Celebrations for the Lunar New Year in London are the biggest in the world outside of Asia, with people usually flocking in from all over the UK and from around the world. After a few years off due to – well let’s not go there – celebrations are back with a bang this year for the ‘Year of the Dragon’, which is rung in on Saturday February 10. Symbolising good luck, strength, and health, the dragon is the only mythical animal of all the 12 creatures in the Chinese zodiac, so fingers crossed this year brings us all some magic and good fortune, hey?!
So, without further ado, 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 a hell of a lot of eating and drinking. After all, that is the Secret London way…
1. Enjoy Lunar New Year celebrations at the National Maritime Museum
This fascinating (and free!) spot in the UNESCO-listed borough of Greenwich is interesting enough anyway, but throw in the Lunar New Year celebrations they’ve got going on this year, and you can dial that up to a hundred. On Saturday February 3, the museum will be hosting a full day of celebrations with performances, workshops, talks and stands to fill your day with family fun.
Events on offer include a magnificent performance of the lion dance, a Taiwanese ribbon dance, the Korean harp, and a martial arts demonstration – plenty for you to marvel at. Workshop-wise, guests of all ages will be able to get stuck in making their own Moon fans, Hmong hats and dragons and learn how to play mahjong from the Newham Chinese Association. Hear from James Robson, a Chinese sailor who served on the fastest and greatest of the tea clippers, Cutty Sark, about the tea trade between Britain and China and the Opium Wars. A Chinese astronomy planetarium show is also on, along with tea ceremony demonstrations, Korean calligraphy sessions and heaps heaps more to do and see. Tickets are free, but you’ll need to make sure you book ahead. Grab your tickets here.
2. Celebrate with a slap-up ‘Year of the Dragon’ meal at Hakkasan
Feast on a limited-edition menu at Hakkasan’s elegant Chinese eateries at both of their London locations at Hanway Place and Mayfair. New dishes on the Chinese New Year menu will each be from different Chinese regions, using ingredients that bring good fortune. Indulge in the Wishes of Prosperity dim sum duo, with lobster and cheese lantern puffs and moreish black truffle wild mushroom dumplings, Smoked eight treasure duck, and a Wild red king prawn with braised dragon beard noodles – for a price of £128 per person.
Limited edition cocktails with Belvedere along with plenty of Moët & Chandon champagne will be on offer for guests to enjoy alongside their meal and a dragon-inspired dessert that packs a spicy but sweet kick. The spectacular wishing tree installations inspired by the Lam Tseun trees in Hong Kong will make their return at both locations, guests will be able to write their wishes on beautiful red ribbons which they can tie to the tree as they leave. The Lunar New Year celebrations at Hakkasan will be available from January 30 to February 24. Find out more here.
3. Watch a lion dance performance as you dine on themed menus at Yauatcha
Vibrant dragon designs, neon dragon lights and lanterns inspired by Hong Kong teahouses will adorn Yauatcha’s City and Soho branches in celebration of Lunar New Year, where guests can dine on their limited edition menu. Available from January 30 to February 24, the menu includes a dim sum platter which features lobster cheese rolls with white pepper sauce and Abalone chicken shui mai, along with an Alaskan king crab dish and a hearty stir-fried Surrey Angus rib eye beef.
The pastry team at Yauatcha have whipped up a treat with their Lucky Dragon petit gâteau, a Prosperous Dragon Macaron, and traditional Chinese pineapple pastries decorated with dragons on top. Guests can sip on limited edition dragon-themed cocktails with dragonfruit as they enjoy lion dance performances on February 9 at 7pm at Yauatcha City and on the February 10 at 3pm at Yauatcha Soho. Find out more here.
4. Indulge in an afternoon tea at Pan Pacific’s Straits Kitchen
To ring in the Lunar New Year, Strait’s Kitchen at Pan Pacific is serving a Fruits of the Forest afternoon tea in partnership with the acclaimed Cantonese-style bun specialist, Bun House from 8 February 2024 to 25 March 2024. Indulge in four delicious buns which feature Bun House’s signature lamb bun with toasted cumin, chilli and garlic, and an exclusive bamboo shoot filling. Experience flavours of white peach and milk Oolong and pineapple and Szechuan pepper as you sip on Newby Tea’s Chinese New Year tea or a glass of sparkling wine if you’re feeling fancy.
