavern’s Private Dining Room seats up to 20 and lists open December dinners on the 11th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th and 30th, while Rezdôra lists December 4, 6–7, 12–14 and 18–23. Il Cantinori, Tarallucci e Vino and Eataly NYC Flatiron publish room capacities, so ask them about specific December nights.
