Lunar New Year celebrations
From fabulous festivities to delicious foodie fun, London really knows how to celebrate Lunar New Year properly. This year we’re heralding in the Year of the Horse, and there are a great range of celebrations taking place…
FESTIVITIES
Greenwich Peninsula
21 February
Greenwich Peninsula’s annual Lunar New Year celebrations have become famous in recent years, and this year’s party looks set to outdo even previous years! There will be dragon and lion dances, DJs, exhibitions, workshops and cultural performances (from Mahjong lessons to bamboo weaving) to tea tasting and a selection of indulgent Asian dishes at the food market.
Central London
21-22 February
If you fancy heading into the thick of it, stop in at Central London’s LNY festivities, taking place in Chinatown and of course set to be exhilarating. Enjoy the spectacular lion dance followed by the Lunar New Year parade on Sunday.
Old Spitalfields Market
21-22 February
To celebrate the Year of the Horse, Old Spitalfields Market is set to host a family-friendly programme combining culture, creativity and food. Visitors can browse a pop-up Asian makers market, watch a traditional lion dance performance, get hands-on with dumpling making, and enjoy free children’s art workshops.
MORE FAB FOODIE CONTENT:
FOODIE FUN
Tampopo
Wimbledon
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Tampopo with a menu made for sharing. You can mark the first new moon in full colour with their great-value £20pp Lunar Set Menu, featuring Singapore chilli soft-shell crab, bold Szechuan flavours, duck pancakes and delicate dim sum. Choose three small plates, enjoy unlimited sides, and welcome the year with flavour, fire and festivity.
MiMi Mei Fair
5 February – 7 March
MiMi Mei Fair welcomes the Year of the Fire Horse with a limited-edition four-course sharing menu, bespoke mini cocktails, and a wishing tree installation. Highlights include a dim sum basket, rock oysters with Sichuan sauce, wok-baked lobster and crispy Norfolk pork with pineapple and pomelo.
Yú Gé
4 February – 1 March
To mark the Year of the Horse Yú Gé at Park Hyatt London River Thames is serving up a unique dining experience: The Chinese New Year Set Menu (£268 per person, minimum four guests) brings together a selection of dishes celebrating the culture. The menu includes roast chicken with fragrant ginger oil, steamed lobster with garlic and vermicelli, stir-fried turbot with asparagus, and braised abalone with oysters and fat choy, a traditional ingredient associated with wealth and good fortune. A highlight of the festivities is the Royal Twelve-Treasure Poon Choi, which must be ordered 48 hours in advance. This impressive dish is served in a large communal pot, with upper layers of Australian green-lip abalone, Obsiblue crystal prawns, oysters and roasted meats, while the lower layers are composed of vegetables, bean curd and pork that soak up the rich, savoury broth.
Chop Chop at the Hippodrome
This late-night Cantonese favourite is set for a whole host of fun and vibrant Lunar New Year celebrations, from lion dance performances to Chinese calendar giveaways and authentic Cantonese feasting. Highlights of the menu include dim sum, handmade dumplings, sharing plates and Chop Chop’s legendary Hong Kong-style roast duck. Desserts are made in collaboration with Japanese patisserie Sakurado, including a pistachio mille crêpe cake and yuzu cheesecake. Plus, from 16th – 19th February, you can enjoy 20% off the full menu.
HUŌ
This year HUŌ is serving up a limited-edition special menu for the New Year, featuring a show-stopping dim sum basket which includes chicken siu mai with XO sauce, prawn and truffle har gau, and aubergine and spinach dumplings. Standout dishes from the special menu also include crispy duck spring rolls, representing wealth and fresh beginnings, and a whole Dover sole served with soy, ginger, and scallions, symbolising surplus and good fortune.
China Tang at the Dorchester
China Tang’s special Lunar New Year dishes include Lo Hei, the traditional raw fish salad or abalone salad, symbolising rising success and shared good fortune. Dishes such as sea moss and bamboo heart with Chinese mushrooms reflect wishes of wealth and prosperity, while lobster with XO sauce on crispy noodles represents ambition and strength. You can also enjoy wok fried whole tiger prawn, symbolising courage and determination. On the evenings of 17 and 18 February, guests will be welcomed by a traditional lion dance.
