If a grad is looking for an elegant fete, this one, from the famous Daniel Boulud, is of the most classic options. Menus include five and nine course prix-fixe, as well as tasting menus including vegetarian options. The main dining room can seat up to eight people, and a private room up to 90. All graduates receive complimentary cake.

The back room of this legendary Upper East Side clubhouse is now available for private dinners of up to 80. Signature dishes like onion soup with two types of melted cheese; roast chicken with balsamic glaze; lobster salad; and steak au poivre are on offer, along with such classic desserts as profiteroles and ile flottante.

Family-style restaurants work well for group dinners, and this Times Square favorite, enlivened with caricatures of actors on the walls, has one of the best deals in town, with prix-fixe packages starting at $34 per person including appetizer, salad, pasta, entree and dessert. Classic Italian favorites, including chicken Parmesan, fettuccini Alfredo, and baked salmon oreganata, followed by homemade tiramisu, cannoli or cheesecake, are presented in private rooms that hold between 10 and 80. Tony’s also has a second location in the East 60s.

There are three private spaces at this celebration of Mediterranean food — one with a skylight, and another with a loft space and its own chef’s kitchen, that each hold 40. A cozy upstairs room with a fireplace seats 22. Offerings include sea scallops with heirloom tomatoes; quinoa-crusted duck; and grilled lemon chicken. Salt-baked turbot flamed tableside is perfect for a celebratory feast.

A old-school NYC spot for its raw bar, classic cocktails and burgers, once dubbed the “Cadillac of burgers” by Nat King Cole circa the 1950s. If need be, there’s Sidecar, the private dining area next door.

Philip Basone, formerly chef de cuisine at Barbuto and Le Crocodile, is in the kitchen of this Upper West Side Italian, named for its philosophy — always today — meaning hyper seasonal. Soaring ceilings and oversized windows are a fine environment for parties up to 24, and many offerings, including seafood salad with shrimp, squid and Castelvetrano olives; crispy calamari with marinara; porchetta with cannellini beans and spring onion mostarda; and almond-crusted halibut.

This 60-seat restaurant features a bakery that turns into a chef’s counter at night, as well as a lower-level cocktail bar. Reserve round tables where diners can share Parker House rolls with ramp pesto and butter, a half-chicken with chiles and broccolini, or a pork chop with rye spaetzle and Brussels sprouts. And yes, there’s a burger with rosemary potato chips.

There are three levels of dining at this revamped crowd-pleaser, with upper levels especially conducive for big groups. The restaurant seats over 300, done up in a 1930s-style: tasseled lampshades hanging over tables, black embroidered screens showing swooping birds, airbrushed black-and-white portraits of grandparents, and a general speakeasy atmosphere. The menu has expanded to include other regional cuisines besides Sichuan and Cantonese, along with the inevitable wines and cocktails.

A picturesque, surprisingly bucolic garden in the middle of Chelsea is an ideal setting for a celebration. Pink tulips add splash to tables nestled under trees, where guests enjoy appetizers like duck and chicken liver parfait with concord grape chutney; and mafaldine with Maine lobster, asparagus and artichoke; and entrees such as apple cider braised lamb shank with spring peas and lamb brodo; porcini-rubbed NY strip steak; and scallops with eggplant caponata and pomegranate. Toast grads with cocktails like Prosecco with lemon and sage, or a “smoky Negroni” with mezcal.  bottinonyc.com

Black truffle Peking duck with gold flakes; crispy shrimp mini sandwich with caviar and lobster hot and sour soup are the show stoppers at this spacious spot. The open kitchen restaurant specializes in share plates combining Korean and Chinese flavors. The main dining room seats up to 12, while private dining rooms accommodate 15 and 25, and can be combined to hold 40.

Stunning views of the East River are part of the draw at this stylish American spot with a seafood-focused menu. Littleneck clam linguini with pickled mushroom and chile breadcrumbs; steelhead trout with black kale, green garlic, and chanterelles; and seasonal fish for two with shaved fennel, grapefruit and crispy potatoes; can be enjoyed with a group of up to 14 at a table along the window, or in the raised center full of comfy banquettes that hold 55.  Don’t worry if your party has different vintage preferences; there is a large selection of wines by the glass.

Start with a sharable raw bar plateau, and move on to heartier Viennese signatures like spaetzle, schnitzel, and goulash at this fashionable West Village white-tablecloth restaurant with famed chef Wolfgang Ban at the helm. For those who prefer lighter fare, try halibut with Tokyo turnips and a clam chive emulsion; or roast chicken with charred broccoli and crispy potatoes.

Hit Brooks Headley’s super popular reopened vegan/vegetarian/dessert spot right and there’s the back room that’s great for a group. Have to wait to sit down? The line moves quickly. Have a drink at the bar or visit Horseshoe Bar nearby in the meantime.

Niklas Lucich, who worked with Jean Georges Vongerichten and Thomas Keller, curated the menu at this lively Mexican with a private solarium and a separate art-filled room, that each hold 12 diners, or can be combined to accommodate 24 (a taqueria room can seat 30).  Standout dishes include duck breast with mole dojo, figs and sesame; lamb chorizo tacos; and octopus with carrot, mango, and habanero puree.

When Kokomo opened during the pandemic, the New York Times exalted it as the party restaurant to meet the moment. Some three years later, this spot is still serving up vibrant Caribbean cooking and keeping things just as lively. Reservations for groups of up to nine people are available to book on Resy. Parties of 10 and up can inquire on the Kokomo website for private dining pricing. 

The fun begins with little napkins that expand in water and flights of super high-end sake, including a red variety, at this outpost of the London-born sibling of Hakkasan. Raw fish can be ordered in the traditional sushi style with nori, or with additions like truffle, and fried casings that resemble mini tacos. Cooked dishes include kelp-wrapped snapper with burned jalapeño; short rib with bone marrow; udon noodles with king crab, abalone, and caviar; and diver scallops with sunchoke, Asian pear, and black truffle. The main room, with its dramatic staircase, holds parties up to 11, while private rooms hold up to 22.

Dim Sum Palace (with multiple locations) offers a 200-seat dining room with big tables near a window overlooking Division Street, and a screen with an aquatic scene in the back as well as enormous fish tanks. The menu runs the gamut, from fried rice with crab, Beijing duck, steamed whole fish, sausage with lotus root, and so on. Open late.

Wu’s Wonton King is peak group dining, a BYOB palace of glistening roast ducks and family-sized portions that’s perfect for a gathering with friends. Everything is reasonably priced — even the legendary $600 king crab, a massive animal that’s priced by the pound, brought out to squirm on the table and then divided into three dishes capable of feeding a dozen or so people. The Cantonese favorite is a popular spot for celebrations, so expect to find at least one other group flashing disposable cameras. 

Daniel Boulud’s excellent Lyon-inspired brasserie features regional French classics in a beautiful restaurant with a handsome bar; it’s a fun place to people watch as well as spend an evening with a group, sharing dishes like escargot, beef tartare, mussels, or a pike quenelle with mushroom bechamel.

Though its Park Slope sibling has since closed, Nargis Cafe is still going strong in Sheepshead Bay after all these years. Eater critic Robert Sietsema recommends the Uzbeki spot as a rare group-friendly option that’s actually affordable. Even if you don’t live in South Brooklyn, Sietsema says “it’s well worth the trek out there” for a menu of “fist-size steamed dumplings filled with lamb or pumpkin called manti, soups flavored with dill and cilantro filled with just-made noodles, and salads of shredded carrots or sliced tomatoes and onions.”