It’s The Year Of The Snake: 13 Restaurants Celebrating Lunar New Year In London

27th January 2025 | By Patrick Dunne

Lunar New Year is Asia’s biggest holiday – and London’s celebrations are the largest in Europe. This year, London’s celebratory parade will make its way through the West End on 1st February to celebrate The Year of the Snake, and food plays an important part in the celebration. In Chinese culture, the snake is a symbol of wisdom, elegance, and mystery – sounds like it could be an interesting year…

From Lunar New Year afternoon tea to Chinese feasts, head on over to these London restaurants and bars to celebrate Lunar New Year in London.

Master Wei

Where better to lean into Lunar New Year celebrations than at a fuss-free London spot that’s catapulted to global fame for its incredible noodles? Guirong Wei, chef and founder of Master Wei – and also Islington’s cult-status eatery, Xi’an Impression – is dedicated to showcasing the cuisine of Xi’an, northern China and stars in her own episode in the latest season of the Emmy-nominated Netflix show Chef’s Table. Their speciality? The beef biang biang noodles – while you can order other meats, the beef is so tender that it falls apart, making it the perfect savoury feed on a chilly winter day (or night).

where: Holborn & Hammersmith
website: www.master-wei.com

Opium

This award-winning cocktail bar in Chinatown is launching three special drinks for Lunar New Year, packed full of curious Asian flavours and impeccable ingredient combinations. Choose from the Snake Sour, with pink grapefruit gin, créme de fraise des bois and fraise liqueur, quaglia rosa liqueur, lemon juice and vanilla syrup, or the Hami Firecracker, with vodka, choya ume fruit liqueur, green melon liqueur, Supasawa, sugar syrup, and tonic water. Finally, go for the Dragon Dance, made with The Lakes Whiskymaker’s reserve no.7, Fortunella golden orange liqueur, lychee chiew wine, paragon vetiver cordial, lemon bitters, lychee espuma.

Where: 15-16 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JE
Website: www.opiumchinatown.com

Yú Gé

Yú Gé, the newly-opened authentic Cantonese restaurant at Park Hyatt London River Thames in Nine Elms, is doing its first Lunar New Year in style.

Chef Eng Soon Yeo’s meticulously crafted Chinese New Year menu presents a journey through Cantonese gastronomy, with dishes including stir-friend XO prawns, steamed Chilean sea bass, and braised abalone with corn-fed chicken. These exquisite dishes are complemented by a curated selection of traditional Chinese leaf teas, and global wines, including exclusive Chinese producers with superb vintage, innovative cocktails and artisanal non-alcoholic options.

where: 7 Nine Elms Ln, Nine Elms, London SW8 5PH
website: www.hyattrestaurants.co.uk

Bao London

To welcome the Lunar New Year this January, BAO is honouring the year of the snake with a celebratory Taiwanese feasting menu. At BAO City, Marylebone, King’s Cross, Shoreditch and Battersea, diners can follow tradition by eating BAO for good luck, amongst a host of other fortuitous dishes for £29 per person from 20th January – 9th February. Every guest who opts for the set menu will receive a red envelope containing a variety of snake themed prizes, and each BAO site is also serving pistachio-filled Year of the Snake BBGs, shaped like a serpent.

BAO is honouring the year of the snake with a celebratory Taiwanese feasting menu

where: Across London
website: www.baolondon.com

TĪNG Restaurant

Celebrate the Year of the Snake with our exquisite Lunar New Year Afternoon Tea at Shangri-La The Shard, London. Indulge in festive pastries, including the Red Serpent with dark chocolate mousse, Sichuan pepper, and yuzu, and the mandarin, symbolising luck and prosperity, with spiced milk chocolate mousse and mandarin.

Complemented by savoury delights like pork and prawn siu mai and wild mushroom dumplings, this experience also offers a dedicated vegan menu to ensure everyone can partake in the celebration.

Where: Level 35, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9QU
Website: www.ting-shangri-la.com

House of Ming

Celebrate the Lunar New Year in style at the House of Ming in the heart of London, which is launching an exclusive Year of the Snake menu with luxurious dishes like Fortune’s Crimson Treasure and unique cocktails like “The Clever Snake” and “Victory Over Nian”. Join us for an unforgettable dining experience Chinese New Year traditions will also be honoured, with lucky bamboo centrepieces and the gifting of red envelopes (with special offers inside) to bestow good fortune for the year ahead.

