Whether you’re after a few drams or you’re on the hunt for haggis, we’ve got the best of Burns Night for all you London lads and lassies
With its haggis-eating and whisky-drinking, Burns Night is one of the biggest dates in the Scottish calendar, as well as being the perfect reason to blow off any booze-less January diets you might still be clinging on to. And despite being a few hundred miles away from Scotland, London is brimming with Burns Night events, whether in the form of celebratory dinners or cèilidh-style parties. So, if you’re after the best Burns Night bash in town, here’s where to find it.
Burns Night Dinner at Carousel
This year, Carousel is bringing Tomás Gormley, of (now Michelin-starred) Heron in Edinburgh, back for his second Burns Night at the Fitzrovia residency space. He’ll be cooking up a menu that showcases the very best of Scottish produce – expect dishes like lobster & squid ink crumpets and venison with quince, endive and bread sauce – and drinks will be provided by Aberfeldy Highland single malt Scottish whisky.
Fri 26th January 2024
19-23 Charlotte St., London W1T 1RL
carousel-london.com
Burns Night at Mount St. Restaurant
Alongside their a la carte options, Mount St. Restaurant will be serving up Durslade farm lamb with haggis, neeps & tatties as a Burns Night special. And anyone looking to put on their own celebration can book out the Scottish Room, Mount St.’s Highland-inspired private dining room, featuring a dramatic antler chandelier and a hand-carved 9-metre Scottish oak table.
Thurs 25th January 2024
First Floor, 41-43 Mount Street, London W1K 2RX
mountstrestaurant.com
Burns Night at 20 Berkeley
20 Berkeley is welcoming Islay-based Bruichladdich Distillery Company, which produces both The Botanist Islay Dry Gin and Bruichladdich Whisky, for its Burns Night festivities. Cocktails like the Burns Sour, the Burns Bramble and the Burns Martini will be on offer and you’ll also be able to tuck into a set menu featuring Orkney scallops with parsnip and hazelnut & truffle dressing; roasted haggis with mash, grilled radicchio and whisky sauce; and Mars cranachan with Scottish shortbread, chocolate cremeux and malt ice-cream (and yes there is a veggie menu available).
Thurs 25th January 2024
20 Berkeley Street, London, W1J 8EE
20berkeley.com
Burns Night at The Hoxton, Shoreditch
Edinburgh-based bar Nauticus is coming to London for Burns Night this year, taking over the lobby of The Hoxton, Shoreditch. Founder Kyle Jamieson will be pouring bespoke serves made with The GlenDronach whisky with Auld Hag providing the snacks and Ladies Music Pub sorting the soundtrack, so it’ll be a proper Scottish shindig.
Thurs 25th January 2024, 7pm – 12am
81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU
thehoxton.com
Burns Night at Bourne & Hollingworth Buildings
Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings are back with their annual Burns Night festivities – this time, spread out across two days. Expect live bagpipe music, whisky and whisky-based cocktails and a five-course dinner of Scottish classics. That’s not all, there’ll be a recital of the Selkirk Grace, live music and traditional cèilidh dancing too.
Thurs 25th & Fri 26th January 2024
B&H Buildings, 42 Northampton Road, EC1R 0HU
bandhbuildings.com
Burns Night Cèilidh at Big Penny Social
Walthamstow’s Big Penny Social is also going for three days of Burns Night parties this year, full of dancing, traditional violin music and live performances. Big Penny will be providing the food and drink to keep you refuelled throughout, choose from 20 beers on tap, opt for a cocktail, or just fill up on haggis, neeps and tatties.
Weds 24th – Fri 26th January 2024
Big Penny Social, 1 Priestley Way, London E17 6AL
bigpennysocial.co.uk
Burns Night at The Sun Tavern
The Sun Tavern will be shaking up a special cocktail menu for Burns Night in collaboration with Aberfeldy whisky, including the likes of the Bobby Burns (Aberfeldy 12yr Whisky, Sweet Vermouth, Benedictine) and Cranachan (Aberfeldy 12yr Whisky, Sauternes, Strawberry, Shortbread, and Whey. Plus, Deeney’s will be providing free haggis bites to keep you going for the ‘Address to the Haggis’ and Scottish hits played by The View.
