Is there such a thing as “the most coveted New Year’s Eve party in Healdsburg”? According to the Quinn Public Relations firm, there is—and it’s at the new Appellation Healdsburg. Considering it only opened for business in September, that’s quite an accomplishment.
Guests can ring in 2026 with a “must-attend” evening featuring a five-course dinner at Folia Bar & Kitchen, domain of Chef Charlie Palmer’s culinary team, complete with a live band followed by festive DJ beats, a sparkling midnight toast under the stars (weather permitting) and a few special surprise appearances. The dinner menu highlights include a Tsar Nicolai caviar parfait, Maine lobster with vanilla butter and winter truffle pasta.
Folia is one of several local restaurants touting a New Year’s Eve menu—many on the heels of a similar Christmas dinner, though presumably by the time one reads this article that will be irrelevant. Here follows a number of restaurants that also plan on elevating what is usually just another night of the year (ahem) into a culinary experience worth the anticipation.
Chef Charlie Palmer’s local plans include other New Year’s Eve meals, with the team at Dry Creek Kitchen offering two festive tasting menus with seasonally inspired Wine Country fare: from persimmon and burrata appetizers to King Crab risotto, Liberty Duck or other amusements, finishing with a Chocolate Ganache Tart. Choose from à la carte tickets to tables for up to 10 guests. $195 per person with $95 wine pairing. 31 Healdsburg Ave., 707.431.0330, drycreekkitchen.com.
On the south side of the Plaza, Dustin Vallette and Nate Davis welcome 2026 with a culinary celebration at The Matheson, where a special five-course tasting menu highlights seasonal ingredients from Sonoma County. The wine wall at the Matheson makes it an attractive place to begin a celebration. If these restaurants have a sommelier-selected wine pairing to offer, it could be worth it for the sommelier’s show alone. Dinner from 4-10pm. $185 per person | $125 wine pairing. 106 Matheson St., 707.723.1106, thematheson.com.
Up toward North Street the chef’s own Valette Healdsburg will ring in the New Year with a special six-course tasting menu crafted to the season in Wine Country style. Guests can anticipate Valette’s signature combinations of local ingredients, refined flavors and festive flair. Details will be announced soon, but it sounds like a thoughtful menu as usual at Valette Healdsburg. 344 Center St., 707.473.0946, valettehealdsburg.com.
Another signature local restaurant—Hazel Hill, the restaurant at Montage Healdsburg—is withholding the menu for New Year’s Eve dinner. Executive Chef Jason Pringle’s emphasis on French-inspired, California-focused selections will be put on display for New Year’s Eve diners, though what the meal will include remains a mystery. A circuitous effort to reserve a table indicates they may be offering a five-course pris-fix dinner menu for $270 per, but it’s unclear if any tables are available. 100 Montage Way, 707.354.6900, montagehotels.com/healdsburg/dining/hazel-hill.
Elsewhere downtown, Spoonbar also has plans for New Year’s Eve. It offers a three-course menu featuring seasonally inspired dishes and desserts, while live piano-guitar music provides a subtle soundtrack for a celebratory evening. Only $95 per person, from an amuse to affogato; with choices of sides, mains and desserts. 219 Healdsburg Ave., 707.433.7222, spoonbar.com.
Another reliable downtown restaurant, which seems like an institution though it’s only been open for 15 years, is Baci Café and Wine Bar. It’s closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but open the preceding evenings. It’s a popular local Italian night out, so make reservations early. 336 Healdsburg Ave., 707.433.8111, bacicafeandwinebar.
However, the “real” New Year’s at Baci is not Dec. 31, but the Persian New Year (Nowruz), which allows Chef Shari Sarabi to return to his native cuisine for inspiration. It falls in late March, coincident with the spring Solstice. By then another celebration is surely in order.