There’ll also be a children’s afternoon tea available for little ones to enjoy which is complete with an activity pack to keep them busy and a postcard they can colour in which Pan Pacific will happily post to any loved one the children or you choose. Find out more here.
5. Wine and dine on an eight-course tasting menu at Tooting’s Daddy Bao
Tooting’s favourite neighbourhood Taiwanese restaurant, Daddy Bao, is celebrating the Lunar New Year with an evening of feasting on Sunday February 11. They’ll be offering a delightful feasting menu that blends tradition with innovation. Guests can enjoy meaningful dishes including dumplings that will decorate plates like ancient Chinese ingots that symbolise fortune and can indulge in Nian Gao, a traditional rice cake, that represents prosperity and orange fruits are thought to bring luck and happiness. The Lunar New Year staple of a whole fish will also be on the menu which is traditionally eaten to represent abundance and a sesame chocolate truffle to end your meal on a sweet note.
6. Pull out all the stops with a celebratory dinner at Tattu
Tattu first swung open its doors in April of 2022, and it has made major waves since then. They’re celebrating the ‘Year of the Dragon’ from February 9 to 24 with a limited edition menu, transforming their dining room with traditional red lanterns. The cocktail and food menu will be getting exclusive specials, including a good lucky money bag dim sum, a show-stopping Year of the Dragon dessert, and the delightful Dragon’s Kiss cocktail. Celebrations will culminate on February 24 with a Lantern Festival featuring lion dancers and live music. Find out more here.
7. Be entertained by performers and more at The Brunswick in Bloomsbury
From 4.30pm on Thursday February 8, The Brunswick will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon with a range of FREE spectacular Chinese New Year performances at the centre for all to enjoy. Yep, you read that right. Free!
On the roaster will be an eclectic mix of performances, including traditional Chinese lion performers, stilt walkers, dramatic dolly head performances and more to keep you entertained. Add in some of the best Asian street food in town and you’ve got yourself one hell of a celebration we say! It’s also just a stone’s throw from Fork Deli – one of our favourite delis and wine bars.
8. Head to the Science Museum for a silent disco at their Chinese New Year Lates
On Thursday February 1, the Science Museum is hosting a Lates session at the dawn of the Lunar New Year and the opening of their exhibition about Chinese clockwork titled Zimingzhong. Guests will celebrate amongst lion and dragon dancers, Chinese drummers and arts and crafts stations as they learn all about the history of Chinese timekeeping. The silent disco will still be on as part of the celebrations so you can carry your celebrations through to the dancefloor. General admission is free but VIP tickets are £12. Find out more here.
9. Gorge on a feast at MiMi Mei Fair
To ring in the new year, MiMi Mei Fair is bringing back their wishing tree adorned with beautiful blooms for guests to enjoy their Chinese New Year menu under. Under the blossoming canopy, guests can dine on festive dishes including a ‘basket of wealth’ dim sum; ‘fortune’ crispy Norfolk pork with pineapple and pomelo; a flourless chocolate bar served with mandarin & pecan crunch and vanilla bean ice cream.
Expertly crafted cocktails will be served alongside the dishes and there’s also a jewel of the dragon egg, an out of this world limited edition carefully crafted chocolate egg filled with chocolate mousse, cherry heart, dragon egg shell vanilla ice cream and red velvet crumble. Celebrations will run from February 1 – 24 with the set menu at £128. Find out more here.
10. Take a wander through London’s Chinatown and sample some delicious delicacies
Offering loads of yummy food options, all the saucy dumplings you could want and some Chinese supermarkets to inspire you to get cooking at home, Chinatown is the perfect place to while away the hours on Lunar New Year. Try ‘lucky’ jiaozi dumplings at Dumplings Legend, Tao Tao Ju, or Orient London, tuck into braised lobster with ginger and spring onions at Plum Valley or enjoy steamed sea bass at Jin Li.
