Malibu finally got the kind of restaurant it really needs: a warm, personable spot with great service, a graceful dining room, a serious chef and good cooking. On New Year’s you'll find a three-course menu for $75. Dishes include roasted vegetable and goat cheese terrine, and Dijon-crusted beef tenderloin and honey panna cotta. A jazz duo will play beginning at 6 p.m.

Rumor has it that one sip of Ciudad’s "Supremo Mojito"--a frothy concoction of fresh mint, lime, sugar and 12-year-old Zaya Gran Reserva rum--is enough to turn any nonbeliever into a fan of Cuba's favorite cocktail. On New Year’s you can sip on many mojitos while enjoying multi-course menus, wine-pairings, and live Latin jazz.

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger's festive Santa Monica restaurant will party all night with margaritas, multi-course menus, music and more.

This sleek, steakhouse and lounge was recently remodeled and added a live piano bar in its cozy dark-wood bar. There is also a lovely patio where you can smell the ocean breezes drifting in from the beach a few blocks away. On New Year's Eve Landmark will celebrate with its annual New Year's Eve Ball. For $125 each guest gets a four-course dinner, music and dancing courtesy of DJ Lucky You, as well as a champagne toast at midnight.

Authentic Spanish food is hard to come by, but new tapas restaurant Tinto comes pretty close. On New Year's $68 will get you a five-course meal including lobster bisque soup, deep-fried oysters, Spanish churros, and a glass of Spanish Cava.

This hugely popular French restaurant in Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza is serving a special a la carte menu on New Years Eve from 5:30 until 10:30 p.m. On the menu: New Zealand scallops, Maine lobster, venison, and lemon and vanilla panna cotta

With a 30-foot-high trellised glass ceiling, French doors dressed with lace curtains, and flower boxes flush with hydrangeas, the Bistro Garden creates a kind of French Continental garden patio indoors. Ring in the New Year with a gala dinner and dancing. The party goes from 9:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. The menu includes dishes such as portobello mushroom ravioli, Kumamoto oysters on ice, asparagus risotto, and poached pear with brandy sauce. There will also be complimentary champagne at midnight.

Miso-marinated Chilean sea bass and escargot bourguignon share space on Akira Hirose's fusion menu, which showcases the best of his Japanese heritage and French training. On New Year's Eve you can order dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The restaurant closes at 11 p.m., so you can still get home or hop off to a party for your midnight kiss.

A tiny tapas bar with real Spanish flair. Just a few tables and lots of standing room, which is what you'll need on New Year's Eve when the restaurant rings in the New Year at 3 p.m. L.A. time (which is midnight Barcelona time) and hands each guest 12 grapes to eat for each chime of the clock. Then everyone toasts with Cava, and feasts on Spanish specialties including roasted lamb and suckling pig.

Looking to hang with CAA, United Artists and Fox employees? Then get thee to X Bar, the Hyatt's updated take on the hotel bar. It's more of a party than a dinner vibe, but you can still eat from chef Manfred Lassahn's shared-plates menu before you dance your way into tomorrow. Cover charge $20, food extra.

Yet another addition to Culver City's swiftly growing restaurant row, Gyenari is an upscale Korean barbecue restaurant with a focus on healthy, organic choices including vegetarian and vegan options. The restaurant is offering an especially tempting New Year's Eve dinner: Three courses, including a glass of Prosecco, for $45. Dishes include shrimp mandoo; Korean barbecue short ribs and flower chicken; and green tea cake donuts. Gyenari will set up a dance floor with a live DJ to lead the night to its final toast.

Murano balances stunning decor with delicious food. Enjoy a five-course prix-fixe Italian feast crafted by chef Luciano Sautto. Expect duet of butter lettuce and Belgian endive with Gorgonzola, pan-seared sea bass, and lady fingers dipped in coffee-Amaretto. First seating: 7 p.m, $115 with wine pairings. Second seating: 10 p.m., $130 with wine pairings and a champagne toast at midnight.

Located across the street from the Disney Concert Hall, in the towering Omni Hotel, Noe Restaurant and Lounge is a popular favorite with those in the burgeoning downtown nightlife scene. You'll find three New Year's seatings (5 to 6:30 p.m., $100 with wine; 7 to 8:30 p.m. $130 with wine; 10:30 p.m., $155 with wine and champagne toast under fake falling snow) featuring menu items such as bluefin tuna carpaccio, pumpkin risotto, maple-leaf duck breast, and poached pear with brandy sauce.

Rush Street is named after a mile-long stretch of road in Chicago that bustles with crowds in search of food, booze and entertainment at all hours of the afternoon and evening. The restaurant is dubbing its New Year's happenings the "biggest party in Culver City." There's no cover so you can just make reservations for dinner and then move on to enjoy the DJ, dancing, champagne bar, and something called the "pole room."

This tony new bar and restaurant on the corner of Hollywood and Vine is offering two seatings. The first, at 5:30 p.m., is $100; the second at 8:30 is $150. Once you're settled in your seat you'll be treated to the 40 Deuce Burlesque show.

