But how to make it feel properly festive? In many ways, the job is half done already: the house is still strung with fairy lights, there are leftovers aplenty, and the will for one final celebratory feast just about remains. Still, as with any party, if you’re going to host, you may as well do it well. Before we pin our New Year’s resolutions to the fridge, here’s how to make the most of the last, best hurrah of the season.
How To Throw The Perfect NYE Party
The countdown is on! Here’s how to see out 2025 in good style and even better company.
To go out or not to go out? That is the question – most nights when socialising is mooted, in fact, but never more so than on New Year’s Eve. As more and more NYEs roll by, though, the appeal of staying in tends to win by a landslide. It’s hard to beat gathering a few of your favourites, raising a final toast to the year, and then meandering upstairs to bed by quarter past midnight, blissfully free of taxi queues and inflated bar prices.
But how to make it feel properly festive? In many ways, the job is half done already: the house is still strung with fairy lights, there are leftovers aplenty, and the will for one final celebratory feast just about remains. Still, as with any party, if you’re going to host, you may as well do it well. Before we pin our New Year’s resolutions to the fridge, here’s how to make the most of the last, best hurrah of the season.
But how to make it feel properly festive? In many ways, the job is half done already: the house is still strung with fairy lights, there are leftovers aplenty, and the will for one final celebratory feast just about remains. Still, as with any party, if you’re going to host, you may as well do it well. Before we pin our New Year’s resolutions to the fridge, here’s how to make the most of the last, best hurrah of the season.
Set The Scene
As aforementioned, the house already looks twinkly and inviting. But when it comes to the NYE table, a subtle shift from the reds, greens and golds to something still festive but slightly fresher and pared back makes a lovely way to usher in a shiny new year.
Bottoms Up
This is the last gasp of drinking and making merry – and after several weeks of clinking glasses, we think it’s best to keep things simple: one cocktail, a good white wine (white, for us, as we’ll err on the fishier side for the food), and some sparkling for the all-important toast. These are the ones that do the job nicely. You can, of course, make the cocktail yourself – but if you want to be kind to yourself, this tried-and-tested pre-mixed version is hard to beat.
Feasting Times
Fig, Blue Cheese & Crispy Prosciutto Crostini
Waitrose
Every party needs a welcoming bite, though one or two is plenty – no need to toil over platters and platters of canapés. These fig, blue cheese and crispy prosciutto crostini are perfect in our books: easy to eat, beautifully balanced, and simple to make. Get the recipe.
The Best Baked Salmon
Waitrose
What we love about Martha Collison’s Scandinavian-inspired salmon is its versatility. It can be served hot or cold, looks sensational, and doesn’t require a chef’s diploma to knock together. The perfect meal to see out the year – simply serve with a lightly dressed green salad on the side (potato salad too, if your guests are hungry). Get the recipe.
Chocolate, Orange And Spice Fondue
BBC
How’s this for an indulgent way to round off the year? Dipping cubes of Christmas cake into a fondue of spiced, orangey chocolate – joy in a mouthful. And if you drip the chocolate down your front, no matter; chances are your glad-rags are going into hibernation for a little while after tonight. Get the recipe.
At The Stroke Of Midnight
Whether you see it as bidding farewell to the old or welcoming the new – or a heady mix of both – make sure it goes with a bang. To that end, here are three ways to mark the turning point.
Let Us Entertain You
This one depends on your crowd. But if your gathering looks favourably upon games and activities, then what better way to bring in the new year – just so long as everyone remembers it’s all in the name of good fun. NYE is no time to fall out over who won what. And don’t forget to document the whole affair with a few Polaroid snaps – fun, with the added bonus that no one can plaster them all over Instagram the next day.
Dress To The Nines
For most of us, it’s the last moment to throw on a fun and fancy frock for a little while. If you’re still in the spirit of things, do go all out – you may be in your own home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play dress up if that is what your heart so desires. Kitchen discos ahoy!
By
Nancy Alsop
·
Published December 2025
Nancy is a magpie for the best in design and culture.