You could also pick up some tang yuans (or ‘soup balls’) at the See Woo Supermarket. Colourful lion dances, live performances and cultural activities will be taking place at the Chinese New Year parade on February 11 on the West End – so don’t miss out!
11. Embrace the year of the dragon at the House of Ming
To celebrate all things that the dragon represents, the House of Ming will be offering a fiery cocktail from February 9-11 aptly named the Firestorm. Fit for a dragon, the festive tipple will be served with dehydrated oranges crusted with 5 Chinese spice and flaming garnish which you can enjoy along with the six limited-edition dishes to ring in the Chinese New Year. There are six dishes as the number six represents luck during the Lunar New Year, expect culinary delights such as the Yuanna-style lamb and Sichuan-style oriental vegetables.
The restaurant will also be decked to the nines with stunning lucky bamboo centre pieces and the gifting of red envelopes. On Chinese New Year’s Day, all guests dining at the House of Ming will receive a red envelope with a special offer inside. Find out more here.
12. Head to the casino for some top-notch Cantonese dishes
While a casino may not have been your first thought of 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. Bonus points for being open until 4am, because who doesn’t love Chinese food at an ungodly hour at night? Find out more here.
13. Dine on dim sum at The Ivy Asia
A spanking-new dim sum set menu is coming to The Ivy Asia in celebration of the Year of the Dragon. Available from January 29 to March 10, diners will have the pleasure of feasting on prawn har gow, chicken siu mai, duck spring rolls and so much more. To end the meal on a sweet note, a Red Dragon dessert that’s made for sharing will be on hand to let guests release their inner dragon, along with limited-edition cocktails that capture the spirit of the dragon.
On February 10, guests can enjoy an evening of live entertainment, immersive dancers and musicians, tarot readings at select sites, and a number of fortunate guests will even receive special lucky coins in their dim sum baskets which will earn them exclusive privileges at The Ivy Asia. Find out more here.
14. Revel in immersive entertainment whilst you enjoy a celebratory dinner at Park Chinois
Park Chinois is celebrating the Chinese New Year with a bang, they’re hosting 11 days of live entertainment which is all to be enjoyed as you feast on their bespoke menu. Featuring wok-friend abalone, roast pipa sesame chicken, and Australian wagyu beef, it’s an indulgent menu fit for such a special occasion. The celebrations are on from February 1-11, where a lion dance show will take place every evening from 8pm, traditional Chinese drummer Bei Bei will join the festivities on February 9 and 10, and those that dine from February 7-11 will receive red envelopes revealing their fortune and a select few with special surprises. Find out more here.
15. Oragami it up at Ichiba Japan Centre
Get stuck in the art of paper folding to create your very own dragons, lanterns and Chinese New Year shapes for a more creative way to celebrate the holiday. Ichiba Japan Centre at White City Westfield will be hosting a origami workshop on Saturday February 3 from 10am to 2pm, and the best part? It’s entirely free, there’s no need to book so all you need to do is pop by and get folding.
16. Celebrate with some limited edition tipples that bring the spirit of the dragon
Chinatown’s resident three-floor speakeasy, Opium, and Hong Kong-inspired Lucy Wong are both offering limited edition cocktails to ring in the new year.
Opium’s celebratory cocktails include a twist on the classic, the Ming Fashioned, the Dragon Spritz, and the Red Dragon River which are all made with the Chinese liquor Baiju from Ming River. Over in Fitzrovia, Lucy Wong is offering four limited-edition cocktails including the Rising Tiger which has cold brew coffee and dashes of chocolate bitters, great for any Negroni fans.
So there you have it – the Secret London roundup of the best things to do for the Lunar New Year. From gorging yourself silly on some tantalisingly good food to watching live performers at the National Maritime Museum, there’s something for everyone here. So how will you celebrate the ‘Year of the Dragon’?