If you’re in need of some last-minute New Year’s Eve plans — and you’ve got some serious dough to spend — you’re in luck.
Diners can dish out more than $700 to ring in 2025 at the Times Square Applebee’s, where patrons can enjoy an hours-long open bar, dinner buffet, midnight Champagne toast, a live DJ and, of course, the opportunity to watch the annual ball drop.
Starting at $729 per person for a party of eight, the prices rise as the head count dwindles, culminating with a three-person reservation ringing in at $999 each, or $849 per head for a two-person table.
The casual eatery also offers a private couple’s package for a whopping $2,299, which includes two tickets for a private table.
Last year, Applebee’s charged $650 per person on New Year’s Eve.
“You are really paying for the real estate, to be in the area and ultimately to get a view of the ball drop at midnight,” Joshua Perla, the founder of NYE event producer BallDrop.com and NewYears.com, told The Post last year.
The New Year’s Eve extravaganza at Applebee’s, which is less than a block away from the iconic ball drop, is open to all ages and offers an all-you-can-eat buffet for over four hours, party favors, live entertainment, a DJ and a five-hour open bar to those 21 years of age or older.
The chain restaurant will also escort guests who want a closer view of the ball drop to Times Square, security conditions permitting, and those who chose to stay behind will be offered a Champagne toast at midnight.
But the eatery isn’t the only hotspot where tourists are flocking on Dec. 31.
A few blocks north, the Applebee’s on 50th Street is offering similar packages for private and sharing tables, although they also hawked general admission tickets that appear to be sold out.
Meanwhile, the AMC Theatres location on 42nd Street is in its 10th year of offering a live view of the ball drop for those willing to splurge nearly $1,000 or more on tickets with access to its terrace.
Bar 54 at the Hyatt Centric in Times Square is also hosting a “black tie optional soiree” with hors d’oeuvres and an open bar for a minimum of $1,399 per person for general admission. Couples who want to reserve a seat at a shared indoor table — with added perks like a bottle of sparkling wine — can fork over $5,250.
But the Marriott Marquis may be the priciest of all.
Tickets begin at $1,250 for general admission with reserved seating and go all the way up to $8,500 for the couple’s package with a terrace view of the midnight ball descending.
While tourists might be willing to shell out hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars to catch a glimpse of the highly anticipated ball drop, local New Yorkers aren’t keen on the festivities with eye-watering price tags.
“Who are these crazy people? They must be out of their minds,” restaurant consultant Donny Evans told The Post last year.
“They are obviously out-of-towners. I don’t care who you are. I just think New Year’s Eve is such a rip-off in terms of prices. I wouldn’t go to Times Square on New Year’s Eve,” he continued.
“I’d rather have a good meal on the East Side or downtown for a third of the price.”
