While you may still be recovering from Christmas festivities, it might have escaped you that New Year's Eve is just a mere three days away. While we stop and reflect on the past year and make new resolutions for the coming one, it is also a great time to enjoy a meal surrounded by friends and family to celebrate the arrival 2012. Here, we select some of the best restaurants around town where you can have a wonderful time saying good-bye to 2011.

Retro New Year's Eve at Petrus

On New Year's Eve, Petrus will be transporting diners to 1940s and 1950s France, perhaps as a nod to Midnight in Paris, one of the most popular films of 2011. The air will no doubt be filled with strains of La Vie en Rose while guests enjoys an extravagant nine-course dinner prepared by Petrus' chef de cuisine, Frederic Chabbert. Priced at HK$3,988, the gala dinner includes:

- scallop and black truffle carpaccio
- rock fish soup
- black truffle and crispy potato tart
- roast blue Brittany lobster with seaweed coral jus
- duck liver wrapped in nori leaves with Hakodate calamari and sea urchin
- venison fillet with chestnut spaghetti and glazed vegetables
- crispy truffled reblochon cheese
- light guanaja chocolate mousse with ginger bread mascarpone and crispy caramel croquant

56/F Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty. Tel: +852 2820-8590

A Chic New Year's Eve at Armani/Aqua

Can't decide what to have for your New Year's Eve meal or trying to please a lot of people with different palates? An excellent place for compromise is Armani/Aqua, one of the biggest openings of 2011. Situated at Chater House in Central, Armani/Aqua has quickly gained popularity among the city's gourmands and trendsetters with its delectable dishes and beautiful furnishing. This New Year's Eve, serving Japanese and Italian dishes side-by-side, Armani/Aqua has prepared a special menu for HK$1,488 per person. The menu features:

- giant prawn, abalone, yellow tail sashimi and wagyu sushi
- pan-fried scallop with goose liver and broad bean foam
- turnip top risotto with marinated sardine fillets
- charcoal grilled Japanese sea bass with king prawn tempura cod roe sauce
- fillet of lamb and sweet bread in pistachio crust served with raspberry vinegar
- apple tart

For the after-party, there is probably nowhere more glamourous and better situated than moving onto the giant terrace of Armani/Privé, conveniently located next door. This might just be the one New Year's Eve you won't have to worry about battling notorious Lan Kwai Fong traffic between dinner and drinks.

2/F Chater House, 8 Connaught Road, Central. Tel: +852 3583-2828.

Jazzy Family Buffet at Tiffin

If spending your New Year's Eve with family rather than friends, we highly recommend going to Tiffin at the Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai, one of our favourite buffet restaurants in town. Adjacent to the Victoria Harbour, it is one of the best locations to view the New Year's fireworks from Hong Kong Island. On the night, a 17-piece band will play a series of festive jazz favourites on the mezzanine floor opposite to Tiffin starting from 8pm to get diners ready for the countdown. Meanwhile, Tiffin will be serving a special New Year's Eve buffet from 7pm to 1am. The wide selection on the buffet menu includes:

- foie gras terrine with French winter truffle
- steak tartar- Boston lobster
- assorted sushi and sashimi
- lobster bisque with pike dumplings
- Canadian prime rib
- crepe suzette

M/F Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tel: +852 2584-7722.

Chinese Celebration at T'ang Court

Not sure you feel like Western cuisine with its heavy foie gras, red meat and truffles? T'ang Court at The Langham in Tsim Sha Tsim is one of our favourite alternatives. The chic Chinese restaurant is decorated with traditional Chinese vases and art with red oak pillars and red curtains, lending a suitable momentous environment to ring in 2012. For this New Year's Eve, T'ang Court has prepared a special menu priced at HK$1,138 per person and its sommelier will also be standing by to help you pair wines with the Chinese specialities. The menu includes:

- baked sliced lobster with mozzarella cheese
- stewed bamboo fungus rolls filled with bird's nest and topped with crab meat and roe
- pan-fried sliced spotted garoupa with soy sauce
- stir-fried diced lamb with Chinese kale, red and yellow bell peppers
- stewed "Tien Tsin" cabbage with Yunnan in chicken broth
- fried rice with mixed seafood and salted egg yolk
- double boiled pear and snow fungus with American ginseng
- Chinese petit fours

1/F & 2/F The Langham, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 2375-1133.

Fabulous Views at Ava

Located atop the Hotel Panorama in Tsim Sha Tsui, Ava is another of our favourite openings of 2011. The modern European restaurant possesses an understated and elegant décor with gorgeous table settings and of course, a stunning view of the Victoria Harbour to admire the New Year fireworks. Priced at HK$1,288 per person, the New Year's menu at Ava is available from December 31 to January 2. It includes:

- French oysters
- golden mushroom consommé
- foie gras
- poached Boston lobster
- roasted medallion of wagyu beef
- champagne-strawberry sorbet
- chocolate orbe

38/F Hotel Panorama by Rhombus, 8A Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 3550 0262.