Located on the street level of the shiny Disney Concert Hall, Patina is one of the easiest restaurants to find in downtown L.A. On New Year's Eve it's serving menu items including pheasant soup with celery sake, Kobe beef duo, and chocolate-raspberry mille-feuille. First seating: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., $75. Gala seating: 7:30 to 10 p.m., $155. Third seating: 10 to 11 p.m., a la carte.

Another feather in the Patina Group's cap, Nick & Stef's Steakhouse is a city-slicker version of the old Midwestern steakhouse geared towards the after-work crowd. For New Year's the restaurant will feature a three-course dinner for $59, and a six-course dinner for $85. Reservations taken from 5 to 10 p.m. Think Hudson Valley foie gras, lobster risotto, and roasted Sonoma lamb.

Tucked away beneath the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the street-level Kendall's Brasserie is the perfect place to grab a pre-show meal -- or a post-concert drink. On New Year's it's the perfect place to enjoy a $55 four-course menu--including filet mignon and baby turnips--from 5 p.m. to midnight.

This Patina Group eatery hosts power lunches by day and romance by night. Get extra romantic on New Year's Eve with a three course ($55) or four course ($85) dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. Try scallop carpaccio, braised osso buco, and sticky toffee pudding

What do the Central Library and Cafe Pinot have in common? Well, not much other than the well-manicured Maguire Gardens located on the corner of Fifth and Flower streets, which acts as de facto annex for both institutions. But it's great to look at the historic building on a historic night. Try a three course ($65) or a five-course ($95) dinner of seared yellowfin tuna, and rotisserie pheasant with chestnut and apple. 5 to 11 p.m.

Quirky Asian-esque fare served mostly small-plate style in the old Helms Bakery. On New Year's Eve Beacon prepares a special a la carte menu including favorites such as black cod, hanger steak, and miso-braised short ribs. Or for $48 per person you can nab a four-course, prix-fixe menu featuring roasted duck breast, striped bass, and a trio of desserts.

Enjoy a prix-fixe five-course dinner for $95 per person. Menu items include Maine lobster ravioli with wild mushrooms, pan-roasted rock cod, and winter spice crème brulee. You can also choose a bottle of wine from the restaurant's wine cellar, which boasts 200 labels. Seating begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m.

Rustic Canyon seems to have struck a nerve with Santa Monica restaurant goers. The increasingly popular neighborhood restaurant is offering two seatings (5:30 and 8:30 p.m.) featuring chef Evan Funke and pastry chef Zoe Nathan's culinary creations (fried squash blossoms, braised Niman Ranch short ribs, trio of sweets). The first seating is $75, the second is $105, and includes a hamachi crudo and a champagne toast.

For fans of the friendly neighborhood joint, there's Dominick's. To keep things real on New Year's Eve the restaurant is offering a special a la carte menu with tasty bites like rice balls with mozzarella and mushrooms, and grilled diver scallops with black truffle butter. "Reasonably priced" Prosecco will also be on hand. On New Year's morning Dominick’s sister-restaurant Little Dom's in Los Feliz will offer hangover cures: $10 bottles of house wine and Prosecco, and Bloody Marys.

Firefly Bistro offers a slightly bohemian California menu that's high-spirited and fun, just like its tent party atmosphere. New Year's brings live music by Barry Big B Brenner and two $65 prix-fixe menus, one for carnivores (pan-roasted osso buco) and one for vegetarians (Greek pumpkin and tomato stew).

Open since December [2007], this casual, sophisticated Italian restaurant is owned by first-time restaurateur Michael Dene -- who lives in Naples, the marina-rich neighborhood in Long Beach. He'll be ringing in New Year's at his namesake restaurant with two seatings: Six courses at 7:30 for $150, and a $60 buffet at 9 p.m. The first seating will take place on the restaurant's rooftop deck; the second will be fireside on the heated patio.

Chef Eric Greenspan's polished California fare is on display at this modern bistro. Greenspan intends to help you party all night long with a variety of dining options. The first seating (from 6 to 7 p.m., five courses) costs $110 with wine pairings; the second seating (8:30 to 9 p.m., five courses) costs $200 with wine pairings and includes champagne at midnight and live entertainment. Otherwise you can just opt for the $30 lounge party and fill up on passed hors d'oeuvres.

House specialties revolve around Lake Como, the big blue body of water near Italy's northern border with Switzerland. The restaurant's "bursting with bubbles" New Year's Eve celebration features a DJ, dancing and champagne, as well as a delicious five-course menu, all for $129 per person. Italian favorites include antipasto di terra, branzino in crosta, and gelato al forno.

Santa Monica just got a new French stage set. And while it may not be appropriate to break out that beret you bought in Paris, by all means, dress for the part. On New Year's Eve you can dress even better than that in order to indulge in chef Giraud's four-course prix-fixe menu, which includes favorites such as Maine scallops, and roasted poularde. First seating: 6 to 8 p.m., $85. Second seating: 8 to 11 p.m., $110.