Thurs 25th January 2024
441 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 0AN
thesuntavern.co.uk
Burns Night at Acme Fire Cult
At Acme Fire Cult in Dalston, they’ll be celebrating Burns Night with a special menu, featuring dishes such as oak smoked salmon and whisky-heather honey glaze; cured venison with pickled quince and bitter leaves, warm crumpets and cultured butter; and smoked haggis, neeps & tatties, Ardbeg whisky mushroom sauce with Caledonian cream. Pam Hogg will be DJing, Robert Burns’s poem ‘Address to a Haggis’ will be performed by an actor and cocktails made with Ardbeg whisky will be provided throughout.
Thurs 25th January 2024
2 Abbot Street, Abbot Street Courtyard, London E8 3DP
resy.com
Burns Night at the Duke of Cambridge
Make your Burns Night festivities eco-friendly by heading to the Duke of Cambridge this year. Their ‘Regenerative Burns Night Menu’ will feature Scottish-inspired dishes made with ingredients from the Rhug Estate’s regeneratively farmed meat and Hodmedod’s sustainably produced British pulses and grains. There’ll be cullen skink to start, haggis, neeps & tatties for mains and clootie dumpling or cranachan for dessert.
Thurs 25th January 2024
30 St Peter’s Street, London N1 8JT
sevenrooms.com
Burns Night at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill
Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill will be running a selection of Burns Night specials throughout the end of January, including cullen skink, roasted Orkney scallops, Highland venison loin paired with haggis, neeps & tatties, and a tipsy laird trifle. Plus, on the big night itself, Bentley’s resident piper will perform ‘Address to a Haggis’.
From Mon 22nd January 2024
11-15 Swallow Street, London W1B 4DG
bentleys.org
Burns Night at Papi
Papi isn’t playing around when it comes to Burns Night this year, they’re putting on one of the most outré a la cartes we’ve seen – it literally screams Scottish. We’re talking Wagyu black pudding toast, koji porridge and girolles, haggis mapo tofu, fried pizza, Buckfast sundae and Irn Bru crepes (just to name some of the bits on the menu). Downstairs, in their new cocktail bar Freddles, the revelry will continue with plenty of whisky.
Thurs 25th January 2024
1F, 373 Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3DQ
@papi.restaurant
Burns Night at Silverleaf
Four of Scotland’s leading whisky brands are coming together at Silverleaf for Burns Night this year: Monkey Shoulder, Ardray, Balvenie and Bruichladdich. They’ll each be bringing an exclusive cocktail, a pairing dish and a poem to celebrate the life of Robert Burns.
Thurs 25th January 2024
3 Bishopsgate Plaza, 3rd Floor Devonshire House, EC2M 4JX
panpacific.com
Burns Night at Ham Yard Hotel
At Ham Yard Hotel, the Burns Night celebrations will kick off with a canapé and cocktail reception, followed by a five-course Scottish feast. The menu, which has been put together by executive chef Jamie Atkinson, will feature Loch Fyne smoked salmon; haggis, neeps & tatties; venison Wellington; burnt orange brûlée; and a cheese course. There’ll be whisky pairing too, with bottles provided by Islay-based whisky distillery Bruichladdich, who’ll be in attendance to teach guests all about Scottish whisky.
Thurs 25th January 2024
Windmill Room, Ham Yard Hotel, 1 Ham Yard, London W1D 7DT
sevenrooms.com
Burns Night at Origin City
Nose-to-tail dining restaurant Origin City has strong links with Scotland – its meat comes from the owner’s organic farm in Argyll and its seafood comes from Loch Fyne Oyster – so it’s fitting that it’s hosting a Burns Night celebration. As well as a whisky cocktail on arrival and an address to the haggis, the evening features a four-course menu of a selection of Loch Fyne oysters, cullen skink, haggis with neeps & tatties, and clootie dumpling.
Thurs 25th January 2024, 7pm
12 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9JR
origincity.co.uk