Celebrations for the Lunar New Year in London are the biggest in the world outside of Asia, with people usually flocking to the capital from all over the UK (and around the world, for that matter). Celebrations are back with a bang this year for the ‘Year of the Snake’, which is rung in on Wednesday, January 29. Symbolising transformation, renewal, and spiritual growth; snakes are renowned for shedding their skin, which signifies the process of letting go of the old and embracing the new. So, let’s hope that 2025 will bring us plenty of lovely new things to clutch on to, hey?
Here’s our roundup of some of the best things to do in London to celebrate this Lunar New Year. And yes – it does involve an outrageous amount of eating and drinking. After all, that is the Secret London way…
1. Ring in the Lunar New Year with the annual parade
London’s Chinatown well and truly comes alive, playing host to an annual Chinese Lunar New Year parade that’s not to be missed. Starting on Duncannon Street, the festivities make their way up Charing Cross Road and past Leicester Square Station, before heading onto Shaftesbury Avenue where the parade ends. Over 50 teams partake in the parade, filling the streets with floats, vibrant costumes, incredible performances, lion dancing, and of course – food. This year’s exact parade plans are yet to be revealed but keep your eyes peeled here to find out more.
2. Feast like a king at the House of Ming
If there’s one Cantonese restaurant you must dine at in London, in our senior writer Tamsin’s opinion, it has to be House of Ming – and what better time than Lunar New Year? Based a short walk from Victoria Station, this fine dining spot serves up exquisite food with exquisite service to match. For the Lunar New Year, they have a special menu of dishes, from dim sum to desserts: Tamsin’s favourites were the scallop dim sum with golden garlic, soft shell crab with mango, and the crispy fried pork lion. The presentation of the drinks was exquisite too.
Year-round, House of Ming offers a well-priced £35 lunch deal (all served within a swift 45 minutes), plus a la carte and set menu options. The latter costs £80pp, but you get your money’s worth with the amount and quality of the food, and the exceptional service. What’s more, the chefs seek to ensure all dietary requirements are well catered for; the menu is laden with vegetarian options, and dishes can be easily amended.
3. Watch a lion dance performance as you dine on themed menus at Yauatcha
Yauatcha’s Soho branch is celebrating the Lunar New Year in style. Guests can dine on a limited edition menu and delicious pineapple pastries, surrounded by bespoke snake-inspired decorations. Traditional lion dances will also be performed to bring good fortune and prosperity into the new lunar year. The Year of the Snake menu features ingredients that are believed to bring fortune, strength, and health. Sign me up! The menu will be available from January 14 – February 12. Find out more and plan your visit here.
4. Indulge in a seafood feast at Tooting’s Daddy Bao
Credit: @daddybao via Instagram
Tooting’s Taiwanese favourite, Daddy Bao, is celebrating the Lunar New Year with a evening of feasting on January 27. They’ll be offering a delightful one-off tasting menu that blends tradition with innovation. Guests can tuck in to the likes of a seven colourful fish salad (that will be tossed together for luck and prosperity) and longevity noodles (that signify a long and prosperous life). Find out more and book your ticket here.
5. Pull out all the stops with a celebratory dinner at Tattu
Tattu first swung open its doors in April of 2022, and has been making major waves on London’s delicious food scene ever since. They’re celebrating the start of the ‘Year of the Snake’ from January 29 with specially-curated menus, and will be transforming their dining room with traditional red lanterns. Celebrations will culminate on February 24 with a Lantern Festival featuring lion dancers and live music and DJs. Find out more here.
6. Be entertained by performers and more at The Brunswick in Bloomsbury
From 4.30pm on Thursday January 30, The Brunswick Centre will be celebrating the Year of the Snake with a range of spectacular (and free to watch) Chinese New Year performances. Yep, you read that right: it won’t cost you a penny. On the roster will be an eclectic mix of performances, including traditional Chinese lion performers, stilt walkers, majestic giant pandas and more to keep you entertained. Find out more and plan your visit here.
7. Take a wander through London’s Chinatown and sample some delicious delicacies
Offering a plethora of delicious dining options, Chinatown is the perfect place to while away the hours on Lunar New Year. Try ‘lucky’ jiaozi dumplings at Dumplings Legend, tuck into braised lobster with ginger and spring onions at Plum Valley, or enjoy steamed sea bass at Jin Li. China Modern has created a special, limited-edition Lunar New Year menu: you can’t miss their beef tenderloin in black pepper sauce (the tender meat has a satisfyingly crisped outer casing, and is slightly spicy).
You could also pick up some tang yuans (or ‘soup balls’) at the See Woo Supermarket and create your own dishes at home.
8. Head to the casino for some top-notch Cantonese dishes
Whilst a casino may not be the first place that springs to mind when considering where to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Chop Chop by Four Seasons at the Hippodrome may just change your mind. Start the meal off with some bite-sized dumplings, tuck into Chop Chop’s signature dish Cantonese-style roast duck, dubbed by The Financial Times as ‘the best in the world’ for mains, and finish it all off with a pistachio mille crepe cake and yuzu cheesecake. Yum. Anybody born in a Year of the Snake will also bag themselves 20% off the menu when visiting between January 20 – 23 or January 28 -30. And those visiting on the actual eve of Lunar New Year will receive a traditional hongbao red envelope as a symbol for good fortune, prosperity, and blessings for the year ahead. Aren’t they generous?
9. Dine on dim sum at The Ivy Asia
Head to the super swanky Ivy Asia between January 15 and February 28 for their biggest celebration of the year. This year, they’re channeling the ancient adaptability of the snake and will be serving up a whole host of new menus, cocktails and entertainment. They’ve partnered with Hennessy to create a sssuper cocktail menu featuring the likes of the ‘Vanilla Viper’, the ‘Moonlight Spritz’ and the ‘Tangerine Fortune’. Find out more and plan your visit here.
10. Indulge in delicious dishes with a Pan-Asian twist
Credit: @ubalondon via Instagram
UBA in Shoreditch is pulling out all the stops this Lunar New Year. Their limited-time menu is inspired by traditional Chinese dishes that have been given an innovative Pan-Asian twist. Tuck in to money bag dim sum and celebratory Longevity noodles in their playful yet oh so elegant restaurant. Find out more and plan your visit here.
11. Raise a glass to the Lunar New Year with a celebratory tipple
Chinatown’s resident three-floor speakeasy, Opium, and Hong Kong-inspired Lucy Wong are both excellent options of places to go if you want to cheers to the new year. The Arch Bar (located inside the rather gorgeous InterContinental London Park Lane) will also be serving up a limited-edition Rattlesnake cocktail, made with Baijiu, absinthe, lemon juice, sugar syrup and aquafaba. We’ll drink to that!
So there you have it – the Secret London roundup of the best things to do for the Lunar New Year. From gorging on some gloriously good food to watching live performers in the streets of Chinatown, there’s something for everyone to enjoy here. So, how will you celebrate the start of the ‘Year of the Snake’?