It’s Lunar New Year on 10th February and 2024 is the Year of the Dragon
The dragon stands out in the Chinese zodiac because it’s the only mythical creature and it’s a benevolent, wise and auspicious figure in Chinese culture. People born in the year of the dragon are said to be confident, intelligent and enthusiastic, and this year is specifically the Year of the Wood Dragon (each of the five elements are associated with a year alongside an animal of the zodiac), making it a time for new beginnings and growth.
Chinatown’s Lunar New Year celebrations will be back in full force with the annual parade taking place on Sun 11th February. Otherwise, a bunch of restaurants are getting in on the action, so here’s how can you ring in the Lunar New Year in London.
Chinatown Parade
Lion dances, floats, and dragon dances will wind through the streets of Chinatown on 11th February as part of the annual Lunar New Year parade. It’ll kick off on Duncannon Street at 10am and then pass up Charing Cross Road and down Shaftesbury Avenue before finishing on Rupert Street. As well as watching the performances, you can dip into one of Chinatown’s many restaurants for festive specials like yu sheng, longevity noodles, nian gao and jiaozi dumplings.
Sun 11th February 2024, from 10am
Duncannon Street, London, WC2N
chinatown.co.uk
Hakkasan
Both Hakkasan locations are being decked out with new year decorations, including wishing trees where guests can hang their wishes. They are also running a limited edition menu of celebratory dishes, including Wishes of Prosperity dim sum with lobster & cheese lantern puffs and black truffle wild mushroom dumplings; smoked eight treasure duck; wild red king prawn with braised dragon beard noodles; and the spicy chocolate mousse and raspberry compote Auspicious Dragon dessert. And you can pair the menu with two exclusive Belvedere cocktails and Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2015 Champagne.
Tues 30th January – Sun 25th February 2024
Mayfair & Hanway Place
hakkasan.com
Yauatcha
The Year of the Dragon has come to Yauatcha City and Yauatcha Soho and you can get in on the action with a limited-edition set menu. It kicks off with the Dragon Phoenix dim sum platter, featuring eight treasure shui mai, lobster cheese roll and abalone chicken shui mai. There’ll also be Alaskan king crab in kam heong sauce with taro; stir-fried Angus ribeye beef with soy kumquat sauce; white sesame and praline lucky dragon petit gateaus; and mandarin and jasmine tea dragon macarons. And to drink, grab a Dragon Tail cocktail with gin, dragon fruit, raspberry, yuzu sake, and kumquat syrup.
Tues 30th January – Sun 25th February 2024
Yauatcha City and Soho
yauatcha.com
Pan Pacific x Bun House
Pan Pacific is going all out for Lunar New Year by bringing in Bun House for a collab afternoon tea. After starting with siu mai baskets filled with lobster, scallop & trout and Sarawak pepper beef & beancurd rolls, it’s onto those famous Bun House steamed bun – one filled with cumin, chill and garlic lamb and one filled with bamboo shoots, and then a mandarin-shaped sweet custard bun and a black-speckled chocolate bun. The spread finishes with beautiful patisserie, including a white peach and milk oolong lantern; a pineapple and Szechuan pepper wonton; a soy and sesame sandwich; and a matcha and red date iced mochi. Sip on an exclusive Chinese New Year tea from Newby Teas or a glass of Chinese sparkling wine.
Thurs 8th February – Mon 25th March 2024
80 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7AB
panpacific.com
Mei Ume
Mei Ume’s chef Peter Ho has created a menu filled with auspicious dishes for the restaurant’s Lunar New Year celebrations, featuring dishes like the Prosperity Toss Salad, slow-cooked abalone, eight-treasures duck, braised vegetables with fermented red bean curd and tang hulu for dessert. You’ll also be able to buy Dragon Fortune Boxes, filled with Chinese pastries and rice cakes, and if you dine at the restaurant on the evenings of the 10th and 17th February, you’ll be treated to Chinese lion dancing and performances with fans, umbrellas, and yao long drums.
Mon 5th – Sat 24th February 2024
10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
fourseasons.com
MiMi Mei Fair
For its Lunar New Year celebration, MiMi Mei Fair will be decked out in florals, including two wishing trees for diners to add their red envelopes of wishes too. The restaurant is also putting on menu of festive dishes like ‘basket of wealth’ dim sum; steamed oysters with black garlic sauce; crispy pork with pineapple and pomelo; tiger prawns with egg white and black bean sauce; grilled ginger soya silver cod; and a flourless chocolate bar with mandarin & pecan crunch and vanilla ice cream. You’ll also be able to crack open the Jewel of the Dragon egg, filled with chocolate mousse, cherry, vanilla ice cream and red velvet crumble, paired with L’Essence de Courvoisier.