Where: 54 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AF
Website: www.houseofming.co.uk

Hakkasan

Dine sky-high in The Shard at Hutong, where from 14th January – 14th February, this year’s festivities promise to elevate the occasion with a limited-edition menu, dessert and cocktail, opulent interior decorations, and traditional lion dances that signify bringing luck and prosperity.

Traditional lion dances that signify bringing luck and prosperity

The limited-edition menu is available for parties of two or more at
£98 per person (including a welcome cocktail) and will run alongside the à la carte and signature menus at Hakkasan.

Where: 12 Hanway Pl, London W1T 1HD
Website: www.hakkasan.com

Mambow

Launching on Chinese New Year (29th January), Mambow‘s special menu will feature a series of new celebratory dishes, including the traditional Prosperity Yam Basket – a deep-fried five-spice yam ring that is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, filled with classic Chinese Kung Pao Chicken and topped with peanuts and Chilli Crab Kueh Pie Tee – a dish traditionally eaten for Chinese New Year consisting of thin and crispy pastry tart shells, here filled with spicy crab and served alongside stir-fried yam bean.

The menu also features a new curry; Adam Peas Daging is a hot and sour beef short rib curry with okra, and torch ginger flower.

Where: 78 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0RN
Website: www.mambow.co.uk

Din Tai Fung

Between the 24th of January and- the 9th of February, Din Tai Fung invites you to sample it Lunar New Year of the Snake Specials inspired by the rich traditions of Huaiyang cuisine and Taiwanese heritage. Delight in delicate fish jiao zi steamed dumplings, “Lion’s Head” pork meatball soup, courgette and prawn xiao long bao or prawn and egg fried rice with XO Sauce, each bite a celebration of flavour and tradition.

where: Various locations in London
website: www.dintaifung-uk.com

Hutong

From January 27th to February 9th, guests can experience a vibrant array of authentic Chinese cuisine, exciting entertainment, and meaningful charitable initiatives at Hutong. Kicking off the festivities in a grand style, the restaurant will host a party on Wednesday 29th January, with traditional Hong bao for each guest as a symbol of good fortune. Throughout the evening, the restaurant will come alive with the rhythmic beats of a spectacular Lion Dance performance and the delicate strokes of a traditional Chinese calligrapher, creating an immersive atmosphere of celebration for all.

The exclusive Chinese New Year menu offers a mouth-watering selection of traditional dishes crafted to bring prosperity, happiness, and health in the coming year. Signature dishes include the ceremonial lo hei salad – a raw fish salad tossed in the air to invite good fortune – as well as wagyu beef in a rich hot and sour broth, deep-fried sea bass with a tangy sauce, and crispy poussin.

where: Level 33, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
website: WWW.hutong.co.uk

The Dorchester

From 28th January to 2nd February, diners can immerse themselves in the Year of the Snake with a blend of timeless traditions and exquisite Cantonese cuisine at China Tang in The Dorchester. The restaurant will be adorned with dazzling Chinese lanterns from 24th January, creating a striking and atmospheric setting. On the evenings of 28th and 29th January, iconic and high-energy lion dance performances will bring vibrancy and excitement to the celebrations.

The festivities extend to the menu, where guests can enjoy a selection of exquisite Chef’s Specials crafted exclusively for the occasion. Highlights include the Lo Hei – raw fish salad or abalone salad, available only on the 28th and 29th January, a dish symbolising prosperity and success. Other standout dishes include the lobster with XO sauce on crispy noodles, representing longevity, and the Cornucopia of mixed seafood and poultry.

where: 53 Park Ln, London W1K 1QA
website: www.dorchestercollection.co.uk

Yauatcha

Kick off your Year of the Snake celebrations with infinite yum cha at Yauatcha. Experience unlimited rounds of steamed, fried and baked dim sum (our top pick is the signature Char siu bao).

Then choose one of the signature main courses and a side dish before finishing off with fluffy soufflé pancakes for dessert. Negroni lovers are also in for a treat with a cocktail included in the yum cha set menu package.

where: City & Soho
website: www.taogroup.com

Park Chinois

 lunar new year 2024 at park chinois london

From Monday 27th January until Sunday 9th February Park Chinois will celebrate the Year of the Snake with a special menu. To mark this transformative year they are celebrating across 6 days with traditional Bei Bei drumming and Lion dances, followed by Park Chinois Presents: an arrangement of high-energy live acoustic and instrumental sessions in Salon de Chine.

From Wednesday 29th January to Saturday 1st February, the celebration will continue this celebration into the early hours in Club Chinois with an immersive show and late-night DJ.

Where: 17 Berkeley St, London W1J 8EA
Website: www.parkchinois.com


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