Beyond snapping pics of your nearest bloom, here’s how to mark cherry blossom season in London
Florals for spring? When it’s cherry blossom, we’re all over it. Hanami, where people gather under the blossoms to eat, drink and appreciate the flowers, is a huge tradition in Japan. If you can’t jet off, there are plenty of places in London where you can celebrate cherry blossom season with beautiful blooming installations, spesh Japanese dishes and cocktails to match.
Roketsu
As a kaiseki restaurant, Roketsu is all about celebrating the seasons, and chef Daisuke Hayashi and his team are doing exactly that for sakura season. During April, chef Hayashi hand-draws the menu with the kaiseki dishes being served on beautiful ceramics made by Takako Imahashi, ceramics master of the Kiko Kiln in Kyoto, and chef Hayashi. The nine courses showcases the finest spring ingredients, including white asparagus (served as a soup for the sakizuke course), red mullet sakura-mushi (steamed fish with cherry blossom leaves for the futamono course), spring vegetables (served with dashi jelly and pea purée for the takiawase course) and apricot kernel tofu with osmanthus jelly and loquat compote (for the mizumono course). If you’re looking for a special way to celebrate cherry blossom season, a meal at Roketsu is it.
April 2025
12 New Quebec St, London W1H 7RW
troketsu.co.uk
The Aubrey
The Aubrey, inside the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, is celebrating the blooms of spring and Hanami traditions with a new cherry blossom dessert. Inspired by mini edible bonsai trees and nodding to wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), the dessert features edible leaves and branches holding white chocolate covered cherries filled with shiso mousse and cherry sorbet, alongside crystallised white chocolate, azuki beans and hibiki cherries. The dessert forms part of the new menu at The Aubrey dedicated to Moritsuke, the Japanese art of arranging and presenting food.
Available spring 2025
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
mandarinoriental.com
Mei Ume
Mei Ume at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge is celebrating cherry blossom season by covering the restaurant entrance and bar with the blooms. The kitchen is also serving up a Spring Bites menu, featuring pan-fried chicken gyoza, golden kataifi prawns with foie gras, prawn & pork crispy bean curd rolls, radish croquettes, and spicy yellowtail gunkan, alongside Saicho sparkling tea cocktails.
Until Sat 14th June 2025
Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
meiume.com
Outernet
Outernet London (aka those screens that you see as you’re leaving Tottenham Court Road Station) is bringing back its cherry blossom display for 2025. Created in partnership with the National Trust, Nature’s Confetti is an immersive show that’s designed to make it feel like petals are raining down on you from above. Videos of cherry blossoms from across various National Trust locations will be shown across the giant floor-to-ceiling wraparound screens, accompanied by a specially composed score by Father. As with all of Outernet’s displays, this one’s free and open to the public from 10am to late.
Tus 1st – Weds 30th April 2025
Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 8LH
@outernetglobal
KOYN
Samyukta Nair is celebrating Sakura season at her luxe Mayfair restaurant KOYN with a new Hanami Hako menu and three blossom-themed Ki No Bi Dry Gin cocktails. Served in an oak chest, the dishes include tuna sashimi with miso ceviche; green bean, avocado & cherry tomato salad in a goma miso dressing; KOYN’s nigiri selection; steamed seabaas in ume sake soy; scallop kataifi; beef tenderloin with spicy karashi miso; and the Pink Blossom Kiss, a cheesecake, champagne gel and meringue dessert with peach & matcha ice cream.
Until Sun 13 April 2025
38 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 4AQ
koynrestaurants.com
Brogdale Collections
You can get a real Hanami experience if you’re willing to head out of town (you only need to go as far as Kent though, not Japan). Brogdale Collections, a huge 150-acre orchard, is hosting spring blossom tours so you can see their collection of blossoming fruit trees, including cherry (obvs), apple, pear, plum and quince.
Sat 5th, Sun 6th, Sat 26th and Sun 27th April 2025
Brogdale Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8XZ
brogdalecollections.org
ROKA’s Shochu Lounge
If you can’t find any blossoms on the street, head down to the basement of the Charlotte Street branch of ROKA to the Shochu Lounge, which is covered in a canopy of pink blooms. To celebrate the arrival of spring, the bar is shaking up the Sakura 75, a take on the classic French 75 made with Roku gin, sakura tea, yuzu cordial, koji and champagne.
From March 2025
37 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RR
rokarestaurant.com
Marugame Udon
Marugame Udon has put cherry blossom specials on the menu for Sakura season, including pink fried prawn gyoza and udon noodles in an umami miso broth with shichimi spice, bok choy, onsen egg and either marinated salmon or crispy tofu.
March & April 2025
All Marugame Udon locations
marugame.co.uk
Yari Club
This spring Yari Club is adding Hanami specials to its menu, so you can try the dishes that people would typically eat at blossom viewing gatherings in Japan. They include karaage with mentai sauce; gyukushi with spring onions; and gyukushi with enoki, as well as the classic Hanami dango, a sweet rice flour dumpling filled with sweet red beans and glazed with a savoury and sweet sauce. You can get the skewers and dango individually or as bento sets with rice, miso soup and pickles.
Until Mon 31st April 2025
57 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4EA
yariclub.com
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