Thurs 1st – Sat 24th February 2024
55 Curzon Street, London, W1J 8PG
mimimeifair.com
Daddy Bao
Tooting’s favourite Taiwanese spot is celebrating Lunar New Year with a Daddy Bao twist. For one day only it’ll be serving up a seven-course feast featuring dishes like cabbage siu mai; venison & plum bao; noodle-wrapped king prawn with ginger-scallion sauce; roast duck with rice, stir fried leeks and crispy kale; and fried nian gao with clementine & pandan cream. If you’re veggie there’ll be plenty of alternatives for you too and tickets are priced at £60 per person, get them here.
Sun 11th February 2024
113 Mitcham Road, Tooting, London SW17 9PE
daddybao.co.uk
Bun House
Bun House founder Z He has created a special lantern bun for Lunar New Year, which is filled with miso brown sugar and decorated to look like a red lantern. You can get these buns individually from 9th – 11th February and then from 12th – 29th February, you can enjoy them as the centrepiece of a Lunar New Year Set including kung pao meatballs, chair siu pork, kung pao fries and char sui oyster mushroom.
Fri 9th – Thurs 29th February 2024
26 – 27 Lisle Street, London, WC2H 7BA
bun.house
Eggbreak x Mama Li
Eggbreak is getting in on the Lunar New Year action by bringing in Mama Li, which specialises in Cantonese roast meats, for a mega collab sandwich. The Char Siu French Toast features Mama Li’s sticky barbecued pork, egg, American cheddar and Mama Li’s homemade chilli oil sandwiched between thick slices of brioche toast and finished with an extra grating of cheese. YUM.
Mon 5th – Sun 31st March 2024
30 Uxbridge St, London W8 7TA
eggbreak.com
BAO
Head to BAO on 5th February to kick off the Lunar New Year celebrations by bagging one of hundreds of FREE classic baos, which you can eat for good luck. If you’re staying in, you can also bag one of its at-home Made By You kits, which are coming back for a limited edition run. Of course, BAO wouldn’t let the occasion pass without some limited edition buns either, so you can pick up dragon claw buns filled with molten chocolate and cherry on 10th & 11th February at all of the BAO restaurants.
From Mon 5th February 2024
All BAO locations
baolondon.com
Noodle and Beer
Spitalfields spot Noodle and Beer is ringing in Lunar New Year with a menu featuring eight (a lucky number in Chinese culture) special dishes, including noodles with spicy chicken thigh; boiled fish in Sichuan chilli oil; sun-dried carrot swirls with Sichuan mala dressing; and deep fried sticky rice cake. On 9th and 10th February, the restaurant will also be running Chinese calligraphy sessions and giving out scratch card surprises, with red envelopes being added to takeaway orders.
Fri 26th Jan – Sat 24th February 2024
31 Bell Lane, London, E1 7LA
noodleandbeer.com
Mama Li
Cantonese roast meats specialist Mama Li is running two set menus for Lunar New Year. The Dragon menu (for 3-4 people) includes half roast duck, crispy pork and BBQ pork alongside spring rolls, dumplings, rice and pumpkin pancake, and the Jade menu (for 2 people) includes half soy chicken, crispy pork and BBQ pork with the starters, sides and dessert. You can eat in at the Tower Hill site or order a delivery from both locations for a Lunar New Year feast at home.
From Tues 6th February 2024
Tower Hill and Canning Town
@mamali_ldn
Chop Chop by Four Seasons
Wanna keep the celebrations going late into the night? Chop Chop by Four Seasons at The Hippodrome is open until 4am so you can swing by for chicken chiu chow dumplings, spicy beef buns with sweet potato noodles. Cantonese-style roast duck, and pistachio mille crepe cake long after the city’s other restaurants have shut up shop.
Sun 11th February 2024
Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, WC2H 7JH
hippodromecasino.com
Speedboat Bar
Luke Farrell is bringing the spirit of Yaowarat Road, Bangkok’s Chinatown, to London for Lunar Year with special dishes like Gui Chai Tord Sai Khai, pan-fried chive cake with dark soy sauce and egg yolks; Khao Muu Daeng Muu Grob, crispy pork belly and red roast pork served over rice with soft-boiled eggs and pickled ginger; and Yam Pla Salmon, salmon ceviche in a chili, lime, and wasabi dressing. And you can raise a toast to the new year with a King Colada, made with rum, coconut, pineapple, durian fruit, lime, and sparkling wine.
Mon 5th – Sun 18th February 2024
30 Rupert Street, London, W1D 6D
speedboatbar.co.uk
Straits Kitchen
Tuck into a six-course Lunar New Year menu at Pan Pacific’s pan-Asian restaurant Straits Kitchen on 10th February. Start with a rainbow yu sheng bluefin tuna salad and then it’s onto the likes of wagyu steak, braised abalone, steamed turbot, and dulcey cremeux with caramelised banana, red date ice cream and toffee sauce.
Sat 10th February 2024
80 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7AB
panpacific.com