Retreat from the paparazzi of Robertson into Chaya’s cool interior, boasting beamed wood ceilings, geometric skylights, and a central garden of giant bamboo. On New Year's Eve Chaya celebrates an evening at Cote d' Azur, with a four-course dinner, live music, a performance by Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. First seating: 5 to 7:30 p.m., $150. Second seating, 8 to 11 p.m., $150.

In the fast-moving and trendy Los Angeles restaurant scene, any place that lasts 16 years has earned the right to be called an institution. Chaya Venice is just such an establishment, though it still shows the exuberance of a youngster. On New Year's Eve celebrate with a party called "Studio 2009." For $150 you'll get a four-course dinner, a complimentary champagne toast, a DJ, go-go dancers, a red carpet, and party favorites. First seating: 5 to 7 p.m. Second seating: 9 to 9:30 p.m.

New York restaurateur Wolfgang Zwiener has brought a version of his elaborately decorated Park Avenue steakhouse to Beverly Hills and opened it up near Wolfgang Puck's steakhouse Cut. Celebrate New Year's Eve with New York style by counting down to the New Year at 8:59 p.m., and again at 11:59. DJ Meegan entertains and an a la carte menu of juicy steaks is featured.

Cal-French fare in Santa Monica's luxurious Le Merigot Hotel. Elegant indoor dining is offered as well as alfresco dining on a shady terrace overlooking the pool. First seating: 6 to 7 p.m., $65. Second seating: 9 to 10 p.m., $95. Live piano, party favors, a champagne toast, and dancing rounds off an evening of delicious French dining (double beef consomme, chocolate souffle).

Wine Spectator once declared Valentino's 2,500-labels-long wine list "the greatest wine cellar of them all." Could there be a better place to ring in the New Year? The famed Italian restaurant wants to bring romance to your evening with a rich, $135 eight-course tasting menu ($45 more for white truffle supplement; $75 more for wine pairings). Think salad of seared tuna with blood oranges, oxtail ragu, and artisanal cheeses. First seating: 5 to 7 p.m. Second seating: 9 to 10:45 p.m.

Jonathan Morr brings his super-trendy New York City sushi haunt to the new Thompson Beverly Hills hotel. New Year's Eve seatings happen at 6:30, 7, 7:30, and 8 p.m. Six-courses cost $95, and you can attend the glittery New Year's Eve party from 10 to 2 a.m. for an additional $75 per person. There you'll find a DJ, dancing, a premium open bar, passed apps, and sushi.

The setting couldn't be more modest, yet Israeli-born Bashan, former executive chef of Michael's in Santa Monica and sous chef under Michael Cimarusti at Providence, is turning out polished contemporary cooking from a minuscule kitchen. On New Year's Eve you can nosh on a five-course or six-course tasting menu during one of two seatings (6 to 9 p.m.; 9 p.m. to midnight). The first is $100 with wine, the second is $120 with wine. Dishes served include: hamachi sashimi, cauliflower soup, braised pork belly, and jidori chicken breast.

Tucked into Westwood's newest boutique hotel, Blvd 16 was designed by Cheryl Rowley to blend a sense of historic L.A. in with a super-modern aesthetic. On New Year's Eve every two dinner guests receive a free bottle of Perrier Jouet Brut Champagne. After 10 p.m. guests are provided with party favors, hats, and noise makers (there's no cover). First seating: 5 to 6:30 p.m., $100. Second seating: 7 to 10 p.m., $125.

This restaurant/martini lounge in the heart of Beverly Hills is a modern-day rendition of a supper club from a bygone Hollywood era. Nic's wants to celebrate the spirit of a reborn America on New Year's Eve, with a four-course meal of American food, martinis, and rockin' Chicago blues music. First seating: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., $60. Second seating: 9 to 10:30 p.m., $75.

Enjoy a $65 four-course prix-fixe menu at the hotel's Californias restaurant before whizzing off to Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, which is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

There are just a handful of tables under the big canvas umbrellas outside this diminutive spot annexed to the Beverly Terrace Hotel. This is a fabulous under-the-radar spot, but reserve early because it will fill up quickly (there aren't many tables). The restaurant isn't doing anything special, just it's regular menu, and several special dishes, but that's good enough for us.

This highly anticipated restaurant in the SLS Hotel is headed by popular Spanish chef Jose Andres. A coveted destination, the Bazaar is sure to be a hit on New Year's Eve when it offers unlimited access to its rojo y blanca menu for $125 per person. The party continues in the adjacent Bar Centro and ballroom.

French cuisine meets the Pacific at 71 Palm, where chef Didier Poirier brings the tastes and traditions of his motherland to coastal California. On New Year's Eve chef Didier offers a tantalizing a la carte menu including grilled Atlantic salmon with pancetta, lobster bisque, and rib-eye steak with melted Gorgonzola. Complimentary champagne is also available.

Looking to get high? You'll find stunning views of downtown L.A. at this 21st-floor lounge, and its adjoining restaurant, Takami. The restaurant is featuring two New Year's eve seatings. The first, at 6 p.m., offers the regular menu; the second, at 9 p.m., costs $125, includes a champagne toast, and includes Japanese delights like edamame and miso soup, and robata, fusion, and sushi tastings.